Global Migration Patterns and Job Creation

Gallup’s World Poll reveals new findings on the “great global dream” and how it will affect the rise of the next economic empire.

Can You Evaluate Your Own Abilities?

A Cornell psychologist explains why it’s almost impossible to judge your own competence — and how to overcome the blind spots.

John H. Fleming and Jim Asplund

In hiring and managing individual employees, it’s important to understand what is difficult to change (talent) and what is more easily changed or acquired (knowledge and skills). Once you hire someone, you are largely stuck with their talents, whereas you can still impart new skills and knowledge. Without a clear understanding of these two different aspects of ability, you will have an incomplete picture of … [ Read more ]

David Dunning

One of the pet phrases I have is “The road to self-insight runs through other people.” Other people can often give us invaluable feedback that can really correct an illusion that we’re suffering from.

One of my favorite, but most chilling, findings is from a study that surveyed surgical residents. They were asked about their surgical skills, and then they were given the standardized board exam. … [ Read more ]

David Dunning

Giving feedback is a tricky business, and nearly 40% of feedback programs actually demotivate people. There is a skill to be learned here, and there are two things we can do to give feedback that’s motivating, accurate, and tactful. The first thing is to give feedback that is concrete, as opposed to feedback that’s about the person’s character. You want to talk at the behavioral … [ Read more ]

Five New Rules for Management

“In the process of working with some of the best run companies in the world, we have learned a great deal about how the world’s finest organizations unleash the power of their human systems and how the worst fail to do so. Though the specific ways that the HumanSigma [management] model may be implemented in your company may vary, the underlying philosophy can be boiled … [ Read more ]

What Are Workplace Buddies Worth?

A lot, says the author of Vital Friends: The People You Can’t Afford to Live Without. In fact, he says they’re so valuable that managers should actually be fostering close relationships in the office.

James Bond Comes to the Boardroom

Remember the days of Cold War espionage and intrigue, popularized in Bond films and John Le Carré novels? Well, times have changed geopolitically, but businesses have come to embrace the merits of “tradecraft”: They want to gain market advantage through a better understanding of the competition. In the corporate world, tradecraft is called “competitive intelligence.” A former CIA agent-turned-management expert tells how to make it … [ Read more ]

Too Many Interruptions at Work?

Most of us have become masters of multitasking, adept at responding to e-mail messages during meetings and making time for multiple distractions when we’re actually trying to get work done. But is it possible to be productive when we’re constantly interrupted? Workplace expert Gloria Mark tackled this question, and offers some counterintuitive findings, including this one: Interruptions can actually be quite beneficial.

When Equal Opportunity Knocks

A Gallup survey reveals what workplace diversity really means to employees, managers, and the balance sheet.

Vinton Cerf

Vinton Cerf discusses his role in the creation of one of humanity’s greatest technologies and talks about what’s next for the information age.

Why Dilbert Is Right

Uncomfortable work environments make for disgruntled employees — just like the cartoon says.

Start Finding Tomorrow’s Leaders Now

Too many executive teams are neglecting to have thoughtful discussions about their leadership pipelines. Yet forward-thinking organizations know they need leaders and a leadership succession plan that deliver results.

Is That a Neuromarketer in Your Brain?

An expert on customers explains why appealing to simple human emotion beats neuromarketing in the race to revenue. And he has the pictures to prove it.

Mastering the Art of Office Politics

You don’t have to be a savvy manipulator to get ahead — you just need to understand and apply your innate talents.

Discovering How Your Future Leaders Think

Gallup has been researching top-performing leaders for more than 40 years. One crucial discovery has been that top performance is strongly correlated to seven main leadership activities or “demands.” Those demands are: visioning, maximizing values, challenging experience, mentoring, building a constituency, making sense of experience, and knowing self.

Focusing each leader’s growth on the seven demands can accelerate leadership development. This artcle outlines the seven … [ Read more ]

Roy Spence

I believe that because of the acceleration of technology, consumers will make a purchase decision based not just on what you sell, but on what you stand for. I’m not talking about morals — morals are arguments that no one wins. But values are great connectors.

Roy Spence

People get confused between purpose, mission statements, and vision. “Mission” is basically how you execute your purpose, and vision is a statement of how you see the world after you’ve done your purpose and mission.

But purpose is the deepest river: You start with “What difference are you trying to make?” Your tactics will change, your ads will change, your mission might too, but your purpose … [ Read more ]

Don’t Guess Your Way to Success

Who is the most successful salesperson on your team? The one with the best product knowledge? Or the greatest sales skills? Or the most in-depth understanding of your customers? If you picked any of these, you were wrong. Rather than guess what drives sales success, learn the right answer from America’s best sales force.