Whitepapers

Today, many organizations use personality assessment tools to assess their employees. But before deciding to use a personality tool, should organizations create their own thermometer test?  Imagine someone walking up to a doctor with a new kind of device that claims to measure the body temperature. What if the manufacturer requested the doctor to endorse the new product? The doctor is the…

There is a fascinating connection between two seemingly unrelated topics: self-deception and leadership. The two themes often come together in the lives of prominent politicians, for example, in the career of Barack Obama. Let us explain. We are both fascinated by the idea that people often do things for reasons of which they are unaware. On the one hand, it is pretty obvious that people frequently…

Social organizations generate immense power and great benefits. Today, we rely on social organizations to support every facet of our lives—from food production and distribution to water supply and waste disposal to the provision of health care and national security. However, that power can also be a source of massive harm.  It therefore matters whose hands control the levers of this power.…

Everybody goes into a flat spin at some point each day. Here's how to straighten up and fly right. Everyone chases motivation, and most of us endure periods without it. Lack of motivation doesn't just affect performance at work. It affects your emotional well-being and your ability to continue pursuing the goals you've set for yourself. Recharging your drive isn't easy, especially…

New research suggests we work more effectively, creatively, and collaboratively when we’re happy at work. Conventional wisdom holds that if only we pay workers enough, they’ll be productive. There may be more to it, though. Recent research hints there’s a link between employees’ happiness and their productivity at work. Some companies are taking note—and already seeing…