connecting the dots of life, work, and meaning
The world’s eyes have been on a small town in Connecticut. And rightly so. The tragedy that struck that community is of a horrific magnitude. As a parent myself, I can’t imagine what it must be like. As a member of the viewing public, I feel a mix of emotions and want answers.
“Why does something like this happen?” is a question on all our lips.
Take a look through history. Concentration camps, genocide, gangs, gladiatorial battles, crucification, child sacrifice. Humanity has proven that it knows no limit ...
Psychology. It influences our thoughts, our actions, and the world around us. None of us can escape it. And we’re not talking about Freud here.
A great myth in life is that your work can make you happy. It can’t. The only way work brings meaning to your life is if you bring meaning to your work.
Whether we work from home, in an office, or in the field, we spend more time working than any other activity. Maybe it’s time we looked into what that means.
When I was in college, I despised the word “rhythm.” And it wasn’t just because I can’t dance. (Although I can’t dance.) It was because I considered the ideas of “rhythm” and “work life balance” to be idiotic. Yes, that seems harsh, but only when I look back. At the time I really thought that people who talked about such things were New Age, squishy, slackers who just didn’t know how to work.
I held that view for many years.
The Benefits of Youth
That’s the joy I ...
I am always interested in how companies interact with their customers. I suppose it comes with the territory of being an I/O psychologist. I can't help but love this stuff! Of course the drawback is that a lot of times companies do a terrible job of connecting with their customers - especially their early adopters.
Recently the National Association of Realtors put out a statistic that said 84% of clients couldn't remember their real estate agent's name after 6 months. 6 months!
Yet, I bet that statistic is true ...
I have not been having a good time buying things online recently. First there was my purchase from Digital Storm. (As I write this I’m going on 90 days and they have yet to refund my money for the broken computer they sent me. Update: check arrived in the mail today!) Then there was my attempt to buy a digital camera for my wife - the camera seller couldn’t process the credit card, and then left us hanging as to whether the purchase was processed. Even ...
Does the customer matter? Most people answer “yes.” Most companies will tell you every customer matters. But do they really treat them that way? Are business decisions really made as if every customer matters?
On my way home I was listening to the Radio DJ talk about his experiences with Capital One. He shared that his mother-in-law was dying, and Capital One wouldn’t release his money (through his debit card) so he could buy a ticket. Despite having the money in his account, “their policy” prohibited releasing that ...
