Impossible goals are a bad idea.  Why?  Because no one likes the idea of tackling a project which will certainly fail.  That's why very difficult goals have a way of reducing  performance. Not only that, but believing goals are impossible can lead people to take unethical actions.  Students are more likely to cheat on tests where they think they don’t have a chance, and believe no amount of studying would help.  Business people are more likely to use fraud or investment schemes if they think there’s no ...

One of the world’s most famous quotes is: “May you live in interesting times.”  It’s not meant as a good thing. The irony is, everyone has always lived in interesting times.  The world is in a constant state of change.  That’s no more true today, then it was 100 or 1000 years ago.  What is different is the speed of that change.  It took hundreds of years for society to go from using polished bronze to silver backed glass to create something you and I use every ...

Are you working enough?  That seems like a ridiculous question.  Especially since many of us work 50, 60 or even 70 hours a week.  But the truth is, that work is often scattered.  Ineffective.  We’re sitting at a desk – but not really “working.” Let’s face it, we try to cram so much stuff into our day that we don’t really get anything accomplished.  We call this “multi-tasking” so that it sounds like we’re doing something impressive.  But we’re just punching a time clock instead of adding value ...

We live in a culture that values planning.  So we have life insurance in case we die.  We have health insurance in case we’re sick.  We have fire insurance in case our house burns down.  We have liability insurances in case someone gets injured on our property.  We have disability insurance in case we get hurt at work.  And the list goes on.  (Some of us might even have “list insurance” for long lists.) Planning can be a good thing.  And it’s smart to have insurance policies to ...

Life can be overwhelming.  Just ask, well, anyone.  With so many competing commitments how can you ever feel like you’re getting anywhere?  If you’re like me, you can’t.  On any given day I have 3-4 major writing projects that require dedicated time and focus.  I also have research that needs to be read.  Notes that need to be organized and archived.  A house that needs (seemingly constant) repairs.  Volunteering.  Family obligations to my wife and children.  Plus all the side projects I would like to start “some ...

As I type this there is a debate raging in Washington DC on how to fix the budget.  So much effort has been spent by government officials, lawyers, members of the media and bloggers over this one problem.  (And as far as Washington problems go, it’s probably a good one to spend energy on.  Let’s hope that by the time you’re reading this, they have found an answer.) Yet I can’t help but wonder: why does it take so much effort? It’s not just government where this happens.  ...

I’m all for innovation.  But sometimes we innovate solutions to the wrong problem.  Take Crowne Plaza hotels (where I’ve stayed on more than one occasion.)  They have decided that to help their customers get a better night’s sleep, they would institute “quiet zones” geared toward being as quiet as possible.  Unfortunately some people’s snoring has caused a problem. Crowne Plaza’s solution: snore patrols. They pay people to walk around the hotel at night and knock on doors of patrons who snore too loudly.  (However “loudly” is determined.) The problem, ...

I think one of the biggest problems organizations face are “lukewarm employees.”  These are the employees that show up on time, put in some hours, push some papers, and punch the clock at 5. They don’t do anything wrong. But they don’t really do anything exceptional either. They just exist, taking up space, and getting just enough done to make sure they don’t lose their job.  Unfortunately when we have lukewarm employees, we become a lukewarm company.  And in a world where people have nearly limitless choices, that’s a death ...

According to Bronnie Ware there are 5 things that people regret the most when they are on their death bed.  What struck me the most were #1 and #2 on the list: #1 - I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. #2 - I wish I didn't work so hard. (For a full list see her website.) Not surprisingly people die every day after having lived unfulfilling lives.  We can lie to ourselves when things are ...

Last week I wondered on the Meaning To Work Facebook page, how a journal article could be written by 6 different people, yet I could  barely get through the thing because of the terrible writing.  And it’s had me thinking the last few days – why is that? Why are so many journal articles terribly written? I’d like to think that people are just poor writers.  I’d like to think that the 6 researchers are scientists first and writers second (or in this case, 101st).  Brilliance in science ...