GRANTED: March 2015 edition
March 2015
Here are some of my favorite articles on work and psychology over the past month—plus an exciting opportunity to learn more about these topics in person. Though March Madness has yet to officially begin, I think it's clear we already have some winners:
1. I Don't Have a Job. I Have a Higher Calling.
In the attempt to attract, retain, and engage their workforce, many companies are eager to connect their missions to a higher purpose. Employees no longer assemble wireless routers; now they bring education to Third-World countries. Whether this inspires or induces nausea isn't mere personal preference. As Rachel Feintzeig shows here, it can actually reveal something interesting about the role work plays in your life.
2. If You Want to Nail an Email Introduction to a Busy Person, Here's How
Chris Fralic provides a comprehensive guide to connecting, complete with real-world examples and concrete tips. Spoiler alert: "Compose email in iambic pentameter" is, disappointingly, not one of these tips.
3. Your Productivity Problem is Really an Over-Commitment Problem
If your reaction to the previous article was, "I don't write emails to busy people; I am a busy people," then this one's for you. As Elizabeth Grace Saunders explains, many think they have a productivity problem, but it's often really an over-commitment problem. She also shares a simple formula for diagnosing and fixing it.
4. Does Name-Dropping Work?
Name-droppers, beware: talking about our ties to important people can make us appear less likeable and less competent. I was just telling Oprah about this fascinating research the other day. 5. Acting "Out of Character" in the Workplace
New studies by Brian Little and Sanna Balsari-Palsule suggest that it can be draining for introverts to act like extraverts... but the reverse can be even worse. Whereas introverts get regular practice acting out of character, if you’re an extreme extravert, the last time you sat quietly might have been in kindergarten.
6. Inside the Psychology of Productivity
An enlightening and entertaining read from Leigh Buchanan on why procrastination is like cholesterol; why we treat our future selves so poorly; and why placing too much focus on productivity is... wait for it... counterproductive.
From My Desk:
7. What if HR and Talent Decisions Were Based on Evidence?
Next month at Wharton, we’re thrilled to host our second annual People Analytics Conference, and we'd love to have you join April 10-11 in Philadelphia. Think Moneyball for talent, bringing thought leaders and executives together to share the best evidence on improving hiring, leadership development, team effectiveness, and employee retention. Speakers include basketball star Shane Battier, bestselling author Dan Pink, Google’s head of people operations Laszlo Bock, former New Jersey attorney general Anne Milgram, the leaders of Second City comedy, and the heads of HR and talent at Estee Lauder, LinkedIn, and McKinsey. Click here to register and learn more.
8. How Men Can Succeed in the Boardroom and the Bedroom
In this op-ed with Sheryl Sandberg—the final in a series of four on women at work—we explain why equality is not a zero-sum game. Women's success does not come at the expense of men's, but can instead increase the size of the pie, creating more rewards and promotions to go around. Should that fail to motivate you, let's just say the benefits extend beyond the strictly professional.
9. Why I Failed to Advocate for Women: Confessions of an Ignorant Man
For a long time, I was blind to the biases that women face every day. Here’s what opened my eyes. If only I had known earlier that on corporate boards, there are more men named John, Robert, William or James than women in total.
Thank you for reading—I hope you found something you enjoyed. Let's do this again sometime. How about next month?
Cheers,
Adam
Adam Grant, Ph.D.
Wharton professor and author of GIVE AND TAKE