GRANTED: April 2015 edition

April 2015

We all know that April showers bring May flowers, but what do April newsletters bring? You read, I'll work on the rhyme:

1. The Messy Minds of Creative People
The creative process can be surprisingly painful. What drives people to take arms against that sea of troubles? Scott Barry Kaufman shares a comprehensive new model that begins to reconcile some of the baffling contradictions of the highly creative people among us.

2. Why You Lack Self-Awareness and What to Do About It
Instead of pursuing self-esteem, we’re better off seeking self-awareness. Beware: this article from Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic may make you suddenly aware that you are not self-aware. He offers three explanations for why this is the case, plus helpful tips for breaking through the barrier of self-delusion to see ourselves the way others see us.

3. Reinventing Performance Reviews
Performance reviews are one of the most universally despised features of life at work. Marcus Buckingham set out to change that at Deloitte, cutting two million excruciating hours a year down to four simple questions.

4. Searching the Internet Creates an Illusion of Knowledge
We know that a quick internet search can provide an answer to a burning question, but Tom Jacobs shares that it might come with a heaping side of overconfidence. A series of entertaining studies demonstrated that searching online led to an inflated sense of knowledge, even of topics totally unrelated to the search.

5. Women-Led Companies Perform Three Times Better than the S&P 500 From Pat Wechsler, here's an analysis of what would happen if you invested in the women-led Fortune 1000 companies versus the S&P 500. As the headline implies, the S&P didn't stand a chance. An intriguing addition to the list of reasons we should actively promote diversity in leadership.
6. You Are Almost Certainly Starting Salary Negotiations Wrong
There are lots of ways to start a negotiation wrong: cursing, hysterical screaming, unsolicited miming. But here's an interesting tip for starting it right: instead of asking for a number, ask for a range. Max Nisen explains how this can land you more money without tarnishing your reputation.
 

From My Desk:

 
7. The Best Lie Detectors in the Workplace
When someone lies in an interview, who's better at catching the fib? Is it the skeptical leaders who harbor suspicions about others, or the trusting leaders who assume the best?

8. The #1 Feature of a Meaningless Job
Ask people what they want in a job, and meaningfulness looms large. For decades, Americans have ranked purpose as their top priority—above promotions, income, job security, and hours. So what makes a job feel meaningful? If your job doesn't have meaning built in, here are some steps you can take to change that.

9. Mean Reviews: Professor Edition
You’ve seen celebrities read mean tweets on Jimmy Kimmel. At Wharton, our MBA students filmed their own variation, asking professors to read some of the harshest comments from student course evaluations. This was plain fun.

Thank you for reading—I’ll be back in your inbox next month. Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel. Zamm. Pow. Biff.
 
Cheers,
Adam

Adam Grant, Ph.D.
Wharton professor and author of GIVE AND TAKE