Motivation
Looking for something specific? The following topics address a wide range of business needs and challenges.
Intrinsic Motivation Redux
In a recent blog post, on a topic I was attempting to have some fun with, I received a very passionate comment that I felt warranted its own attention. I referred the comment to someone whom I…
13 Things that Scare the Devil Out of Me!
1. Managers who try to change “attitude” without pinpointing specific behaviors
2. Authors who attribute performance problems to lack of “intrinsic motivation”
3. Economists who act as though they…
Back to School Basics: Some Counter-Cultural Advice
Who shouldn’t like this time of year? Many parents like it because their children will actually be in school for a number of hours during the work week, providing a needed break from childcare…
Driving Me Crazy Yet Again: Valuing Personal Opinion Over Scientific Fact
I thought patience was supposed to come with age. However, the older I get the more impatient I have become and every day I see or read something that drives me crazy. The latest was a short article…
Has the Daily Deal Lost Touch?
It would go against logic to think that companies wouldn’t consider the customer first, especially today. Yet, I was surprised to read in a recent Fast Company article, Do Groupon and LivingSocial Do…
You Don’t Have to Show Them the Money Because it is Not About the Money!
A colleague, Tyler, asked me the other day during a discussion about the pay for performance bounty escapade, “What is $1000 to a millionaire?” That is like saying to your buddy at the bar, “…
Helping and When it Doesn’t
There is much being said by politicians these days about helping the poor. The problem is that everything done by Congress for the past 40 years has not helped. Earned Income Tax Credit,…
Productive Plan for 99ers
I happened to catch the Platform to Employment segment on 60 Minutes this week and couldn’t help but applaud! Now this is a productive plan. This non-profit has gone well above and beyond…
Positive Reinforcement Can Kill
The news media recently reported the death of a man in a gaming café. He had been playing League of Legends for 23 hours. Police suspected that “a combination of tiredness, lack of movement and the…
Just do it!
Guest post by Christina Simms
Understanding why we procrastinate and how to beat it. Having trouble whittling down your To-Do list? Do you find yourself saying (albeit with confidence) “I’ll get to…
A Dozen Ways to Weather the Economic Storm
Nowadays you can’t turn on the television, pick up a newspaper, or read a magazine without seeing headlines about jobs and the turbulent economy. Inundated with negative news and experiencing the all…
Translating Sports Philosophies to Business: A Lesson for Us All
Just recently I was asked to comment for an article that was published on Mainstreet.com, Famous Sports Wisdom to Use at Work. This was no far stretch for me as I have collected various quotes…
Cigarette Warnings: Government Approach is Well Intended But Won’t Change Behavior
Several weeks ago Secretary LaHood unveiled with considerable fanfare, a new attack on smoking where manufacturers will be required to display on the top half of the pack of cigarettes larger, more…
Things that Drive Me Crazy: Behavioral Economists
What started with Dan Pink’s “Drive” has now compelled me to discuss Things That Drive me Crazy. In this first installment, I challenge “Behavioral Economists” and their lack of expertise in…
Drive Me Crazy, Part 2
This Pink thing keeps resurfacing. He has a new video on YouTube that uses some real neat white board technology that is attracting attention. Unfortunately, the message on the white…
The Wrong Spirit
Apparently the executives at Spirit Airlines are not familiar with the research of Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky. They demonstrated years ago that they way you frame choices impacts people’s…
Still Driving
My recent post DRiVE Me Crazy!, sparked a dialogue in the blogosphere and in particular, blogger Lisa (www.managementcraft.com) and I continued to trade thoughts.
Here is her last…
"DRiVE" Me Crazy!
In his new book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Dan Pink says that a new motivational operating system, what he calls Motivation 3.0, is needed for today’s business because what…