Most Popular Editorials: How Parents Can Promote Resilience in the Family Business

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How Parents Can Promote Resilience in the Family Business Parents in a family business often want to know how they can prepare their children for the problems they will inevitably face when they transition into leadership roles within the company. The concern is both for the continuation of the family legacy through the business, as well as for the success of the next generation member as an individual. The most important thing parents can do to promote competence and resilience in the next generation is to provide opportunities for kids to develop an internal locus of control — a belief that they can control what happens in their lives; not that their lives are controlled by external forces. For next generation members to understand that they can control their own outcomes, parents need to 1) promote active experimentation, 2) embrace failure, 3) ask kids to identify multiple solutions to a problem, and 4) avoid micromanagement. A reduced emphasis on telling and a greater focus on providing learning experiences can make all the difference. Continued here

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How to Effectively Build Pre-Work into Meetings It’s no secret that the term “pre-work” inspires groans, eye-rolls, and even — during that all-too-familiar moment of realization that you haven’t done the pre-work — a sense of impending doom. Because of this, and because pre-work so often goes undone, many executives have given up on the practice. It doesn’t have to be this way. By embedding pre-work into meetings and carving out the first five to 20 minutes to have participants silently review a thoughtfully prepared, action-oriented document, leaders can reimagine not just the concept of pre-work, but the very nature of how teams gather. The author presents five tips for adopting the practice. Continued here

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4 Business Ideas That Changed the World: Scientific Management In 1878, a machinist at a Pennsylvania steelworks noticed that his crew was producing much less than he thought they could. With stopwatches and time-motion studies, Frederick Winslow Taylor ran experiments to find the optimal way to make the most steel with lower labor costs. It was the birth of a management theory, called scientific management or Taylorism. Continued here

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Is Your Leadership Development Program Undermining Your DEI Goals? A major reason for stalled progress in leadership representation is the inequitable way leadership development opportunities are allocated in many organizations. When informal means are used to select employees for opportunities like mentorship, leadership coaching, or other high-potential programs it’s all too likely that our biases about who has potential (according to research: tall, attractive, white men) come into play. Since leadership development opportunities tend to beget other opportunities, the problem of inequitable selection compounds over time. The authors offer four strategies to create more equitable programs. Continued here

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The Curse of the Strong U.S. Economy With GDP contracting in the first half of the year and a cratering stock market, it may seem surprising to describe the U.S. economy as “strong.” While the haze of macroeconomic data is exceptionally contradictory, the current reality is that highly profitable firms are employing a record number of workers and paying them rising wages. This would all be good news if it didn’t stoke the fire of inflation. In fighting inflation, the Fed is now much more accepting of the risk of causing a recession. When recession looms, the reaction from executives is often to retreat behind the moat, pull up the drawbridge by cutting orders, production, investment, and the workforce, all with an aim to fortify the balance sheet with liquidity to ride out the storm. But this alone would be a wasted opportunity to improve competitive position at a time when rivals will be distracted. Continued here

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Research: Men Are Worse Allies Than They Think A new study reveals a persistent gap between men and women in their perceptions of how men are truly showing up — or not — in the workplace. This gendered disparity was magnified when survey participants were asked about many of the salient micro-behaviors aligned with allyship for gender equity. Men are also more likely to view themselves and other men as active allies and advocates than women do, but men who participate in allyship programs appear to be more aware of what real allyship action looks like and are more likely to report taking actions to mitigate gender inequity. Continued here

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The Power of Work Friends Despite claiming “people are our greatest asset,” too many executives still expect employees to leave their personal lives at the door when they come to work. Yet Gallup data shows that having a best friend at work is strongly linked to business outcomes, including improvements in profitability, safety, inventory control, and employee retention. And Gallup’s latest findings show that since the start of the pandemic, having a best friend at work has an even greater impact on important outcomes — like workers’ likelihood to recommend their workplace, intent to leave, and overall satisfaction. With the unavoidable increase in remote and hybrid work, best friends at work have become lifelines who provide crucial social connection, collaboration, and support for each other during times of change. The author offers four ways managers can create and maintain a friendship-friendly workplace that delivers measurable results. Continued here

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Talking About Burnout Is Still Taboo at Work Burnout is on the rise: Google searches for the phrase “burnout symptoms” hit an all-time high in May 2022. To address this, the authors have designed a series of 18 questions, tied the six causes of burnout, that managers can use to spark a dialogue with their team. They also offer guidance on how to conduct the conversation. Continued here

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I just learned I only have months to live. This is what I want to say. - The Boston Globe I've been a journalist for more than 60 years. So after doctors delivered the news, I sat down to do what came naturally, if painfully: Write this story. Continued here

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Anticipating the Future for Growth and Innovation: Companies in Asia Pacific and Beyond Are Building Prescience into Their Plans - SPONSORED CONTENT FROM SAP The global business environment has become more complex and interconnected over time, meaning that organizations have to continually reassess everything from supply chains to remote work to sustainability, taking into account which areas are working well and which need to be transformed. The Covid-19 pandemic has only accelerated this shift, forcing companies to adapt to fast-changing circumstances, revealing the risks of being slow, or unable, to adapt—and showing how organizations that are prepared for change can capitalize on new opportunities. Yet many organizations feel somewhat—but not very—confident in their current preparedness for dealing with unexpected change. Continued here

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Choosing the Right Platform for Your Brand ^ R2205B To meet customers where they are, you can't beat selling on e-commerce juggernaut Amazon--or can you? This issue's Spotlight package examines the myriad ways companies are using digital platforms to sell their products, interact with consumers, and create more value. In "Should Your Company Sell on Amazon?," Ayelet Israeli, Len Schlesinger, Matt Higgins, and Sabir Semerkant explore the benefits and the costs of selling on the world's largest e-commerce site. The article's scorecard will help companies determine whether or not Amazon makes sense for their brand. Companies that choose to proceed with Amazon will find guidance on optimizing their presence there. Companies that want to sidestep digital aggregators like Amazon may consider building brand flagship platforms instead. More than just direct sales channels, these platforms provide a mix of specialized products, services, and content by involving participants--consumers and third-party businesses--in the value creation process. In "Building Your Own Brand Platform," authors Julian R.K. Wichmann, Nico Wiegand, and Werner J. Reinartz introduce the four types of platforms and outline the risks and opportunities of each. Finally, Wharton professor Thomas S. Robertson explores the rise of livestream commerce in "Selling on TikTok and Taobao," explaining why both consumers and companies are drawn to the format. The article offers guidance for brands ready to start experimenting with livestream, including which type of platform to choose and how to measure their efforts. Continued here

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The Chair of Illycaff In the 1990s most coffee beans were still commodity products, cheaply priced, undifferentiated by quality, often blended, and sold through an exchange. Suppliers were underpaid not only because they sat at the bottom of the value chain but also because margins were very thin. Francesco Illy founded his eponymous coffee company in 1933 with higher ambitions, intending to create an institution respected for both its products and its contributions to society. His son, Ernesto, and grandson, Andrea, pressed on in that tradition—first by implementing better quality-management systems and pioneering direct trade with growers, and then by adopting their new production model at scale. The idea was to incentivize farmers to cultivate more-flavorful beans, thereby generating bigger profits to be shared among all stakeholders and reinvested in further improvement and growth: a virtuous circle of increasing returns. Over the past two decades illy has been accomplishing what it set out to do. Its annual revenue is currently €500 million, with earnings before interest, taxes, and depreciation of nearly €60 million and a compound annual growth rate of 10%. And it pays its growers an average of 30% more than market price for coffee beans and is consistently recognized as one of the world’s most socially responsible companies. Continued here

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Building Your Own Brand Platform Some branded product companies are sidestepping digital aggregators like Amazon and Google Shopping and instead building their own brand flagship platforms. These platforms are more than just a direct sales channel. They provide a mix of specialized products, services, and content by involving participants—consumers and third-party businesses—in the value creation process, as both receivers and providers of value. Continued here

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It's Time for the U.S. to Tackle Patent Trolls Patent trolls are a major economic problem in the U.S., slowing growth and innovation, and costing companies time and money. Director of the USPTO, Kathi Vidal, also has an opportunity to take immediate action that will substantially improve how our patent system functions and advance U.S. innovation. It involves repealing a rule instituted by their predecessor that made it harder for firms being sued by patent trolls to take advantage of special expert judges. Continued here

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How Your Company Can Encourage Innovation from All Employees Frontline employees often contribute the best ideas for process improvement, as Toyota and other companies have often found.  In this article, the authors show how the kaizen approach to process improvement used at manufacturing companies can be translated to the context of knowledge work, where it can help companies identify opportunities for automating knowledge work.  It revolves around the creation of an ideas platform and development toolkit that employees can share and experiment with. Accounting giant PwC has found that adopting this approach and providing extra recognition and rewards for participation on the platform has helped employees to realize over 7 million hours savings in work time. Continued here

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What Makes a Great Leader? Tomorrow’s leaders master three key roles — architect, bridger, and catalyst, or ABCs — to access the talent and tools they need to drive innovation and impact. As architects, they build the culture and capabilities for co-creation. As bridgers, they curate and enable networks of talent inside and outside their organizations to co-create. And as catalysts, they lead beyond their organizational boundaries to energize and activate co-creation across entire ecosystems. These ABCs require leaders to stop relying on formal authority as their source of power and shift to a style that enables diverse talent to collaborate, experiment, and learn together — a challenging yet essential personal transformation. Continued here

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What Role Should Business Play in Society? Companies talk the talk of creating stakeholder value, but most don’t walk the talk. In this article, the author outlines two major reasons why — an insular financial sector and stock buybacks — and describes a new model for a truly symbiotic relationship among business, government, and citizens. For this model to succeed, business and government in particular need to address three key questions: What should we create? How should we evaluate social impact? And how should we share? Continued here

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Trust: The Currency of Innovation - SPONSORED CONTENT FROM Mastercard Trust can be defined in a variety of ways, but when it comes to innovation, it may be best described as belief in the reliability and soundness of a new idea brought to market. Organizations have been increasing their focus on innovation since the onset of the global Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic tested not only how well they could adapt, but also how well they could maintain the trust of customers and employees suddenly worried they could jeopardize their health by simply entering a store or workplace. In the newest Business Innovators Index survey from Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, 58% of executives say their organization now ranks innovation as a high priority, up from 54% in 2020 and 47% when the research was first launched in 2019. And 82% say high levels of customer trust make it easier to innovate. Continued here

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Is Bad Onboarding Stifling Your New Senior Leaders? Onboarding is traditionally an exercise in orienting new employees to the status quo: the existing people, rules, culture, norms, processes, procedures, and behaviors that they will need to be successful in their new job. But leaders today are brought into organizations to create change. The typical orientation process can stifle the new leader’s innovative spirit. To set up a new leader to create change, build their onboarding process around a specific near-term challenge, customize it around a particular question, or ask them to regularly report critical observations of what they learn to a group of stakeholders. Continued here

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12 Default Microsoft Excel Settings You Should Change With her B.S. in Information Technology, Sandy worked for many years in the IT industry as a Project Manager, Department Manager, and PMO Lead. She learned how technology can enrich both professional and personal lives by using the right tools. And, she has shared those suggestions and how-tos on many websites over time. With thousands of articles under her belt, Sandy strives to help others use technology to their advantage. Read more... Continued here

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Biden's big new student loan forgiveness plan, explained President Joe Biden announced his administration’s long-awaited student loan forgiveness plan Wednesday, saying it will forgive $10,000 in student loans for borrowers who earned less than $125,000 during the pandemic. People who received Pell Grants, grants to low-income students, while they were enrolled in college will be eligible to have $20,000 in debt forgiven. Continued here

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A neurotech company wants to use eye tracking to prevent injuries Chelsea Lane was the head performance therapist with the Golden State Warriors when she first started checking her athletes with a product from NeuroSync, a neurotechnology company making a tool that tracks eye movements to understand brain health. Lane initially used it as part of the team’s concussion protocols. But when she moved to the Atlanta Hawks in 2018, she started using the information in another way: to try and understand how well her athletes were sleeping.  Continued here

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Is 'reverse catfishing' really a thing? My friend Daisy asked for some help with setting up her Hinge profile the other week. “Are there too many pictures of me with a drink – do I look like an alcoholic?”, she asked, sliding her phone over to me and our other friend, Holly. “No,” Holly said, wrinkling her nose. “But it’s too normal.” Continued here

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A Teacher Who Joined OnlyFans to Support Her Family Was Fired For about six years, Sarah Juree worked full-time as a teacher in South Bend, Indiana, as part of the Department of Defense STARBASE educational program, which introduces Grade 5 students to science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM. But the single mother of twins said she was unable to support her family on the modest salary of $55,000 per year, especially as the cost of living continues to rise across the U.S.  Continued here

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Tua Tagovailoa and the NFL's Horrible Handling of Head Injuries The Miami Dolphins quarterback suffered a brutal concussion on Thursday, but he never should have been playing in that game at all. Now, it’s time for answers from his team and a league that was supposed to protect him. Continued here

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The magic of summer hoops, starring Trae Young, LeBron James and Paolo Banchero I AM SOMEONE WHO GREW UP in a city without an NBA team. A city with a rich basketball history propelled by local legends. People who starred in high school, and maybe played for a college team that you could watch on ESPN from time to time. Guys who came home in the summer and played in summer leagues and tournaments that captivated young, aspiring players who hoped to one day do the same. Continued here

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I broke the Jeffrey Dahmer story in 1991. Here's what the Netflix series got wrong Anne E Schwartz was working as a crime reporter when a police source told her about human body parts found in Dahmer’s apartment. Three decades later, she tells Bevan Hurley what viewers should know when watching Netflix’s dramatisation of the case Continued here

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The 13 best co-op management games to sink hours and hours into Many games are huge. Others are endless. Some are so exciting that they swallow our news feeds whole. That’s where Polygon’s What to Play comes in: We curate the best, most innovative, and most intriguing games on every platform, so you can spend less time searching, and more time playing. Continued here

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The Pandemic Has Dealt a Blow to Gender Balance At the time, the senior HR leader was working for a multinational company that was divesting its Asian business. When it became clear that Covid-19 posed a serious threat to Asia’s economy, the company accelerated those plans, laying off 60 percent of its corporate employees – most of whom were women working in Asia, Jolanda says. She was one of them. Continued here

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To Improve Your Team, First Work on Yourself If a team is not working well together, it’s highly likely that each person is contributing to the difficulty in some way. The odds of improving the team dynamic in a meaningful and sustainable will be higher if everyone — including the leader — learns to master three foundational capabilities: internal self-awareness, external self-awareness, and personal accountability. Internal self-awareness involves understanding your feelings, beliefs, and values, and how they impact your reactions. If you find yourself in an emotionally-charged situation, ask: What are my core values, and how might they be impacting my reactions? What are the facts vs. my interpretations? Next, consider the impact you may be having on your teammates. This is external self-awareness. One way to start is to observe others during discussions. Did someone raise their voice? Stop talking? Smile? You can collect some valuable information this way — but it also leaves room for misinterpretation. A more direct approach is to ask teammates for specific, straightforward feedback: What am I doing in meetings that is helpful? What am I doing that is not helpful? Lastly, to be personally accountable, practice assessing how you are contributing to the problem and make a conscious choice about how to react to improve the team’s outcomes. Changing how we process information and respond requires not just learning these new skills, but also demonstrating them long enough to form new habits. Continued here

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The Secrets of Great Teamwork Over the years, as teams have grown more diverse, dispersed, digital, and dynamic, collaboration has become more complex. But though teams face new challenges, their success still depends on a core set of fundamentals. As J. Richard Hackman, who began researching teams in the 1970s, discovered, what matters most isn’t the personalities or behavior of the team members; it’s whether a team has a compelling direction, a strong structure, and a supportive context. In their own research, Haas and Mortensen have found that teams need those three “enabling conditions” now more than ever. But their work also revealed that today’s teams are especially prone to two corrosive problems: “us versus them” thinking and incomplete information. Overcoming those pitfalls requires a new enabling condition: a shared mindset. Continued here

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How to Survive a Recession and Thrive Afterward According to an analysis led by Ranjay Gulati, during the recessions of 1980, 1990, and 2000, 17% of the 4,700 public companies studied fared very badly: They went bankrupt, went private, or were acquired. But just as striking, 9% of the companies flourished, outperforming competitors by at least 10% in sales and profits growth. Continued here

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The Psychological Toll of Being the Only Woman of Color at Work Systemic bias and discrimination at work can take a mental health toll on women of color. And due to a variety of factors, including a lack of mental health providers of color, women of color aren’t getting the mental health help they need. It’s a crisis where individual women of color begin blaming themselves for systemic bias. The author spoke with Danielle Jenkins Henry, licensed marriage family therapist associate (LMFTA) and founder of a psychotherapy practice for Black women, who offers four ways for women of color to take care of their mental health first and foremost. Continued here

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To Avoid DEI Backlash, Focus on Changing Systems -- Not People The enemy of well-intentioned DEI initiatives is backlash — and not just from people from privileged groups. Backlash from all directions is often due to DEI initiatives being framed as solutions to individual problems to be fixed rather than to correct for systemic issues at play in an organization. To reframe the conversation the author recommends five steps to implement in your DEI strategy: 1) Collect data to diagnose specific inequities in your organization, 2) communicate about initiatives using a systems-focused framing, 3) as change-making efforts begin, appeal to “fairness,” 4) clearly lay out expectations for change alongside resources and support, 5) sustain momentum by affirming effort and celebrating wins. Continued here

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Moving a Family Business Beyond the Founder's Vision To sustain a long-term family enterprise, it’s clear that having a founder who builds a great business is only the first step. As the legacy business and the entrepreneurial leadership of the founding generation gives way to the next generation, the business enters a transition to a new era where there are several related family owners, who often need to create a path to reconsider what business they are in, which goals to develop, and how they will do that. They must redefine the business and develop new opportunities for a new era. This transition requires members of the second and third generation to become entrepreneurs and pioneers in their own right. Their leadership is often less visible than that of the founder, but no less important. Continued here

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How Black Women Can Navigate Pay-Gap Gaslighting This year, Black Women’s Equal Pay Day is almost a full two months later than it was just last year thanks to an ever-widening wage gap. While the burden of achieving equal pay remains on leaders, policymakers, and people in power, the author recommends strategies for Black women to fight the gaslighting that so often accompanies self-advocacy: call it by its name, embrace the discomfort, map what you’re making up for, fight fire with facts, let them tell you, and give yourself grace. Continued here

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Designing an Inclusive Metaverse The metaverse will offer new opportunities for the way we work and play, how we interact with brands, and much more. Companies planning to participate in the metaverse have an opportunity to remedy some of the mistakes of Web 2.0 and a responsibility to shape an inclusive space where everyone feels represented and that they belong. Three strategies, rooted in the 10 principles of the design justice network, offer a path of how we can get from here to there: 1) Assess the diversity at your table; 2) Frame the problem you’re trying to solve; and 3) Listen and probe with empathy. Continued here

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What Has (and Hasn't) Changed About Being a Chief Diversity Officer In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, corporate interest in DEI is higher than ever. But has this increased attention racial justice and inequity led to real, meaningful change? The authors conducted interviews with more than 40 CDOs before and after summer 2020 and identified four major shifts in how these leaders perceived their companies’ engagement with DEI: First, the CDOs confirmed that interest in DEI surged post-summer-2020. Second, the CDOs shared that they were increasingly expressing their personal values, rather than always resorting to the “business case” for diversity. Next, they shared that while their organizations had made a lot of promises, leadership often failed to live up to those commitments, and that a lack of strategic commitment and accountability stymied real progress. Finally, as a result of this and other challenges, they found that CDOs were more exhausted than ever. To address these issues, the authors argue that organizations must empower CDOs to drive long-term change not only by offering words of support, but by investing substantial time and resources into DEI, ensuring leaders across the organization are aligned and held accountable for DEI goals, and helping DEI professionals cope with the intense fatigue and burnout that often comes with the job. Continued here

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Why Economies Become Less Dynamic as They Age Covid-19 revealed the limits of the U.S. economy and the ways it wasn’t as dynamic as many had thought. For years, the U.S. has struggled to build new things, from roads to railways to housing, but analysts have struggled to explain why. But a canonical book by the political economist Mancur Olson offers an answer: As economies age, lobbyists and interest groups slow everything down. Olson’s book The Rise and Decline of Nations is being republished this year, with a new introduction. And it’s sparking a new debate over what went wrong with the U.S. economy. Continued here

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Sustaining an Entrepreneurial Spirit in Your Family Business The idea of generational decline in family businesses is nothing new. The old adage “shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations” seems to exist in one form or another in many cultures and languages. The common assumption is that the decline is driven by a generation gap of sorts, where successive generations become less motivated, and less capable of leading the business. But a decline in the entrepreneurial activity of a family business across generations is not inevitable. Rather than focus on significant issues (gaps) between generations, families should focus on correcting misalignments in expectations and needs. An emphasis on increasing the entrepreneurial ability of the next generation combined with efforts to provide opportunities for the next generation to act entrepreneurially will increase the willingness of the next generation to take action. There are many differences between each consecutive generation, but an entrepreneurial spirit does not need to be one of them. Continued here

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How Sustainability Efforts Fall Apart Sustainability has become the new corporate imperative. Companies have begun doing their homework, diligently setting up a number of initiatives. This is a good starting point, but too often, firms are unable to systematically scale these efforts to achieve a more transformative outcome. This is because internal hidden enemies act as antibodies and resist the change. Unless a company tackles the enemies early on, it will never be able to achieve sustainability at scale. Defeating the enemies is possible, as shown by the success stories in different industries. It’s time for firms to put in practice concrete countermeasures to fight back against the hidden enemies and unleash the full potential of sustainability. Continued here

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How Diversity of Thought Can Fit into Your DEI Strategy Fawn Weaver started a distillery using her own money to honor the life of Uncle Nearest, a former enslaved man who was Jack Daniel’s first master distiller. The company took off to become the fastest growing spirits company in the world, winning many awards for its whiskeys. Weaver, a Black woman, also was deeply intentional about building in DEI best practices in from the start, which surprised some people who thought a company with a female, African-American leader wouldn’t have to think as much about DEI. Wrong, Weaver says and she demonstrates the ways the company focuses on inclusion to avoid common pitfalls other companies face when building up their diversity efforts. Weaver focuses not just on demographic diversity, but also diversity of thought, a tricky concept that’s sometimes used as a scapegoat to avoid hard conversations about DEI. Weavers says you need both. Her journey is not over, though, as she continues to work on her company’s diversity, and her industries, partnering with Jack Daniels to build a pipeline of diverse talent in the spirits business. Continued here

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How to Prepare the Next Generation to Run the Family Business Why don’t more businesses pass down through the generations, and conversely, why aren’t younger generations more interested in taking on significant responsibility in their family businesses? Younger family members may be woefully unprepared to take on leadership roles when the business needs them, or may not wish to take on the burden of responsibility — either for managing the business or for “reporting” to other family shareholders. Several challenging familial conditions may exist, often in combination. And yet so many of these obstacles could be remedied with some forethought and openness. This article covers several approaches that can familiarize younger members of the family with the ins and outs of today’s business, and get them ready to feel comfortable taking the reins in the future. Continued here

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Is Your Board Inclusive -- or Just Diverse? In recent years, many boards have made substantial progress when it comes to increasing diversity. But the authors’ research suggests that simply increasing representation of women or ethnic minorities isn’t necessarily enough to achieve true inclusion in the boardroom. Through an analysis of director diversity and financial performance of the FTSE 350 as well as a series of in-depth interviews with global board members, the authors identify common benefits and challenges associated with moving beyond representation on the board. They then offer several research-backed strategies to help boards become not just diverse but truly inclusive, including adopting an intersectional approach, challenging assumptions around status and experience, and proactively investing in board culture. Continued here

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Visualizing the Rise of Global Economic Uncertainty Researchers have documented a rise in economic uncertainty in recent years, using text-based measures that track descriptions of economic conditions by the Economist Intelligence Unit. Not only does that work show that uncertainty is rising, it points to five crises that are driving it — including, most recently, the invasion of Ukraine. The researchers also suggest strategies for dealing with uncertainty: Pay more attention to geopolitics as it will continue to affect your business. Be willing to pay for flexibility, so you can change course more easily in the future. And invest in contingency planning to gain practice responding to economic and political shocks. Continued here

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The UK Economic Crisis Might Not Be a One-Off Markets have reacted poorly to the UK government’s new “mini-budget” combining energy price caps with tax cuts for the well off. The government’s search for a quick fix to economic growth is a mistake. In fact, restarting productivity and growth is as important as the Truss government says. But getting there will require a long slog of thoughtful supply-side reforms. And the crisis has lessons beyond the UK. Much of Europe faces the same lackluster productivity and the rise of counterproductive political populism. To keep Europe economically vibrant, politicians and businesses need to address the world’s most important problems head on—by making the right public and private investments. Continued here

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How to Disagree with Someone More Powerful than You How exactly do you voice dissent with your superior? And is it always worth it to do so? Communication experts say that while just agreeing feels easier, it’s not always the best decision to make. First, weigh the risk of pushback or a negative reaction from a boss against the risk of not speaking up. If you do decide to voice your opinion, there are some best practices to keep in mind. State your opinions as facts, avoiding using judgment words. In addition, ask permission to dissent instead of offering an unsolicited opinion. Keep in mind that the final decision is still in the hands of your boss, but being honest and respectful will show them that they have more options. Continued here

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How to Write a Cover Letter Perhaps the most challenging part of the job application process is writing an effective cover letter. And yes, you should send one. Even if only one in two cover letters gets read, that’s still a 50% chance that including one could help you. Before you start writing, find out more about the company and the specific job you want. Next, catch the attention of the hiring manager or recruiter with a strong opening line. If you have a personal connection with the company or someone who works there, mention it in the first sentence or two, and try to address your letter to someone directly. Hiring managers are looking for people who can help them solve problems, so show that you know what the company does and some of the challenges it faces. Then explain how your experience has equipped you to meet those needs. If the online application doesn’t allow you to submit a cover letter, use the format you’re given to demonstrate your ability to do the job and your enthusiasm for the role. Continued here

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How to Answer "Why Do You Want to Work Here?" Of all the interview questions job applicants prepare for, the most obvious ones sometimes get the least attention. Yes, you came ready to share your biggest flaw, your greatest strength, a moment when you shined, and a concept you learned, but what do you do with a broad but direct question like “Why do you want to work here?” In this piece, the author offers three strategies for answering this common interview question and provides sample answers for you to use as a guide. Continued here

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38 Smart Questions to Ask in a Job Interview The opportunity to ask questions at the end of a job interview is one you don’t want to waste. It’s both a chance to continue to prove yourself and to find out whether a position is the right fit for you. In this piece, the author lists sample questions recommended by two career experts and divides them up by category: from how to learn more about your potential boss to how to learn more about a company’s culture. Choose the ones that are more relevant to you, your interests, and the specific job ahead of time. Then write them down — either on a piece of paper or on your phone — and glance at them right before your interview so that they’re fresh in your mind. And, of course, be mindful of the interviewer’s time. If you were scheduled to talk for an hour and they turn to you with five minutes left, choose two or three questions that are most important to you. You will always have more time to ask questions once you have the job offer in hand. Continued here

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To Keep People from Procrastinating, Don't Give Them a Deadline Maroš Servátka of Australia’s Macquarie Business School and three coresearchers—Stephen Knowles, Trudy Sullivan, and Murat Genç, all from New Zealand’s University of Otago—invited 3,276 people to take a short online survey in exchange for a $10 donation to charity. Some participants were given a one-week deadline, some were given a one-month deadline, and some were given no deadline at all. Members of the last group returned more surveys than those in the other two groups did, and they also responded more quickly. The conclusion: To keep people from procrastinating, don’t give them a deadline. Continued here

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Life's Work: An Interview with Jerry Rice Rice first played organized football as a high school sophomore. By senior year he was an all-state receiver recruited by several colleges. He opted for a pass-reliant program where he could showcase his strengths and performed so well that the San Francisco 49ers made him a first-round pick in the 1985 NFL draft. He went on to win three Super Bowls with the team, play in 13 Pro Bowls, and set dozens of league records. Since retiring, he has worked in media, supported charitable work, and launched a natural-energy-drink company. Continued here

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The Surprising Benefits of Work/Life Support To succeed, almost every employee needs work/life support at some point. Women and people of color need it the most, research shows, because they face greater challenges and have fewer resources available to them. They are also the least likely to receive it, however, and as a result often are forced to change or leave jobs and lose out on opportunities for advancement. Continued here

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Case Study: What's the Right Career Move After a Public Failure? Whitney laughed. The two had been close friends since they met their first year at Columbia Business School. They texted pretty much every day, but Whitney had called to make a case for why her friend should fly up to New York City from Atlanta, where she lived with her husband and teenage daughter, to attend their 25th reunion. Continued here

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Don't Let Cynicism Undermine Your Workplace Some company cultures are marked by mistrust and paranoia, which leads to a slew of negative outcomes: poor performance, burnout, turnover, and cheating. People who worry about the behavior of others spread gossip and are prone to backstabbing. That brings out the worst in their colleagues, leading cynics’ suspicion and distrust to become self-fulfilling prophecies. The good news is that cynicism has antidotes, according to the author, who shares research findings—his and those of others—to help leaders understand how people fall into a “cynicism trap,” how their organizations’ policies and practices may be pushing them into it, and what they can do to escape it. Tactics include redirecting the organizational culture toward collaboration and trust and making sure that all managers—not just those at the top—are modeling trusting behaviors and combating cynicism in their interactions. Continued here