I Wish They Knew

IN EPISODE 166: Work-life balance isn't just a myth - it's a critical business mistake for companies looking to attract, develop and keep talent. In Episode 166, Dan Pontefract outlines practical ways to cultivate "work-life bloom" in every organization. We explore the factors that help people bloom at work, ways leaders can calibrate their efforts for success, and how non-leaders can start bloomi...

IN EPISODE 165: The CIA is one of the most secretive organizations on earth, but its mission is blazingly clear: To protect the American homeland. Behind that mission is a culture of development and connection that makes the mission possible. In Episode 165, CIA's associate director of talent, Sheronda Dorsey, takes us inside the agency and explains how CIA helps its officers progress in their car...

IN EPISODE 164: Some call them "one and done." Others deride them as "one and run." But done right, one-on-one meetings between a leader and a report can transform the way individuals and teams connect and thrive. In Episode 164, Steven Rogelberg, the world's foremost expert on meetings, provides the playbook for making your 1:1s count. We discuss how 1:1 meetings add value and save time, ways emp...

IN EPISODE 163: At some point or another, we're bound to fail. But how we fail determines whether we'll experience future success or setbacks. Amy Edmondson returns to the show to explore the right kind of wrong, and how "intelligent failure" can become an investment that delivers stronger rewards and results. You'll learn how to craft these intelligent failures, how to identify preventable failur...

IN EPISODE 162: We make thousands of decisions every day, but how many of those are actually bringing us closer to the outcomes we want? In this episode, Paul Epstein provides a simple but powerful framework for making better decisions faster. You'll learn how to align your decisions with your values, how to overcome analysis paralysis, and how to take action through consensus-building. ABOUT PAUL...

IN EPISODE 161: We can have careers by design, not default -- so long as we position ourselves for change. In Episode 161, Ann Hiatt shares the lessons she learned from more than 15 years reporting directly to CEOs like Jeff Bezos, Eric Schmidt and Marissa Mayer. We explore Ann's "ROI" model for upleveling your career, discuss ways to generate feedback from up, down and across your organization, a...

IN EPISODE 160: WD-40 created a company culture where people can make a contribution, learn something new, feel safe and protected, and go home happy. Do you wish that your company culture looked the same? Garry Ridge, who spent two decades as WD-40's CEO and chairman, explains why "learning moments" drive the culture, how leaders can balance candor with caring, and why ego is the #1 culture kille...

IN EPISODE 159: Finding talent is hard. Keeping it is harder. But with the right moves, leaders can retain and sustain their workforce for years to come. In Episode 159, Erica Keswin shares the new rules for retention. From smarter onboarding to flex work and continuous learning, you'll learn how some of the most dynamic places to work make retention work -- and how you can make your company so ir...

IN EPISDOE 158: To succeed in work and life, we need to make room for abundance - the belief that we can create possibilities for us and others by delivering team wins, not just solo victories. In Episode 158, Ken Sterling delivers a "how to" on creating an abundance mindset on your team. From optimizing team collaboration to modeling abundance from the top, you'll learn the systems and strategies...

We're told that feedback is a gift...and who wouldn't be thankful for that? But feedback doesn't always feel like a gift, and depending on how it was shared, doesn't leave us feeling very thankful at all. In this Thanksgiving edition of the show, we confront the challenge -- and opportunity -- of being thankful for feedback. It's something we can all achieve...with a few helpings of "feedback math...

IN EPISODE 157: Uncertainty isn't a sign of weakness. It's a signal of wisdom. In Episode 157, Maggie Jackson explores why uncertainty can actually lead to better individual and team outcomes, as well as more creativity, stronger bonds and a drive to investigate and question. We discuss the benefits of being unsure, the limits of mental shortcuts, why uncertainty spurs collaboration, and when it's...

IN EPISODE 156: Dissent doesn't have to make us weaker. When it's rooted in our values, it can make us smarter and stronger. In Episode 156, Todd Kashdan shows us how "principled insubordination" can surface the issues and actions that lead to breakthrough ideas, bolder initiatives, and better teamwork. We discuss why the "wisdom of crowds" isn't always smart; how to win people to your side even w...

IN EPISIDE 155: Visuals aren't just helpful aids for learning - they're essential tools for leading. In Episode 155, Todd Cherches explores the power of "visual leadership" to promote better attention, comprehension and retention in the workplace. He outlines four dimensions of visual leadership, describes ways that leaders can make their vision viable, and steps leaders can take to ensure that th...

IN EPISODE 154: When adversity strikes, we can either lose ourselves in pain, blame and shame -- or we can find a way to move forward with purpose and passion. In Episode 154, former NFL player Merril Hoge shares his personal story battling adversity -- a career-ending injury, depression and cancer -- and how "find a way" became his personal mantra for discovering a deeper sense of agency, courage...

IN THIS EPISODE:  Chances are you've dealt with a jerk at work. But there's an even stronger likelihood that you've handled it the wrong way -- and possibly made a bad situation worse. In Episode 87, Tessa West deconstructs jerky behavior and helps us place it into a larger context. You'll learn how to identify different jerk profiles (they come in different shapes and sizes), how to gather helpfu...

IN EPISODE 152: Digital transformation doesn't start with technology - it's about people, purpose and alignment. In this episode, Kate O'Neill shows us why the best strategies for disruptive technologies are focused on meaning, not just machines. We discuss ways companies can get digital transformation right, how to measure for meaning, and why AI may not cause the apocalypse we're fearing. Plus,...

IN EPISODE 151: We all want happier lives, but the straightest path to happiness is the one that's indirect. In Episode 151, Tal Ben-Shahar shares why the pursuit of happiness often leaves us feeling unhappy and why seeking indirect forms of happiness makes us more fulfilled. Tal explores the "happiness paradox" that drains our joy, outlines five drivers of happiness, and offers practical and simp...

IN EPISODE 150: To say "no" to life's distractions and frustrations, we need to first know ourselves. IN Episode 150, Vanessa Patrick shows us how to make an "empowered refusal" based on our values, beliefs and identity. You'll learn how to set and adjust rules to protect your time and priorities, why the best no's are formed around personal policies, not excuses, what to do when someone won't tak...

In this special episode, I respond to the Wall Street Journal's front page story on feedforward and try to set the record straight.

IN EPISODE 149: Our professional and personal relationships can be better - but they don't improve by themselves. In Episode 149, Michael Bungay Stanier shows us how to get the best possible relationships by talking about the "how," not just the "what." You'll learn how keystone conversations promote relationships that are safe, viable and repairable; how asking five questions can reveal what's ha...

IN EPISODE 148: It's not enough to share perspectives. We need to advocate for them. In Episode 148, Heather Hansen shows us how to advocate to win -- the act of getting something positive because we've earned it. Heather explores the three things advocates do to get more wins, how men and women approach advocacy differently, why feedback seekers make for strong advocates, and the surprising ways...

IN EPISODE 147: We've all been the target of a scam, fraud, or con - but we also allow ourselves to become the source. In Episode 147, Dan Simons and Christopher Chabris teach us the habits and hooks that make us more susceptible to bad actors and information. You'll learn why people spread misinformation without even realizing it, how our memories play a role in self-deception, the words and phra...

IN EPISODE 146: We know that the decisions we make today will determine the lives we lead in the future. The best way to get better outcomes? Get to know your future self. In Episode 146, Hal Hershfield explores the brain-based case for visualizing ourselves in the future. We discuss the benefits of prospection, ways to identify more strongly with our future selves, the value of "surrogates" and t...

IN EPISODE 145: It's one thing to resolve conflicts with people who are reasonable. But what can we do with those who aren't? The best way to gain power over a conflict is to give power away -- and in episode 145, Hesha Abrams shows us how to "hold the calm." You'll learn: Why it's more effective to name emotions than to blame actions How the brain receives and responds to information willingly Wh...

IN EPISODE 144: Have you ever experienced a sudden and significant disruption in your work life? It may not be the end of life as you know it, but the start of a new life you never knew. In Episode 144, Bruce Feiler explores the power and possibilities of "workquakes" and their impact on our happiness, meaning and balance. We explore the tension between linear expectations and non-linear realities...