Category: Mind

Jennifer, a new manager, is struggling with burnout. Suddenly, she’s responsible not only for her own work but also for the career success, mental health, and happiness of 12 team members. She has a 6-month-old baby at home waking her up several times a night, and perhaps because of the sleeplessness and work stress, things…

One of your co-workers privately messages you saying he has something to share, ending the message with, “But you can’t tell a soul!” You instantly feel a rush of excitement for being the chosen one and also an intense curiosity for what the secret could be. Later, while having lunch together, he asks again, “Are…

Over the years, controversy has raged over what, if anything, the benefits of meditation are. This skepticism stems from a few sources: Some believe mediation is an ancient practice incompatible with modern life, while others think it’s a fad that will come and go like so many others. Although there’s still much more to learn…

A number of factors underlie the impending leadership gap. First, generational shifts are happening as the current generation of senior leaders retires, taking their skills and institutional knowledge with them. Meanwhile, the pandemic has weakened the pipeline of employees prepared to lead. During the worst years of lockdown, many companies focused on survival, neglecting their…

At the team meeting, you inwardly roll your eyes when your boss announces the team is going to break into small groups to do some brainstorming. But then she says you can pick your own groups, so you grab the arms of your two office besties and pull them into a quiet corner. You have…

Maria, a hiring manager, is struggling to decide between two equally qualified candidates. Both have impressive resumes and aced their interviews. In a personality assessment, Jim scored lower than Samantha on “extraversion” and “openness,” two qualities that seem important for the open leadership position. Based on these results, Maria is leaning toward Samantha, but she…

“Hey, I have some good news. You’ve just been promoted to management! Your work as an individual contributor has been consistently excellent. In appreciation for your commitment and hard work, you’re being promoted. You start tomorrow. Good luck, and we’re all counting on you!” Chances are, if you’ve managed people before, you may have received…

In the 1989 movie “Say Anything,” Lloyd Dobler asks, “How hard is it to just decide to be in a good mood, then be in a good mood?” For some of us, it may be much harder than it sounds. Not only are our dispositions influenced by our genes, mental health, and activities of the…

You see an email from your co-worker pop up asking about a project you’re working on together. While typing your response, you hear a notification go off on your phone, alerting you to a message from your manager about a client. As you make a mental note to get to that later, your phone starts…

I spent part of July glued to the World Track and Field Championships, featuring the best-in-class athletes running, jumping, or throwing for their countries. Multiple world records were shattered, and I couldn’t help but wonder how athletes are still able to break boundaries and reach new peaks. While I’m no professional athlete, I am a…

With a fresh focus on improving performance and increasing inclusion in the public sector, government leaders face more decisions on how to approach telework in a VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) world. While legislation could provide some guidance to leaders of the nation’s 2.1 million federal employees spread across law enforcement, diplomatic functions, education,…