The pandemic really has made your memory worse

Posted on

BY ART MARKMAN

No, you’re not imagining things. Here are three reasons why the pandemic has been bad for your memory.

If you look back over the last few months, you may find that you have a hard time picking out specific things you did. What did you eat for dinner two nights ago? Was that one client meeting last week, or week before? What happened again on that last episode of Yellowjackets?

If you’re struggling to remember, you’re not alone. The pandemic has been bad for your memory in several ways.

To understand why, it is useful to know a bit more about how memory works. You encounter a lot of information each day, and your brain does not store all of it away. Forming memories is energetically expensive, because it requires you to grow new connections among the neurons in your brain. So, your brain is starting out by estimating whether a particular piece of information is worth holding onto.

Even after you do learn some new information, your brain is trying to figure out how likely you’ll need that information in the future, which can then make it more accessible. So, information you use often is easier to retrieve than information you only need in specific situations. Information you have used recently is easier to retrieve than information you haven’t thought about in a long time.

Finally, memories are retrieved based on the similarity they have to the situation you’re in right now. You want to be able to think about things that are related to what is happening right now. Continue reading →

3 Easy Ways to Make People Like You That Are Backed by Science

Posted on

BY MINDA ZETLIN

Making a great first impression isn’t as hard as you might think.

What makes some people more likable than others? You may think it’s a matter of intangibles such as personality or charisma, but in fact, scientific research has found some answers to this question. That’s good news, because you can use this information to raise the odds that people will like you, especially when you meet them for the first time. If you’re an entrepreneur, business owner, or business leader, getting someone to like you can make all the difference when it comes to bringing in an investor or landing a big customer. It’s a skill you may want to cultivate.

In a highly useful post at Psychology Today, Natalie Kerr, PhD, a social psychologist and professor at James Madison University, explores some of the research and offers tips anyone can use to become more likable. You can find the full list here. These are my favorites.

Continue reading →

3 ways to handle a communication breakdown at work

Posted on

by Anna Shields

It’s been easier to avoid challenging working relationships over the last two years because many workers have not been in the office. But as the return to the office accelerates, many will inevitably have to communicate face-to-face again with ‘difficult’ colleagues – the boss who won’t budge an inch, or the colleague who storms off at the first sign of challenge.

When relationships deteriorate, it can be hard to know what to do as there is often a fear of making things worse. Here are three ways to approach a challenging situation that can help break the deadlock or soothe hurt feelings.

When tempers are frayed – Press pause
In the heat of the moment, we may say things during a conversation that trigger negativity and strong emotions. Meanings or intentions can be misinterpreted, fueling further escalation. When the red mist descends, it can be difficult to keep an open mind or listen well, and two-way communication breaks down.

When a situation reaches boiling point, pausing the conversation can be effective. Consciously take a few seconds to pause, take a few deep breaths, relax tense muscles, and adjust your body posture. This helps to calm the brain’s fight-flight-freeze (FFF) response and gives an opportunity to regulate and choose to continue more calmly and with control. Continue reading →

Why remote work may render the 5-day workweek obsolete

Posted on

by Scott Dust

During the conventional 5-day week, most workers’ productivity levels gradually drop off as they move closer to the weekend, signaling the format may be outdated.

A little over one hundred years ago, a New England mill instituted the five-day workweek to accommodate Jewish and Christian day of rest observances. The masses followed suit. This five days on, two days off cadence still exists, but to put it simply, it is inefficient.

Employees run out of steam working eight or more hours a day for five days straight. My colleagues at Miami University and I recently conducted research illustrating this exact point. Across two different samples, we found that employee motivation and performance steadily decline across the five-day workweek. We are conditioned to work hard at the beginning of the week, but we lose focus as the weekend approaches.

Another problem is that thanks to technology, the eight-hour, “9-to-5” workday is a mirage. We think it exists, but it doesn’t. We are constantly checking in and refreshing our inboxes. And this extra time spent on work work hours either go unnoticed by employers or go unregulated by employees.

It’s time to get realistic about how people work in the 21st century. To the degree that we can acknowledge what is actually happening—and what is actually effective—we can begin to experiment with work hours in ways that simultaneously increase productivity and well-being.

Continue reading →

Why Leaders Keep Getting Better—Yet Their Reputations Keep Getting Worse

Posted on

 

By Kelly Goldsmith and Marshall Goldsmith

 

 

 

The bar is being raised, and the standards of evaluation for great leadership will only get higher.

Jim, a newly minted manager at a top technology company, asked us a fascinating question: “Do leaders today act more like bullies than leaders in the past?” 

He went on to elaborate, “It seems like every week I read stories in the press about bad leaders who intimidate people and engage in disrespectful behavior. Do you think that leaders are worse today than ever before?” 

Jim was very surprised at our response. 

We believe that the overwhelming majority of executives today are much better leaders than at any other time in our history. The leaders we coach are far more inclusive, caring and respectful than their historical predecessors. 

How can leaders be more inclusive, caring and respectful in the face of an increasing sea of negative comments about bullies and bad leadership?  Continue reading →