Behavioral science
How To Stay Motivated So You Exceed Your Goals (via Behavioral Grooves)
- People feel good when they are making progress, especially when it’s more than they expect
- The middle problem — beginning = enthusiasm, ending = finish is coming; we seem to not see much progress while also having so more more to do in the middle
- Planning fallacy — predictions about how much time will be needed to complete a future task display an optimism bias and underestimate the time needed
- An avoidance goal (what I won’t do) is harder than an approach goal (what I will do)
- It’s easier when your goals align with your identity as a person
- Patience works when what you’re waiting for is actually worth something to you
- It’s easier to learn from others’ failures than your own
Employee retention
5 Questions Every Manager Needs to Ask Their Direct Reports (via HBR)
- How would you like to grow within this organization?
- Do you feel a sense of purpose in your job?
- What do you need to do your best work?
- What are we currently not doing as a company that you feel we should do?
- Do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?
Don’t Hire a Former Employee Before Asking These Questions (via HBR)
- Am I hiring the boomerang employee because it seems like the easy option?
- Does the boomerang bring the right skills and capabilities to advance the business?
- Is unconscious bias influencing me?
- Have expectations of the “what” and the “how” changed since the employee left?
- Will I be able to provide opportunities that ensure retention long term?
Engineering
Prioritization, multiple work streams, unplanned work. Oh my! (via Software Lead Weekly)
This post has some good principles (e.g., finish what you start), and shares some best practices about various work streams and how they can be applied.
Leadership
Reinventing Your Leadership Team (via HBR)
If you’re on a C-suite team, leading one, or helping to build one, this article has several areas to help you focus. One is about the key components — identifying needed roles, assembling the right people, focusing on driving transformation, and taking ownership of the team’s behavior. Another is about six paradoxical expectations of today’s leaders. And finally, there’s a list of questions to help you tell if your leadership team is actually leading.
Personal growth
To Build New Habits, Get Comfortable Failing (via HBR)
- Immunize yourself against big letdowns (using small, low-stakes letdowns)
- Make a commitment before you chicken out
- Publicize what you’ve learned
- Keep a progress meter and allow yourself to stop