Daniel Pink

As we head back to the office, this book is essential reading.

It’ll explain why you should never tolerate a-holes at work – and help you find out if you might be one yourself.

(It’s also my wife’s favorite business book, including those written by her husband.)

#DanielPink #TheNoAssholeRule #RobertSutton #BookRecommendation

How to discover your purpose in 4 (not-so-easy) questions:
1. What do you enjoy?
2. What are you good at?
3. What does the world need?
4. What can you get paid for?

More: https://lnkd.in/dnd9HXgn

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Wednesday wisdom from Stephen King:

Another good obit of the great Csikszentmihalyi, including a quote I hadn't seen before:

“When the self loses itself in a transcendent purpose — whether to write great poetry, craft beautiful furniture, understand the motions of galaxies, or help children be happier — the self becomes largely invulnerable to the fears and setbacks of ordinary existence.”

When we ask for help or admit a mistake, people perceive us *far* less negatively than we perceive ourselves.

Researchers call this “the beautiful mess effect.“

And it's another reason to show yourself self-compassion.

When Ozan Varol first became a law professor, he’d pause mid-lecture and ask: “Does anyone have any questions?”

-Crickets-

He assumed he nailed the lesson.
But the exam results said otherwise.

So he ran an experiment.
Instead of asking if anyone had questions, he said:

“That was confusing. I’m sure a bunch of you have questions. Now’s the time to ask.”

Suddenly—hands shot up.

Why did that work? Because it did 3 powerful things:

1. Normalized confusion
2. Created psychological safety
3. Made it feel okay to not “get it”

Students weren’t silent because they understood…
They were silent because they were scared to speak.

This isn’t just for professors.
Doctors can say:
“I know I used a lot of medical jargon—what questions do you have?”

Leaders can say:
“That was a tough quarter. I know we’re all facing challenges—what’s come up for you?”

People don’t speak up because they don’t want to look weak.
Not in front of peers.
Not in front of bosses.
Not in front of future collaborators.

Your job isn’t just to ask questions.
It’s to create the conditions for honest answers.

The goal isn’t “Who has questions?”
The goal is: “How can I make asking questions feel safe, smart, and expected?”

Final takeaway from Ozan:

Breakthroughs don’t start with smart answers.
They start with better questions.
Asked the right way.
At the right time.
To the right people.

What’s one question you’ve been asking the wrong way?

Reply below—let’s rewrite it together. 👇

5 questions every manager should ask their direct reports:

How much time should you spend outside?

Try the 20-5-3 rule.

20 minutes a day/3 days per week in a neighborhood park.

5 hours a month in semi-wild nature, like a forested state park.

3 days a year off the grid -- e.g. in a cabin.

This is how to build resilience:

- Confront the negative, then look for the positive.

- Follow your moral compass.

- Believe in something bigger than yourself.

- Focus on what you can actually change.

- Strive for social connectedness.

4 ways to avoid burnout when working remotely (via David Burkus):

Writing is a solitary profession. You sit alone at a desk – sometimes for years – just you, your keyboard, and your screen.

That’s why I’ve been so glad to be out talking about The Power of Regret.

Seeing and meeting actual readers will keep me in the writing business for at least a few more weeks!

#ThePowerOfRegret #DanielPink

Tuesday wisdom:

OKRs -- Objectives & Key Results -- can improve performance.

But maybe it's time for NO-KRs -- a list of things organizations ask people to *stop* doing (cc-ing everyone on emails, scheduling endless meetings, presenteeism, etc.)

Link: http://ow.ly/QIIB50Lbauq

Same.

#DanielPink #JohnUpdike #QOTD

While the world melts down, enjoy this diversion: Bill Murray seamlessly inserted into famous paintings.

Tuesday wisdom:

Thursday wisdom:

A British bank moved to a 4-day work week.

You won't believe what happened next:

- Profits ⬆️
- Productivity ⬆️
- Customer satisfaction ⬆️

- Attrition ⬇️
- Recruitment costs ⬇️
- Absences ⬇️

The ideal number of hours to work each day?

Five.

Doesn't apply to those who can't control their sched. But knowledge & creative workers can get a heckuva lot done in 5 hours of uninterrupted, no-meetings, email-free, Slack-less, heads-down work.

https://lnkd.in/dEs6Q3p

Hey parents, This might be hard to hear.

But your biggest regret won’t be what you did for your kids…

It’ll be what you didn’t let them do for themselves.
🧵

Many parents of adult children realize this too late:

They micromanaged. Focused too much on grades. Fixed too many problems.

Made life too easy.

All with good intentions. But…

The big lesson?

Resilience isn’t taught. It’s built.

And it’s built through stumbling, failing, figuring things out—without someone stepping in every time.

If we protect kids from every hard moment, we rob them of the ability to grow stronger.

Struggle builds confidence.

Failure teaches problem-solving.

Doing it alone builds belief.

Here’s the bottom line:

Your job isn’t to clear the path.

It’s to raise someone who can walk it.

What’s something your parents let you struggle through that shaped who you are today?

Reply below.

Too little free time leaves us ragged. Too much leaves us dull.

The key is have just enough time -- and to use it to:

- Exercise consistently.

- Practice acts of kindness. Givers gain.

- Experience awe by being in nature, absorbing art, etc.

Toughness without compassion can lead to helplessness.

Compassion without toughness can lead to complacency.

Tough compassion -- deep kindness coupled with high standards -- can lead to progress.

Note to self: Get outside today!

Being in nature:
- reduces stress
- helps us feel restored
- helps stave off anxiety, depression, & physical complaints
- makes us happier and more satisfied with life.

“If almost all of us started walking for an extra 10 minutes a day, we could, collectively, prevent more than 111,000 deaths every year.“

A major career pivot every 10 years or so can help you:
-- accelerate learning
-- prevent languishing
-- forge new relationships
-- reduce future regrets
-- deepen meaning

After 20 years of writing books, I'm compiling Kindle readers' most highlighted passages.

Here's one from “To Sell is Human“.

My new role model: Ángela Álvarez, who recorded her first album at age 94 and won her first Grammy at age 95.