It is almost an implicit assumption that teams can make better decisions and perform tasks better than individuals can. This is true in certain circumstances and for certain decisions and tasks – but not always.

For one, there are the group-based biases such as, groupthink and group polarization (more on these in a future post) that lead to poor decisions. There are a number of ways to minimize these biases, but this is not what I’d like to write about this time.

Rather, I would like to focus on the factors that influence individual decision-making within groups/teams. In other words, how do we, as individuals, end up contributing to poor decision-making when we are part of a group. Continue Reading

There are many reasons why people work with a coach. Two major reasons are raising self-esteem and changing behavior – generally with the ultimate goal of being more successful. The royal road to achieving these goals is raising self-awareness. Continue Reading

Energy politics is one of the hottest topics, especially after the disaster in Fukushima. As we try to keep up with the information coming at us from all directions – media, internet, email – are we overlooking the issue of energy management within ourselves? Continue Reading

I’ve just finished writing a chapter on why organizations should care about the wellbeing of their people and how positive psychology* tools can boost wellbeing. Even though there are many skeptics who are cautious about the recent happiness/wellbeing movement, luckily there’s rapidly growing solid research by positive psychologists back it up.

Numerous studies point out to the link between wellbeing/happiness and work-related outcomes (e.g., job satisfaction, performance, team-work, motivation, goal orientation, creativity). As argued in a recent Gallup report :

“Whether you manage a few people, lead a large group, or run an entire organization, you are already in the business of managing employee wellbeing” (Gallup, 2010) Continue Reading

Last time I wrote about how one should not only set performance goals but also learning goals in line with Tim Galleway’s formula to maximize the return on investment of your work time:

ROI = Performance + Learning + Enjoyment

As his formula indicates, the third component for getting the best out of your work is also to consider enjoyment goals. Even though some people might view enjoyment as a side-benefit positive psychology studies document it is definitely more than that.
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„Basically, the reason I keep at it…is that my wife is from this area, she is very happy to be here, and it is the only firm of its type here that does the kind of law that I have now trained for and worked inthe last seven years of my life. It would be very difficult to break out…so I find myself basically saying, „Well, as long as I can keep the family together, that’s what I’m going to do.“…It’s a deal with the devil…I’m not a happy guy“ ~ Corporate Securities Lawyer

„I don’t see myself ever stopping [working] completely… I like it too much. It’s very satisfying. I mean, it is like an art form, for one thing. It’s a tremendous art…I did a duck for a guy the other day…and when he came and picked it up he almost started crying because it looked so nice. He was just so happy…and that makes me feel good, that he thought I’d done a great job. Self-satisfaction is a big deal in any job. It’s a big deal in life.“ ~ Taxidermist

In a work culture that puts great emphasis on performance, people tend focus almost solely on performance goals: sales made, deals closed, salary earned, papers published, customer satisfaction… But work is more than just performing – it is also about learning and enjoyment. Although people might acknowledge learning and enjoyment as “products”, even “bi-products” of their work, a more fresh and comprehensive perspective as to what “work” is in order. Continue Reading

In his book titled The Happiness Hypothesis University of Virginia psychologist Jonathan Haidt defines “Confabulation” – that’s how people readily fabricate reasons to explain their own behavior. That might seem confusing and you might think “Why fabricate? Don’t we know why we do behave in a certain way?” Well, the answer is NO, if we consider the results of tens of psychology studies. Continue Reading

Choose well, your choice is brief, yet endless.“ ~ Goethe

• Do you channel surf when you watch TV, even while attempting to watch one program?
• When you are in the car listening to the radio, do you often check other stations to see if something better is playing even if you’re relatively satisfied with what you’re listening to?
• No matter how satisfied you are with your job, do you think it is only right for you to be on the lookout for better opportunities?
• Do you find that writing – even just a letter to a friend – is difficult because it’s so hard to word things just right?
• Do you find renting videos, or shopping for clothes or gifts difficult because you’re always struggling to pick the best one?
• Whenever you’re faced with a choice, do you try to imagine what all the other possibilities are, even ones that aren’t possible at the moment? Continue Reading

When I first heard this statement during a leadership seminar, I somehow knew it was very important and would have far-reaching implications. At that time I preferred to ponder on it later and just noted it down. And since then I’ve realized so many different contexts that it is relevant for… Continue Reading

I get frustrated with my occasional indecisiveness when it comes to some important decisions! At times I would even say I am a firm advocate of the “Assertive Right 4: You have the right to change your mind” from the assertive rights listed by Manuel J. Smith in his brilliant book on assertiveness  “When I say no, I feel guilty”.  Continue Reading

I was watching an old episode of Grey’s Anatomy – my only TV addiction – where a lawyer who’s about to take the Bar exam in a few days for the 5th time is brought in for severe burns in her hand. She says that before she took some practice tests, she wanted some tea so she put on a pot of water, set the timer and after 30 minutes the smoke alarm went off. When taking the pot off the stove she held on to it too long leading to severe burns. She explains that she should have known better and that whenever she is studying for the Bar that she can’t focus on anything with all the stuff that she has to know. She complains how bad it is with what happened to her hand with the exam coming up. With all the complaining you would think she would be happy about the news when the doctor says they can get her fixed up and she’ll be fine and can take the test, but instead one can clearly see the shock on her face… Well, in the end it becomes clear that she couldn’t stand taking the risk of failing yet another Bar exam: Continue Reading

And yes, sometimes the direction is right, but the way of getting there – well, not so much… This is also a tough one since the thought “But I am moving towards my goal/destination/vision” can prevent you from recognizing that there’s something wrong about the way you’re getting there. Continue Reading

Mobility. The capability to move or to be moved. Ability to move or adapt, change or be changed. To move in the direction you want in a fulfilling manner.

This is the definition of mobility Timothy Gallwey uses in his book  The Inner Game of Work on focus, learning, pleasure, and mobility in the workplace. Now, you might ask what mobility has to do with the title of this post. Take a guess before you read on… Mobility? Calling quits? Continue Reading

In a study published 10 years ago Cornell University psychologists David Dunning and Justin Krueger (now at NYU) demonstrated an interesting relationship between competence and self-confidence.

Their findings showed that incompetent people were also unaware of their incompetence and tended to overestimate their performance. Continue Reading

This is one of the best pieces of advice I’ve heard of recently. Really, take a moment and let that sink… It is very precise about what should come first and by how much. When you think about it makes perfect sense!  Continue Reading

How many times have you found yourself being puzzled about not being able to follow up on your goals although you were so convinced when you set them? Examples? Continue Reading

I wish the title was related to a way I’ve found to make my blogs automatic but when I am on (a looong) vacation there’s still an inevitable gap. Rather, the title is about how to make our action-taking automatic in order to achieve our goals. Continue Reading

I think this is a question that many people struggle with from time to time.  The apparent conflict lies in thinking in terms of being autonomous/ independent versus connected as if these are two opposite ends of a continuum. If you also see them that way I invite you to take a different perspective –  considering them as two different dimensions rather than being the polar opposites of the same dimension. Continue Reading

One of the reasons why many of us are reluctant to try new endeavors is our need to feel competent. Especially if you are used to feeling competent in different domains in your work, relationships or leisurely activities it is uncomfortable to take on something new which will make you feel not so competent. Continue Reading

Last time I wrote about one of our fundamental needs – the need to belong. There are a number of secondary needs that result from that. Wanting to fit in is a consequence of our need to belong. Continue Reading

“Life in a foreign country is a dance of submission and resistance. Self-knowledge comes in small repeated shocks as you find yourself giving in easily, with a struggle, or not at all. What can you do without? What do you cling to?”- from Expat

I’ve been reading a book called Expat – Women’s True Tales of Life Abroad. The stories were written by a group of American women about their lives abroad – in countries as diverse as the group of writers: Japan, Egypt, England, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, Australia, Taiwan… Continue Reading

A recent article in Psychological Science (March, 2009) by Dr. Joan Wood and her colleagues from University of Waterloo has stirred up quite a bit of discussion about the value of self-affirmations. People started questioning if we’ve been all wrong in repeating positive statements to ourselves or believing in positive psychology. The findings of the study suggest that self-affirmations do work for high self-esteem people (who are already doing quiet well) and they actually backfire among low self-esteem people (who are believed to need the benefits more) by leading to negative mood. Continue Reading

Last time I suggested that you reflect on the self-limiting beliefs (SLBs) if you would like to make better use of your potential to reach your ideal-self and your dreams. If you have a list of these SLBs that have been blocking you in getting where you would like to be, here are the next steps. Continue Reading

‚“Rabbits have a powerful notion of their territory. They stay inside the self-proclaimed boundaries no matter what. Even if a coyote chases them to the brink of their known land, and escape is in sight, they will turn around and run straight into the jaws of the predator rather than risk the new ground.”

This was shared in a blog post I read a few days ago. I don’t know anything about rabbits, or if they actually do behave like that but I thought this provides a powerful image about the topic I would like to write about – self-limiting beliefs. Continue Reading

In an earlier post I wrote about different ways/orientations to set goals and regulate behavior – prevention and promotion focus: First one referring to a focus on absence of negatives, and the latter one to achieving positive things. If you reflected on the questions at the end of that post or completed the  Regulatory Focus Questionnaire, you have an idea which one is more dominant for you.

I had also mentioned the strategies to reach these goals. One can either pick a means that will maximize possibilities – an eager strategy; or she can pick one that will minimize potential mistakes – a vigilant strategy. Continue Reading

Anyone who hasn’t been stereotyped or prejudiced against? The answer is rarely “Me!”. So it’s highly likely that you’ll relate to what I’ll describe in this post – especially if you are among the “people on the move”; a group who gets frequently stereotyped in different cultures, if not anything as “expats”. Continue Reading

Yes, I took too long of a break from writing, and I have many exciting things to write about – from my trip to Turkey, to the inspiring seminar panel “From Diversity to Inclusion” organized by the Netherlands – Canadian Chamber of Commerce and KPMG yesterday. Last time, I had promised to write more about the regulatory focus but I’ll leave that to another post and share some thoughts on the gender diversity topic and social norms this time. Continue Reading

I’ve always wondered why some people are content with minimal goals they must attain, while others go beyond what is “necessary”… And here’s a theory that has helped me understand the differences: Self-Regulatory Focus, by  Dr. Tory Higgins (yes, the same researcher who proposed ideal and ought self-guides). Continue Reading

April Wheeler: Don‚t you see? That’s the whole idea! You’ll be able to do what you should have been allowed to do seven years ago, you’ll have the time. For the first time in your life, you’ll have the time to find out what it is you actually want to do. And when you figure it out, you’ll have the time and the freedom, to start doing. Continue Reading

I meant to write about our fundamental need to perceive our world as stable and predictable. How we need an anchor. I sat down at my desk and thought having a slideshow of random photos on my computer combined with some of my favorite music at the background would be inspiring as I write. But with the first few pictures, I changed my mind about the topic – let me tell you why…. Continue Reading

Last week I was telling my students how they would end up finding my course interesting or boring depending on their initial expectations of it. We all have a tendency to look for evidence that confirms our expectations or beliefs about people, about places, about ourselves… Cognitive psychologists call this very well documented tendency confirmation bias. It can influence how you perceive the world, how you judge people or how you evaluate yourself. And why do we have this bias? Because we like being right – it makes us feel good! Continue Reading

One feels the lack of social support most intensely after relocation. If you have just moved to a new country you are probably cut off from most members of your social support network – that is family members, friends, colleagues, your gym buddies, salsa group, etc…. That means you will need to start re-establishing your network, sometimes almost from scratch. And of course, you also need to maintain and enrich relationships you already have or have just formed. It shouldn’t be a daunting task, don’t worry – remember the magic number three from last time? You are in good shape if you have three people in your life that you can count on. Ready to do some thinking on this in 5 steps? Continue Reading

A few years ago on my way to the airport I was explaining to my friend, who kindly gave me a ride – how getting a ride to the airport was a good indicator of the social support network one had. Indeed, it is one of the items in a social support scale. In the next few entries that’s what I will focus on – social network. Continue Reading

As Barack Obama is taking office today, the core message in his presidential campaign has kept me thinking: Change…We’ve all heard the saying “The only constant is change”. But have you ever thought about if you really believe that? Continue Reading

Welcome on board! I am really excited about starting something I’ve had in mind for quite some time – that is, to share my experiences and thoughts on personal and professional development, as a social psychologist and a coach.  I will also write about tools and resources from social and positive psychology that we can apply to common challenges that professionals and leaders face.

I hope you will become part of our crew by sharing your resources through this blog…