The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “Change is the only constant in life.” Due to innovation and disruptions caused by technology, some have gone so far as to say the pace of change is accelerating. Whether constant or accelerating, change leads to uncertainty, and uncertainty can feel, pardon the clinical jargon, “icky.” Uncertainty produces anxiety, … Read More
Five Mental Obstacles to Overcome in Your Audience to Drive Change (Applies to Vaccine Hesitancy Too)
On May 19, 2021, New York lifted its mask mandate, with more than 60% of adults receiving their vaccination. Considering the apparent success and abundant supply, why are 30 to 40% of adults still unvaccinated? At Psynet Group, we believe elected officials could borrow some of the techniques from influential leaders to convince the hesitant … Read More
I Didn’t Learn to Ride My Bike in Class: The Importance of On-the-Job Coaching and Psynet POWER Meetings (PPMs)
I got on my bike with some help; my dad held the back of my seat while I peddled. He let go — I fell. He gave me a few tips (coaching) — I tried again and got a little farther. More coaching , a little more help and soon I was cruising the neighborhood. … Read More
Getting Insights into a Job Candidate is Crucial, But How Far Should You Go?
Let’s Start with Two Well-Established Facts In a knowledge-based economy, it is perpetually essential to have effective talent strategies. Sound strategies are underpinned by selection and promotion processes; and, for investors, human capital due diligence on executive teams before investing. Second, it’s possible to measure almost any characteristic through various assessments, including online behavioral and cognitive … Read More
Advice Culture can Keep your Company from Sailing into Hurricanes or Blocking Canals
For six days, the world’s eyes were on the Ever Given, the container ship stuck between the banks of the Suez Canal. Although a unique news story, maritime disasters are more typical than most of us realize. According to the insurer Allianz, 41 large ships were lost in 2019 and 46 in 2018. Over the … Read More
A Thank You to HBO Max “Persona: The Dark Truth Behind Personality Tests”
Thank you, HBO Max, CNN Films, and the creators of ‘Persona’ for addressing why poorly developed tests such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) should not be used in high-stakes settings. For years, many organizational psychologists have warned against measures such as the MBTI. To quote an international expert in personality research and testing, “its … Read More
Perspective and Proximity in an Advice Culture: When Opposing Ideas Combine to Create Better Decisions
We use Proximity to describe the reality that people closest to the situation have more accurate information — and Perspective to describe the reality that people who perceive a situation from a distance can see how everything fits together. But those with the advantage of proximity struggle to see the unintended consequences of their choices … Read More
You Cannot Win in 2021 with a 1947 Hierarchical Organizational Structure
Elegant and Efficient In 1947 on the heels of the Allies’ victory, organizational theorists adopted Max Weber’s bureaucracy ideas from the 1920’s and gave birth to the modern hierarchical organizational structure. Inspired by the military, this paradigm would lead the United States and other capitalist countries into an age of productivity that the world had … Read More
The Fall of Trust
Stephen M. R. Covey claimed in his book, The Speed of Trust, that trust is “the one thing that changes everything” – if removed, it can destroy the most thriving economy, the most powerful government, the most successful business, and the most influential leadership. Business Replaced Government as Most Trusted Institution For 20 years, Edelman … Read More