Self-aware Companies Win… BIG

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Marcia Moran

The Gallup Organization has identified some interesting flaws in modern economic theory. Research indicates that false assumptions about human behavior have generated serious discrepancies between accepted theory and why people buy. The delta between the two makes a difference between companies who win and those who fail, or at best, accept mediocrity. Irrational Decisions… Us? Specifically, classical economic theory says that people look at a set of data (large or small) and make rational decisions. And yet, the Gallup research shows that approximately 70% of economic decision making boils down to emotions. That means only about 30% of the decisions we make line up with the classic economic model. Neruoscientific evidence supports Gallup’s findings. According to How We Decide,the rational brain maxes out at about 7 pieces of data. As a result, using the rational brain when making complex decisions… …

Attitude Drives Self-fulfilling Prophesies

Posted on November 18, 2012 by Marcia Moran

A recent article by Harvard Business Review gives advice about how to keep one’s preconceptions from skewing decisions. According to the article, six behaviors bias a person’s worldview. In particular, confirmation bias reaffirms snap judgments to create self-fulfilling prophesies. If you have a positive outlook on life, then you see endless possibilities and very likely exhibit the drive to achieve incredible accomplishments. You make up your mind and go for things that seem beyond the reach of other people. In contrast, the Eyeores of the world fence themselves in behind self-imposed limitations—and therefore severely limit their potential. They say you can’t teach old dogs new tricks. But, the science shows that we can actually improve our positivity factor by adjusting how we react to situations. Over time, you can train yourself to have a more positive emotional response when something… …

Why We’re Stuck in An Authoritarian Rut

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Marcia Moran

Friday night I went to the Washington West Film Festival to see I AM, a documentary by Tom Shadyac. You know… the guy who directed Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Liar Liar, Patch Adams, and a host of other popular comedies. After an accident that left him suffering with Post Concussion Syndrome and facing the possibility death, Shadyac came to grips with how his values and the way he lived his life differed. Vastly. The discomfort spurred Shaydac to make a movie about his journey to reconcile core values with personal actions. Ultimately, I AM seeks to answer two fundamental questions: 1. What’s wrong with our world? 2. What can we do about it? The movie just may have answered one of the burning questions I’ve been pondering for some time now: Why do American business leaders continue to fail to… …

Using Strengths to The Point of Weakness

Posted on November 3, 2012 by Marcia Moran

Because people tend to hire others like themselves, the recruitment process leads to organizational imbalance unless the hiring manager acknowledges and curbs this natural, human bias. A company that has too many people with the same strengths unintentionally creates a blind side (or two) and lacks the strength needed to become successful in the marketplace, much less a market leader Continue reading →

Why 70% of Employees Dream of Leaving Their Jobs

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Marcia Moran

Much of workplace unhappiness stems from a controlling, or authoritarian management style… the default setting for a significant number of today’s business “leaders.” These managers use their authority to gain compliance rather than treating employees in a manner they’d prefer. Continue reading →

It’s Time To Stop Treating Employees Like “Assets”

Posted on October 28, 2012 by Marcia Moran

Thinking of employees as “assets” marginalizes them as people and creates an unhappy, unproductive workplace. Continue reading →

Brainstorming Gets A Bum Rap

Posted on October 28, 2012 by Marcia Moran

Neuroscientific discovery shows that people share emotions. Even though we often view disagreement as a negative and do whatever we can to avoid confrontation, the ability to laugh at ourselves and have fun at work helps keep things on a positive track. You can creatively address uncomfortable situations without destroying relationships. Surprisingly, the direct approach often improves morale. Continue reading →

The 5-1/2 Secrets of Resilient Entrepreneurs

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Marcia Moran

Thursday, Doug Hensch will kick off Positive Business DC’s “Well-being in The Workplace” speaker series when he reveals The 5-1/2 Secrets of Entrepreneurs. As noted in Monday’s post, Low Startup Ratio Causes Economic Stall and Job Deficit, entrepreneurship drives our economic engine—and we are unfortunately in a slump. Continue reading →