Work Archives

The Problem With Working for Money—It’s a Trap

Why Socioeconomic Status and Depression Are Linked

Why is working for money no longer secure? What are the dangers of relying on employment to generate income? According to Robert Kiyosaki, working for money is no longer a safe bet for financial security, much less financial freedom. He says that people who generate income from the work they do (employees, self-employed, and small business owners) are at a much higher risk today than they were in the past because of the economic changes that took place over the past half-century. Here is what’s wrong with working for money, according to Kiyosaki.

5 Tips for Overcoming Creative Blocks

Do you often get stuck in your creative process? How do artists deal with creative blocks? According to Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Big Magic, if your creative process doesn’t flow, you may be fearful of the uncertainty that is inherent in creating something innovative or novel. Or perhaps, you are creating for the wrong reason (e.g. strictly to make money). In this article, we’ll discuss Gilbert’s tips for overcoming creative blocks.

John Kotter’s Step 5: Remove Obstacles to Change

What are the most common obstacles to change in an organization? How can you overcome those obstacles? Whenever you try to make big changes, especially in an organization, roadblocks are inevitable. The biggest roadblock is usually the resistance to change among the junior and middle managers. Learn how to overcome these obstacles below.

Trading Freedom for Security Is Fair Game

How much does your job limit your freedom? Apart from freedom, what other sacrifices do you have to make for the security your job provides? In his book Skin in the Game, Nassim Taleb argues that employment is a mutually beneficial agreement in which employees are trading freedom for security to a company that, in exchange, bears some of their personal risks. In Taleb’s words, employees put their skin in the company’s game. In this article, we’ll discuss the risk-freedom trade-off made by employees, detailing the benefits employees receive from employers and the ways in which their freedom is limited.

Creative Challenges Are a Part of the Creative Process

What are some of the most common obstacles you encounter when creating? How do you deal with these challenges? No matter what creative pursuit you take on, there will always be attending annoyances. Developing an ability to cope with irritants and unpleasantness is as much a part of your job as a creator as actually creating. In this article, we’ll discuss how to handle the inevitable creative challenges you’ll encounter on your creative journey.

The Dunning-Kruger Effect: Know Your Abilities

The 25 Cognitive Biases: The Kruger Effect

What is the Dunning-Kruger effect? How dangerous is the Dunning-Kruger bias? The Dunning-Kruger effect is the tendency of poor performers with excessive self-regard to greatly overestimate their abilities and project themselves as more capable than they really are. This cognitive bias leads people to overstep their circle of competence and get bogged down by ventures or responsibilities they are not ready for. Read on to learn more about the Dunning-Kruger effect.

How Mass Employment Causes Inefficiency at Work

Why does mass employment promote inefficiency? Do you think it’s possible to completely eliminate labor market inefficiency? According to Nassim Taleb, inefficiency at work is an unavoidable weakness of mass employment. Employees limit their freedom in order to maintain productive organizations for their employers, and what they get in return—the paycheck. However, it’s impossible to get employees totally invested in the company’s game. In this article, we’ll discuss why inefficiency is an inherent by-product of mass employment.

Don’t Be a Jack of All Trades—Hire an Expert

Why should you hire an expert rather than trying to do everything yourself? In what three ways are you wasting time if you don’t hire an expert? Many business owners and managers struggle when it comes to giving up control—they strive to do everything on their own. However, rather than saving you time and money, doing everything yourself will often cost more money and waste your valuable time. Here is why you need to give up control and hire an expert.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: Discussion Questions

Are you looking for The Five Dysfunctions of a Team discussion questions? What are some of the key themes and ideas to discuss? In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni explores how teams fail to work cohesively through the lens of the five-dysfunction model. Further, he gives advice on how to recognize and root out each dysfunction by working your way up the dysfunction pyramid. To help you evaluate your team on each of the five dysfunctions, we’ve put together some discussion questions.

How to Find the Right Person for the Right Job

Why is it better to hire an expert to do a difficult job for you rather than trying to do it yourself? How can you go about finding the right person for the right job? In their book Who Not How, Sullivan and Hardy say that you will always be better off hiring somebody to do a job for you than trying to figure it out yourself. Not only are you guaranteed to get a better result, but it may even end up cheaper than if you try to do it yourself and end up making the situation worse. Here’s