Shortform Books

How to Build Trust in the Workplace

Why is it important to foster a culture of trust in the workplace? What does trust have to do with career success? Trust is an essential component of working effectively with others. Trust gives you credibility, creating a pool of people who know your skills and track record. Also, most jobs involve working with other people in some capacity—so, if you can’t foster trust and collaborate well, it will hinder your ability to advance. Here’s how to build trust in the workplace, according to Peter Drucker.

The 3 Codependency Traits to Look Out For

How can you tell if a person has codependent tendencies? What side-effects can codependency lead to? In her book Codependent No More, Melody Beattie outlines the most common codependency traits. It’s important to look out for these symptoms in yourself or in others because, the longer these traits go unaddressed, the worse the problem becomes. Here are the characteristics of codependency.

The Effect of Culture on Body Image

How does modern culture encourage shame around the body? How does body shaming affect self-esteem? Cultural ideals have pressured women into achieving a certain body type for centuries. The effects of harmful messaging around the body are not so easy to overcome because our culture encourages them. According to Emily Nagoski, the two ways in which this is accomplished are by distorting self-criticism into something positive and convincing women that fat is something to avoid at all costs. Let’s look at the effect of culture on body image.

Why Do People Make Bad Decisions? The 5 Reasons

What cognitive biases stand in the way of making good decisions? Why don’t people learn from their mistakes to make better choices in the future? Barry Schwartz, the author of The Paradox of Choice, explores why people make bad decisions. Schwartz says there are five main reasons people act against their best interest: unreliable memories, the availability heuristic, anchoring and framing, prospect theory, and the endowment effect and sunk costs. Keep reading to learn why people make bad decisions.

Why Demoting an Employee (Almost) Never Works

Mastering the Art of Giving Feedback in the Workplace

Is it a good idea to demote an underperforming employee? Why should you think twice before demoting someone? According to Ray Dalio, you should think twice before demoting an employee. There are only two situations in which demotion may be a good idea: 1) when a high performer fails to meet the same standards in a managerial role, and 2) when the employee possesses skills that would better serve them in another role. Here is why you should beware of demotion, according to Dalio.

Maximizers and Satisficers: Which One Are You?

What is the difference between a maximizer and a satisficer? Is there a benefit to being one over the other? When it comes to deliberating options, there are two types of people: maximizers and satisficers. Maximizers will deliberate until they have chosen the best possible solution, while satisficers will select an option that is good enough. There are pros and cons to both types of personalities. Continue reading to learn about the two types of deliberators, and learn which one will end up happier.

How to Practice Detachment and Self-Care

What to know how to practice detachment? What tips does Melody Beattie suggest for practicing self-care? How should you handle setbacks? If you are a codependent person, then practicing detachment and self-care are important steps in your recovery process. It’s important to detach yourself from a situation and reflect on how you feel in order to treat yourself with kindness and honesty. Continue reading to learn how to step away from codependent behavior.

Career Reflection: The 3 Stages of Self-Examination

Why is self-reflection important in career development? What aspects should you reflect on with regards to your career? According to Peter Drucker, the author of Managing Oneself, career reflection is part of the process of taking responsibility for yourself and will help you to advance in your career. Drucker says that, once you have greater self-knowledge, you can and must actively seek out situations where you’ll thrive. Learn about the three stages of professional self-reflection that Drucker recommends to manage yourself so that you learn who you are—and what your personal recipe for career success is.

How to Remember Something and Make It Stick

What makes information easy to remember? What are some specific factors of memorability? If you want to get information to stick in your memory, it helps to recall it often. Of course, it also has to be memorable to begin with. Memorability increases as the information connects to more and more parts of your brain. Read more to learn how to remember something by making it more memorable in the first place.

Why Ray Dalio Says Pain + Reflection = Progress

Do you take time to reflect on your mistakes? How does reflecting on the pain and consequences of your mistakes help you progress faster? Ray Dalio says that pain is a necessary part of getting stronger. He sums it up in his equation Pain + Reflection = Progress. He says that when you make a mistake, take full responsibility for it and relish the chance to get better, rather than being ashamed about it. Here is why you should reflect and savor the pain, instead of avoiding it.