Happy New Year! It is bittersweet to be back after such a long break. In the spirit of new beginnings I would like to Blog about a theme from the Chip and Dan Heath book I read over the holidays – the need for ‘unexpectedness’ in making ideas stick. Knowledge sometimes needs a clean slate in order […]
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I just ordered a couple of new books and expect that they will arrive in time for the holidays. I will be reading Made to Stick: Why some Ideas Survive and Others Die andPower: Why Some People Have It and Others Don’t. Made to Stick is by the Heath brothers – Chip and Dan. Chip is a business professor at […]
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Today I am revising a paper on the measurement of counterproductive performance. This project is slightly outside the area where the bulk of my research lies – but it is an interesting area nonetheless. Maria Rotundo at the University of Toronto led research on the measurement of performance. She found that manager’s typically consider three dimensions […]
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My two children were so excited when they woke up to snow yesterday morning. It was magical to see wonder on their face. I was so pleased for them until I remembered how much more difficult it is to get children out of the house when boots, snowsuits, and mittens are involved. I also quickly […]
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Part of my job as a professor is to review articles for academic journals. This process is intended to ensure that all material published in scholarly publications has been vetted by a ‘jury’ of peers. Today, as part of this service, I read an article about learning and relationships among team members. It was pretty […]
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I have been thinking a lot about resiliency lately. What are the conditions that allow some people persist while others give up? This characteristic is essential for success in any challenging endeavour. It is related to a theme in my research. I have been obsessed with an individual difference called self-efficacy, or task specific confidence. […]
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I am in the market for a new car. Some people might think this would be an exciting prospect. For me, it has been painful. Cars are a necessary evil. I need one because I work 40 km from home and I have two young children who walk at the speed of molasses. And here […]
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Today’s focus groups were very interesting. Some clear themes are emerging from the discussions. I have to admit, some of the findings are somewhat discouraging for me to hear. In particular, there seems to be a strong sense of the ‘practical’ when these young women consider their career options. I recall being in my early […]
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I am always shocked at the pace of the beginning of the academic year. My absence is largely explained by an overwhelming and unexpected teaching load. I am starting to feel as though I have things back on track. I have returned to some of my research and will return to my Blog. Hopefully that […]
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Author Gloria Feldt is promoting a new book about woman and their path to success. Yesterday, it was profiled in the life section of the Globe and Mail. In her interview with the Globe, she argues that women are holding themselves back from positions of power. The way the argument is articulated in this brief interview suggests that […]
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