While reading "The Lucifer Effect," it's becoming increasingly clear how much of behavior is a product of situations and systems. I think that coaches and psychological change agents are missing this piece, big-time. I have many people tell me that "if a person just...
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Using Expected Value to Make Better Decisions, with Billy Murphy
Billy Murphy of the Forever Jobless blog and podcast, joins me in this episode to explore how to make better decisions in all areas of your life by using "expected value."
Please work for free. Not.
I'm sure you have never asked someone to work for free. But just in case you know someone who has---or if you've ever been asked---here's the kind of thing you really should say. Today I received this letter: Hello Mr. Stever, I am writing to you on behalf of...
Income inequality is simple math
Simple math is a great way to understand a system's behavior. I picked up this trick from Warren Buffett's writing and speaking. Warren often figures out which mathematical elements drive behavior of a stock or industry, and then uses that to set a boundary on his...
Living an Extraordinary Life
In 2012, I gave a TEDx talk at TEDx MillRiver called Living an Extraordinary Life. I reprised the talk for the Harvard Business School alumni association. This is a recording of that reprise.
Is the very concept of work doomed?
I just read an excellent article on XConomy by Wade Roush in which he asks the question: is technology destroying the very basis of our economy to offer employment? And assuming it is (as a thought experiment), what might we do to stop it? First, read the article....
Targeted Ads are the Worst of all Possible Worlds
The justification used for the incredible invasions of privacy on the part of the internet marketers of the world is that they want to serve us "targeted" ads. Targeted ads are ads that relate to what we're doing at the moment. Theoretically, if I'm having a...
Good businesspeople oppose free markets
A friend on Facebook posted an article about New Jersey outlawing Tesla's direct-to-consumer car sales. My friend was decrying how Gov. Christie is being anti-free-market. And I agree 100%. From what I've been able to see, it's pretty clear that the big conservative...
Don’t accidentally say f**k you to your customers!
T-mobile is using the tune of the song F**k You by Cee Lo Green in their latest radio ads. They apparently missed the part of psychology where people recall the words to songs. They sing about how you should switch to T-mobile, which doesn't require a...
Compromise is the Doorway to Opportunity
My coaching client Cyd wanted to change jobs. Cyd's work was OK, but not really inspiring. The pay was OK, but not really inspiring. The people? Ok, but not really inspiring. The big benefit of the job, however, is that it was a ten-minute drive from home. Cyd has...