research-drop
The Endowed Progress Effect
Two loyalty cards, eight car washes of real work either way. The card that arrived with two stamps already filled in got completed almost twice as often.
Tareef Jafferi
A researcher and product builder dedicated to improving organizational outcomes. His work began during his time at MIT, where his research in people analytics revealed insights about how to improve employee wellbeing, happiness, and performance.
think-piece
Competence Earns the Right to Fumble
A quiz contestant knocked over his coffee on tape. It made the expert more likeable and the mediocre contestant less so. That asymmetry is the part leadership advice about vulnerability keeps dropping.
behavior-hack
The One-Miss Rule
Sixty-six days to automatic, not 21. And missing a single day costs almost nothing. What kills a new habit is the relaunch that follows the first miss.
think-piece
Resilience Is Not a Personal Skill
Resilience workshops put the burden on the individual. But strain comes from the gap between demands and resources, an environment you design, not a trait you coach.
behavior-hack
The Five-Minute Favor
The five-minute favor is the most underrated trust tool on your team: small enough to do daily, generous enough that people remember. Here's why giving beats receiving.
research-drop
The Detachment Dividend
Two people, same workload. The one who shows up energized tomorrow is usually the one who could mentally switch off after hours. Psychologists call it detachment, and it's trainable.
think-piece
Most Decisions Are Reversible
Teams deliberate small, reversible decisions as if they were permanent. Bezos called these two-way doors. Treating them like one-way doors is why your organization is slow.
behavior-hack
The Two-Question Pulse
The annual engagement survey measures memory, not experience. Two questions asked weekly capture what a 60-question form asked once never will. Here's the pair to use.
research-drop
The Manager Variance Multiplier
Gallup found managers account for at least 70% of the variance in team engagement. Not pay, not perks, not the mission. The manager. Here's what that means for where you invest.
think-piece
The Anonymity Cost
Anonymous feedback feels safe. But reaching for it is a quiet confession: your people don't yet trust you with their names. The real goal is a culture that no longer needs the mask.
behavior-hack
The 1:1 Agenda Flip
Most managers run the 1:1. That's the problem. Hand the agenda to your report and the conversation shifts from status update to the things that actually matter.
research-drop
The Mere Urgency Effect
People chase urgent tasks even when an important one pays far more. The deadline, not the value, drives the choice. Here's how to defend your team's real priorities.