Burnout Has Six Causes
Christina Maslach's research identified six drivers of burnout. Workload is only one. The other five (fairness, control, community, reward, values) predict it more strongly. Most organizations only address the wrong one.
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The Pre-Mortem
Gary Klein's pre-mortem technique flips planning on its head. Instead of asking "how will we succeed?" you ask "it failed, why?" Teams that do this catch 30% more risks.
The Loss Aversion Tax
Kahneman and Tversky proved people work twice as hard to avoid losing something as they do to gain something equivalent. Most HR programs ignore this completely.
Open Offices Failed
We ran a twenty-year experiment on open offices. The data is in. Face-to-face interaction dropped. Email increased. Collaboration decreased. Time to admit it didn't work.
The Silent Start
Most meetings fail in the first minute when the loudest voice sets the agenda. A silent start changes the dynamic entirely. Everyone thinks before anyone speaks.
The Peak-End Rule
People don't remember experiences as averages. They remember the peak moment and how it ended. This changes everything about how you design employee experiences.
Stop Building Culture
Most culture initiatives add programs, events, values statements. But the best cultures aren't built through addition. They emerge when you subtract the friction that prevents good behavior.
Habit Stack Your Recognition
Recognition intentions fail because they float in your calendar, unanchored. Attach them to something you already do, and they become automatic.
The 70% Rule
Managers account for 70% of the variance in team engagement. Not culture. Not perks. Not mission statements. The person running the weekly standup.
The Unlimited PTO Trap
Unlimited PTO sounds generous but often reduces time off. Without a clear number, people guess wrong. And they almost always guess low.
The 90-Minute Rule
Your brain cycles through 90-minute focus periods, then demands rest. Fighting this costs energy. Working with it is free leverage.
The Ulysses Contract for Work
Pre-commitment devices work because they remove the decision point entirely. One calendar trick that locks in your best intentions.
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The Alignment Gap Is Growing
Mentions of misalignment in employee feedback rose 149% year over year. The problem isn't engagement. It's that people are engaged in different directions.
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Why "Great Job" Teaches Nothing
Specific praise ("The way you handled that client call") outperforms generic praise ("Good work!") in building motivation and trust. Here's the mechanism.
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The Most Productive Thing You Can Do Is Stop Working
Top performers don't outwork everyone else. They out-rest them. Elite violinists, writers, and scientists share one pattern: deliberate rest that lets their brains consolidate learning and solve problems unconsciously.
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The Three-Word Upgrade for Goals That Stick
People who add an if-then trigger to their goals are 2-3x more likely to follow through. The trick isn't motivation. It's offloading the decision to the environment.
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The Progress Principle
Teresa Amabile analyzed 12,000 diary entries and found small wins beat everything else for motivation. Not bonuses, not praise, not strategy. Progress on meaningful work wins.
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Your Annual Survey Is a Rearview Mirror
Annual engagement surveys tell you what people felt six months ago. By the time you act, the disengaged have already left and the engaged have started questioning. What if the timing is the problem?
behavior-hack
Use the Fresh Start Effect Before It Fades
New Year's motivation isn't just psychological folklore. Research shows people are 3x more likely to pursue goals on temporal landmarks. Here's how to capture that energy for your team before it disappears.
behavior-hack
The One Question That Replaces Feedback Anxiety
Instead of asking "do you have any feedback for me?" try this behavioral reframe. It removes the awkwardness and actually gets useful answers.
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The 90% vs 50% Problem
When retirement savings is opt-out, 90% participate. When it's opt-in, 50% do. The same people. The same plan. The only difference is which box was pre-checked.
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Annual Reviews Are Unfixable
We keep redesigning annual performance reviews hoping to find the right format. The problem isn't the format. It's the frequency.
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Your Manager Affects Your Mental Health More Than Your Therapist
Managers influence employee mental health as much as spouses do, and more than doctors or therapists. Most companies still treat management as a promotion, not a skill.
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Give People Fewer Choices
More options feel generous. They actually reduce satisfaction and action. The best HR programs offer less, not more.