Yesterday in my Introduction to Management seminar, we were discussing the best ways to motivate people. The students brainstormed numerous great ideas such as providing acknowledgment, showing trust, tracking improvement, giving rewards, and offering incentives. When the class ended, I found myself wondering, “What are the most creative rewards offered by employers? The best incentives?” I remembered back to the first job I ever had as a dishwasher in a local family restaura

They entertain, inform, empower, and connect us. So it’s no wonder we have come to love our smartphones the way we have. Unfortunately, the evidence is mounting that there is trouble in paradise. Several studies have now demonstrated a strong link between our smartphone usage and numerous negative effects. Our phones, it seems, are making us dumber, more anxious, less creative, and more socially isolated. These findings from a recent WSJ article by Nicholas Carr can be summar

Setting myself up to be spectacularly productive begins by assigning each of my daily to-do items into 1 of 2 categories: “dumb things” and “smart things.” These designations aren’t personal judgments on how much I enjoy or value the activities. It’s all about how much of my brain will be called upon to accomplish each task well. For example, some “dumb things” that might need done are unloading the dishwasher, taking the dog for a walk, driving to work, or skimming through e