Loneliness at work impairs mood and health — and hurts productivity and the bottom line. The economic damage caused when employees suffer feelings of isolation may soon worsen as offices become more automated and more people work remotely (https://wapo.st/2ESB9qa).

The share of American adults who say they're lonely has doubled since the 1980s to 40 percent, says AARP. Though the U.S. doesn't track the financial effect of disconnected workers, researchers in Britain, which recently appointed a Minister of Loneliness, estimate the penalty to businesses can reach $3.5 billion annually (including higher turnover and heftier health-care costs). 

Among the loneliest professions: lawyers, engineers, and research scientists, followed by workers in food services, libraries, and education. Even though these jobs do involve human contact, a lack of true camaraderie takes a significant toll.
 
Social forces may be engendering increasing isolation, but awareness is key. (Tweet it!) Managers should actively search for ways to create emotionally open cultures, where employees feel safe to talk about issues and have opportunities to bond.
 
Do you ever feel lonely at work? What could be done to alleviate that loneliness? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.
 
If you would like to read more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our book: Be Quiet, Be Heard: The Paradox of Persuasion

In a classic study, 80 percent of surveyed drivers ranked their driving skills as “above average.” The tendency to over-estimate our own skills is known as the Dunning-Kruger Effect.


In essence, this effect means the less skilled we are at something, the less likely we are to recognize how unskilled we truly are. (Tweet it!) We overestimate our abilities, and, worse still, our blind spot assures that we never know what we need to correct.

On the flip side is the Imposter Syndrome: Those who are exceptionally skilled at something can sometimes assume everyone else is at their level, making them unaware of their exceptional abilities. And the better we get at something, the more likely we are to see how much we can improve, which can lead us to underestimate ourselves.
 
How can we gain a realistic view of our capabilities? Writing in the The New York Times, editor Tim Herrara suggests two strategies:

• Ask for feedback. Outside input, even if tough to hear, is crucial to illuminating our blind spots.
• Keep learning. The more knowledge we have about something, the more we’re likely to identify gaps in our understanding.

 
Can you think of an instance where you overestimated or underestimated yourself? How did you do a reality check? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.

If you would like to read more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our book: Be Quiet, Be Heard: The Paradox of Persuasion

Joining an organization means adapting to its culture. But most organizations don’t reveal their unspoken cultural rules to newcomers, and job seekers are often more focused on job descriptions, benefits, and new bosses. (Tweet it!) But organizational norms have a profound influence on an individual’s success. Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Allen H Church, senior vice president of Global Talent Assessment and Development at PepsiCo, and Claremont McKenna professor Jay A. Conger list five dimensions of culture that warrant attention:

1. Relationships: Is work done collaboratively or solo? Are co-workers friendly and willing to help you make connections?
2. Communication: Does communication occur more through formal channels or spontaneously? Must you “pre-clear” communication through a hierarchy?
3. Decision Making: Are decisions made by consensus or handed down? Is there a bias toward taking action or for lots of analyzing?
4. Individual vs. Groups Perspectives: Is there a “hero mentality” that supports ambitious individuals or a propensity for sharing risks and rewards?
5. Change Agents: Does the organization want newcomers to “shake things up?” How quickly does it want change to occur?

 
No one will spell these things out for you, so pay attention! if you want to be effective and respected, notice not just what your colleagues do, but also how they do it.
 
Have you ever joined an organization where the culture took you by surprise? What adaptations did you have to make to fit in? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.
 
If you would like to read more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our book: Be Quiet, Be Heard: The Paradox of Persuasion

Being called on unexpectedly during a meeting can be uncomfortable or even embarrassing. But it doesn’t have to be either. In fact, it can be an opportunity to excel. (Tweet it!)
 
Writing in The Harvard Business Review, Paul Axtell, author of the book Meetings Matter, says, ”Instead of hoping your boss or the person leading the meeting won’t put you on the spot, prepare yourself for this unexpected opportunity to shine.” His advice:

• Carefully prepare for each meeting and trust yourself;
• Start slowly and set up your comments (e.g. “I have three points to make”);
• Give yourself permission to think out loud (e.g. “There’s something I’ve been considering that I don’t have absolute clarity on yet, but I’d like us to think about.”);
• Have set responses at the ready, including:

            --“Please say a bit more about what you’re asking.”
            -- “I don’t have that information, but it’s important and I will get it to   you.”
            -- “I want to be sure that I understand your main concern. Is it…?”
            -- “Did I answer your question, or would you like to follow up?”
 
Have you ever been put on the spot in a meeting? How did you handle it? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.
 
If you would like to read more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our book: Be Quiet, Be Heard: The Paradox of Persuasion

In the biblical story, what was Jonah swallowed by?

How many animals of each kind did Moses take on the Ark?




If you answered whale and two, know that most people do… even though they are well aware that, according to the Bible, Noah, not Moses, built the ark. Psychologists call this the Moses Illusion. Well-studied since the 1980s, this cognitive snafu is just one example of how we are bad at spotting factual errors. Even when we know the correct information, we often fail to notice errors--and will even go on to use that incorrect information in other situations. (Tweet it!)

Writing in The Washington Post  psychologist Lisa Fazio explains that while a glaring error would be spotted by most (e.g. “Nixon built the ark”), more subtle pieces of misinformation are likely to slip by. This is because: 1) we have a general bias to believe things are true; and 2) we tend to go with the flow and accept “good enough” information as long as it’s close enough to the correct information.
 
As Fazio writes, “Detecting and correcting false information is difficult work and requires fighting against the ways our brains like to process information. Critical thinking alone will not save us. Our psychological quirks put us at risk of falling for misinformation, disinformation and propaganda.” We cannot overestimate the value of professional fact-checkers who ferret out incorrect information in public view, she adds. “They are one of our best hopes for zeroing in on errors and correcting them, before the rest of us read or hear the false information and incorporate it into what we know of the world.”
 
Can you think of a time when you were misled by misinformation, and perhaps even passed it on? Why do you think you were taken in, and how did you learn the truth? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.
 
If you would like to read more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our book: Be Quiet, Be Heard: The Paradox of Persuasion