January 14, 2020

Why Giving Advice Doesn’t Work (And What To Do Instead)

“Rush out there with a ton of energy and tell a hilarious joke.” A young, introverted manager asked my advice for his presentation in front of 200 people at an...

January 6, 2020

Using Recency Bias To Improve Your Annual Pay Raise

“Clack, clack, clack.” In boxing, the sound of two pieces of wood smacking together signals ten seconds remaining in the round. To Muhammad Ali, the warning was his cue to...

by Ian Mathews

Uncategorized

December 29, 2019

You Must Ask This Question In Every Interview

With one of the league’s most talented teams, the Dallas Cowboys underperformed in 2019. The Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones, will likely be searching for a new head coach once...

December 23, 2019

The Guilty Pleasure Of Rooting For Others To Fail

I am a Detroit Lions fan. If an airplane of NFL fans had only 32 seats, the Lions fan would sit in the back row, near the toilets and next to a Bengals fan with a screaming...

December 16, 2019

Your Conference Call Sucks (And What You Can Do About It)

“Was that a dog barking? Can you please put him outside for the rest of this conference call?” The barking did not come from a dog. It came from me. This is a story of...

December 10, 2019

Nobody Cares, Work Harder

Short and a little bit slight. Clearly not the thrower that the other guys are. I think [Jackson] is a wide receiver. Don’t wait to make the change. Don’t be like the kid from...

by Ian Mathews

Uncategorized

November 26, 2019

A Simple Process To Improve Any Area Of Your Business

Just before my son was born, my wife and I stocked up on IKEA furniture. I spent an entire weekend constructing bookshelves, toy crates, chairs and dressers. I hated it. I...

by Ian Mathews

Uncategorized

October 29, 2019

How To Use Social Proof To Sell More Of Anything

My son is nine years old and crazy about baseball. I attempted to brainwash him into rooting for my hometown team, the Detroit Tigers. Given the Tigers record the past four...

by Ian Mathews

Uncategorized

October 21, 2019

Manager Behavior Directly Affects The Behaviors Of The Team

Have you ever heard a child say something and immediately recognize where they learned it? Rodney Atkins is a country music singer and songwriter. In 2006, his song “If...

by Ian Mathews

Uncategorized

October 7, 2019

More Feedback Is Not Always Better

A nine-year-old baseball player nervously takes practice swings, watching intently from the on-deck circle. If you are the coach, what do you want him to think about?...

by Ian Mathews

« Older Articles