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...

by Ian Mathews

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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...

by Ian Mathews

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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

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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

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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

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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

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October 1, 2019

The Reason I Ask Candidates To “Sell Me Something” In An Interview

“Um, this pen comes in multiple colors, and uh . . . ” “I don’t write in multiple colors.” “Oh, I see. Well, this one here . . . it has a...

by Ian Mathews

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September 24, 2019

The Reason Your CEO Does Not Email As Much As You Do

A CEO rarely responds to an email. If they do, the response might be a sentence or two. A reply might say something like “Call me,” “Get on my calendar...

by Ian Mathews

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September 20, 2019

What Kind Of Teammate Are You?

This is my fifth season coaching youth sports. When I get a new group of kids, I find that they break into two groups. The first responds to every bit of coaching with...

by Ian Mathews

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