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There is an inverse relationship between knowledge and confidence in competence. The less you know, the more you are certain of your ability. First described in 1999 in a paper by Dunning and Kruger, it provides a good explanation for why it is so difficult to change existing beliefs and opinions. ...

➡️ 𝕌𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕠𝕝 𝕡𝕖𝕠𝕡𝕝𝕖 -- Most of us struggle with making sense of numbers and data. Charts are the most common method of making numerical data understandable. Like all tools, they can be used for education just as well as for misinformation. Here's a common example of how bar graphs can manipulate the viewer's judgment. ...

The sunk cost fallacy offers an explanation for why we persist with lost causes - throw good money after bad. ...

The Peter Principle - Why and how hierarchies become incompetent bureaucracies. ...

Meetings are universally disliked. They disrupt work schedules. They are roadblocks to productivity. A handful of vocal people dominate the proceedings; the rest sit bored. But, abolishing meetings is akin to "throwing the baby out with the bath water." Limiting the number of attendees is the key to effective meetings. Each person needs to have a role in the proceedings. There is a magic number. ...

Rules of thumb (heuristics) can be better than algorithms. Uncertainty is a constant feature of life. Algorithms provide maps for navigating the seas of chance. Complex situations often involve handling many choices and making appropriate decisions. When the number of possibilities becomes too large for our minds to handle, complicated, mathematically-derived pathways can be implemented. Heuristics are simple rules-of-thumb, derived from experience over years. They can often be more effective than cumbersome algorithms. ...

Till very recently, neuroscientists clung to the belief that the fully formed adult brain was incapable of further change. We now know that this is not true. The brain exhibits a remarkable capacity for change: a property that is labelled "neuroplasticity". Many stimuli invoke and propel this fantastic power. Neuroscientific research shows that kindness, compassion and generosity rewire the brain, making it more resilient to the challenges of everyday life. ...

Long and hot discussions about trivial matters with small economic impact are easier to have than those over important issues requiring big sums of money. Large chunks of discussion time are spent on the former while the latter is quickly brushed away. ...

Instead of Powerpoints and other presentation tools, Jeff Bezos of Amazon uses a unique method for extracting value from meetings. He insists on a written-out, carefully structured narrative. He then goes on to do some more unusual things with the meeting. ...

We live and work in the midst of uncertainty. To relieve our anxieties, we turn to experts for guidance about the likelihood of future events. Philip Tetlock, after a massive 18-year study of expert predictions, demonstrated that their advice was no better than lay persons. They were actually worse than simple algorithms. He gives us many valuable guidelines. ...

Blind spots cloud clear cognition and understanding. The confirmation bias heads a long list. We programme our minds to filter out events that don't align with our existing beliefs. ...

Moving upwards in your career often involves looking for and finding new jobs. Five issues need to be weighed before committing to a new position. Change, for its own sake, might have a downside that needs careful consideration. ...

Now, more than ever, we need good strategies for remembering information that is valuable. Here is a popular tools for countering the "forgetting curve": the Cornell note-taking system. ...