PRODUCTIVITY

Job crafting, what job crafting is, what a major 2026 research review says about why it makes people more productive, and three protocols to help you and your team start job crafting without letting it spiral into chaos. STUDY CITATION Demerouti, E. (2026). Job crafting revisited: Current insights, emerging challenges, and future directions. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 13 (1), 195–220. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so you ...

We're breaking down what makes someone a star performer, how researchers say you should identify high performers using four specific dimensions, and three protocols to help you define, manage, and keep the high performers on your team so your productivity doesn't walk out the door. STUDY CITATIONS O'Boyle, E. H., & Götz, M. (2026). Rethinking stardom: A relativistic approach to studying the absolute best performers. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 1...

Metacognition is what neuroscientists call the highest form of intelligence. We are breaking down what metacognition is, what the research says about why metacognition matters more than raw brainpower, and three protocols to start thinking about your thinking so you catch mistakes faster, make sharper decisions, and stop allowing your thoughts to run on autopilot. STUDY CITATIONS Veenman, M. V. J., Van Hout-Wolters, B. H. A. M., & Afflerbach, P. (2006). Metacognition and learning: concept...

The Florence Nightingale insight: why the data you're not tracking is the biggest threat to your productivity, what the research says about teams that measure versus teams that guess, and 3 Protocols to start counting what matters so you stop flying blind and start gaining ground. STUDY CITATIONS Brynjolfsson, E., & McElheran, K. (2016). The rapid adoption of data-driven decision-making. American Economic Review, 106(5), 133–139. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so you n...

Why taking photos with your phone weakens your memory, what the research says about cognitive offloading, how your brain processes moments you photograph versus moments you experience, and 3 Protocols to help you stop cognitive offloading so you can be more present and productive with the memories that matter most to you. STUDY CITATIONS Henkel, L. A. (2014). Point-and-shoot memories: The influence of taking photos on memory for a museum tour. Psychological Science, 25(2), 396–402. Make sure...

The Six Thinking Hats, a structured decision-making method designed by Edward de Bono that forces your team to examine a problem from six distinct perspectives before anyone locks in on an answer. We'll cover what the Six Thinking Hats are, what the research says about how they sharpen group decision-making, and three protocols to run your next team decision so the quietest person in the room shapes the outcome just as much as the loudest. STUDY CITATIONS Gupta, R. & Bodhankar, A. (2023)....

Why professional presentation design matters more than most people think, what the research says about how fast your audience judges the quality of your presentation slides, and three protocols to use Beautiful.ai to build polished, professional presentations without a single design skill. STUDY CITATIONS Lindgaard, G., Fernandes, G., Dudek, C., & Brown, J. (2006). Attention web designers: You have 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression! Behaviour & Information Technology, 25...

Storytelling, why the best storytellers aren't born with a gift, what the research says about how storytelling rewires the way your audience thinks, and three protocols to make your storytelling so sharp that people remember you long after you stop talking. STUDY CITATIONS Green, M. C., & Brock, T. C. (2000). The role of transportation in the persuasiveness of public narratives. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79 (5), 701–721. Stephens, G. J., Silbert, L. J., & Hasson, U...

Why talking less can be your biggest advantage in any conversation, what the research says about how the quiet person in the room often comes out ahead, and three protocols to help you win more trust, more influence, and more second conversations by saying less and listening with purpose. STUDY CITATIONS Huang, K., Yeomans, M., Brooks, A. W., Minson, J. A., & Gino, F. (2017). It doesn't hurt to ask: Question-asking increases liking. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113 (3), 4...

The Eisenhower D-Day Decision, and why waiting for certainty before making a decision is one of the most expensive habits you face throughout your life. We'll explore the psychology behind why your brain defaults to inaction, what the research says about the hidden cost of standing still, and three protocols to help you make faster, better decisions so you stop losing ground while you wait for the perfect answer. STUDY CITATIONS Samuelson, W. & Zeckhauser, R. (1988). Status quo bias in de...

What happens to your brain the moment someone unfairly accuses you of something, what the research says about why your first instinct to defend yourself can backfire, and 3 protocols top lawyers use to stay in control so you walk away with your credibility and your composure intact. STUDY CITATIONS Gross, J. J., & John, O. P. (2003). Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes: Implications for affect, relationships, and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychol...

A Bruce Lee principle that goes way beyond martial arts, what the psychology says about why writing to your future self changes your behavior, and 3 protocols to start building the version of you that doesn't exist yet. STUDY CITATION King, L.A. (2001). The health benefits of writing about life goals. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27 (7), 798–807. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so you never miss an episode of the PRODUCTIVITY Podcast SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR Treva...

The peak-end rule, what it is, what the research says about how memory rewrites experience, and 3 protocols to design your endings so the peak-end rule works for you instead of against you, in your own head and in everyone else's. STUDY CITATIONS Fredrickson, B. L., & Kahneman, D. (1993). Duration neglect in retrospective evaluations of affective episodes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65 (1), 45–55. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so you never miss an e...

How AI memory in tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude can quietly limit your thinking, what the research says about why AI personalization narrows your perspective, and 3 protocols to audit and reset your AI memory so it stays a productivity tool and not a productivity trap. STUDY CITATION Lopez-Lopez, E., Abels, C. M., Holford, D., Herzog, S. M., & Lewandowsky, S. (2025). Generative artificial intelligence–mediated confirmation bias in health information seeking. Annals of the New York...

The Cynefin framework, a decision-making model that sorts problems into five categories so you stop wasting time and energy on the wrong approach. We'll breaking down where the Cynefin framework comes from, what the research says about matching your strategy to the problem type, and 3 protocols to use the Cynefin framework before your next decision costs you a weekend or a deadline. STUDY CITATIONS Nachbagauer, A. (2021). Managing complexity in projects: Extending the Cynefin framework. Proje...

The intransigent minority, why a tiny fraction of any group can reshape the rules for everyone else, what the research says about how small that fraction can be, and 3 protocols to spot when an intransigent minority is steering your choices so you stop finding out after the fact and what you can do about when you find out. STUDY CITATIONS Centola, D., Becker, J., Brackbill, D., & Baronchelli, A. (2018). Experimental evidence for tipping points in social convention. Science, 360(6393), 111...

AI automation email agents, what they are, what they're good at, where they'll get you in trouble, and 3 protocols to set up your own AI email agent so you spend less time in your inbox and more time on the work that moves things forward. STUDY CITATIONS Noy, S. & Zhang, W. (2023). Experimental evidence on the productivity effects of generative artificial intelligence. Science, 381 (6654), 187–192. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so you never miss an episode o...

We're breaking down why fighter jet pilots are trained to avoid certain words in the cockpit, what the psychology says about how your brain processes thoughts, and 3 protocols to rewire the way you talk to yourself so you stop programming failure into your most imporant moments. STUDY CITATIONS Wegner, D.M., Schneider, D.J., Carter, S.R., & White, T.L. (1987). Paradoxical effects of thought suppression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53 (1), 5–13. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW...

The Empty Boat Theory. What the empty boat theory is, what the research says about why your brain invents stories before you have the facts, and three protocols to catch yourself before your reaction costs you more than the moment ever did. STUDY CITATIONS Denson, T.F., Grisham, J.R., & Moulds, M.L. (2011). Cognitive reappraisal increases heart rate variability in response to an anger provocation. Motivation and Emotion, 35 (1), 14–22. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player s...

The Skunk Works Principle, what it is, how Lockheed's Skunk Works proved it works with incredible results, what the research says, and 3 protocols to build a Skunk Works team inside your own company so you can move faster and deliver more. STUDY CITATIONS Staats, B.R., Milkman, K.L., & Fox, C.R. (2012). The team scaling fallacy: Underestimating the declining efficiency of larger teams. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 118(2), 132–142. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in you...

The Overlap Tax, what The Overlap Tax is, why having too many productivity apps is costing you more than money, and 3 protocols to build a minimalist tech stack that keeps you productive without the chaos. STUDY CITATIONS Murty, R.N., Dadlani, S., & Das, R.B. (2022). How Much Time and Energy Do We Waste Toggling Between Applications? Harvard Business Review. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so you never miss an episode of the PRODUCTIVITY Podcast SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR Treva...

Professional jealousy, what it is, why psychologists say Professional jealousy is one of the most honest emotions you'll ever feel, and 3 protocols to turn professional jealousy into a personal roadmap for what you want next. STUDY CITATIONS van de Ven, N., Zeelenberg, M., & Pieters, R. (2009). Leveling up and down: The experiences of benign and malicious envy. Emotion, 9 (3), 419–429. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so you never miss an episode of the PRODUCTIVITY...

The 3-2-1 Bridge. What the 3-2-1 Bridge is, why it is one of the most effective learning strategies research has found, and 3 protocols to start using the 3-2-1 Bridge after every meeting, book, or course. STUDY CITATIONS Bisra, K., Liu, Q., Nesbit, J.C., Salimi, F., & Winne, P.H. (2018). Inducing self-explanation: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 30 (3), 703–725. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so you never miss an episode of the PRODUCTIVITY Podcast SUPP...

OpenClaw, what OpenClaw is, what you need to run it, what the research says about AI assistants and your productivity, and 3 protocols to decide if OpenClaw is worth your time, your data, and your money. STUDY CITATIONS Simkute, A., Tankelevitch, L., Kewenig, V., Scott, A. E., Sellen, A., & Rintel, S. (2024). Ironies of Generative AI: Understanding and Mitigating Productivity Loss in Human-AI Interaction. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 41(5), 2898–2919. Make su...

The Resilience Protocol, how to do stress recovery, what stress recovery is, why your brain doesn't bounce back on its own after high-stress tasks, what the research says about stress recovery, and 3 protocols to help you recover faster between the moments that drain you most. STUDY CITATIONS Hunter, E. M., & Wu, C. (2016). Give me a better break: Choosing workday break activities to maximize resource recovery. Journal of Applied Psychology, 101 (2), 302–311.Loch, F., Hof zum Berge, ...

Strategic prioritization, what strategic prioritization is, why fighting every fire tanks your productivity, what the research says about the firefighting trap, and 3 protocols to help you decide which fires to fight and which ones to let burn. STUDY CITATIONS Repenning, N.P. & Sterman, J.D. (2001). Nobody ever gets credit for fixing problems that never happened: Creating and sustaining process improvement. California Management Review, 43 (4), 64–88. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in y...

The curiosity gap , what curiosity gap is, why saying three simple words will give you an advantage in every disagreement you encounter, and the 3 protocols to use the curiosity gap so arguments you find yourself in don’t escalate to the land of no resolution is possible. STUDY CITATIONS Kashdan, T. B., DeWall, C. N., Pond, R. S., Silvia, P. J., Lambert, N. M., Fincham, F. D., Savostyanova, A. A., & Keller, P. S. (2013). Curiosity protects against interpersonal aggression: Cross-sectional...

Walt Disney's Bankruptcy to Mickey Mouse, what Walt Disney's failures taught him that no success ever could, what the research says about why your setbacks become your biggest advantage, and 3 protocols to turn your next setback into the skill that makes your next project a success. STUDY CITATIONS Wang, Y., Jones, B.F., & Wang, D. (2019). Early-career setback and future career impact. Nature Communications, 10(1), 4331. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so you never miss...

AI Voice, why your voice is becoming the most underused productivity tool you own, what the research says about why talking through your work beats typing it, and three protocols to start using AI voice tools so your best thinking stops getting lost between your brain and your keyboard. STUDY CITATIONS Chi, M. T. H., De Leeuw, N., Chiu, M.-H., & LaVancher, C. (1994). Eliciting self-explanations improves understanding. Cognitive Science, 18 (3), 439–477. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your...

The End-of-History Illusion, what the End-of-History Illusion is, why your brain is so bad at predicting your future self, and 3 protocols how to stop making permanent decisions based on a temporary version of you. STUDY CITATIONS Quoidbach, J., Gilbert, D. T., & Wilson, T. D. (2013). The end of history illusion. Science, 339(6115), 96–98. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so you never miss an episode of the PRODUCTIVITY Podcast SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR Trevally: A Home for All...

How to design your business card that's built for the person receiving it, what makes a business card functional instead of forgettable, and 3 protocols to design a business card that that stands out makes people remember you. STUDY CITATIONS Peck, J., & Childers, T. L. (2003). To have and to hold: The influence of haptic information on product judgments. Journal of Marketing, 67(2), 35–48. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so you never miss an episode of the PRODUCTIVITY ...

Learned industriousness is, what psychology says about why high effort tasks can become genuinely rewarding, and 3 protocols for training your brain to stop dreading hard work and start craving it. STUDY CITATION Eisenberger, R. (1992). Learned industriousness. Psychological Review, 99(2), 248–267. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so you never miss an episode of the PRODUCTIVITY Podcast SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR Trevally: A Home for All Your Family, Friends and Colleagues One l...

The Pre-mortem. what the premortem is, why it works, and 3 protocols for running a pre-mortem so you stop finding your blind spots when it's too late. STUDY CITATIONS Mitchell, D. J., Russo, J. E., & Pennington, N. (1989). Back to the future: Temporal perspective in the explanation of events. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 2(1), 25–38. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so you never miss an episode of the PRODUCTIVITY Podcast SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR Trevally: A Home for...

AI Calendar Scheduling Tools, what AI scheduling tools are, why the research on AI and productivity says they work, and 3 protocols to get the most out of letting AI manage your calendar starting today. EPISODE LINKS Motion https://www.usemotion.comReclaim AI: https://reclaim.aiSTUDY CITATIONS Dell'Acqua, F., McFowland III, E., Mollick, E. R., Lifshitz-Assaf, H., Kellogg, K., Rajendran, S., Krayer, L., Candelon, F., & Lakhani, K. R. (2023). Navigating the jagged technological frontier: F...

The Red Queen Effect, what the Red Queen Effect is, what the research says about why it hits individuals just as hard as entire organizations, and 3 protocols to help you stay sharp, relevant, and out in front. STUDY CITATIONS Barnett, W. P., & Hansen, M. T. (1996). The red queen in organizational evolution. Strategic Management Journal, 17(S1), 139–157. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so you never miss an episode of the PRODUCTIVITY Podcast SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR Trevally:...

The ONE Thing method, what the One Thing Method is, why task-switching is quietly destroying your productivity, and 3 protocols to put the ONE Thing Keller method to work starting today. STUDY CITATIONS Rubinstein, J.S., Meyer, D.E., & Evans, J.E. (2001). Executive control of cognitive processes in task switching. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 27(4), 763–797. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so you never miss an episode of the PRODU...

The OODA Loop: what it is, what the research says about why cycling through it faster leads to better outcomes, and 3 ways to use the OODA Loop to stop stalling on your projects, your ideas, and the feedback your team actually needs. STUDY CITATIONS Eisenhardt, K.M. (1989). Making fast strategic decisions in high-velocity environments. Academy of Management Journal, 32 (3), 543–576. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so you never miss an episode of the PRODUCTIVITY Podcas...

We’re diving into why some people are chronically late, what the research says about the four most common reasons some people are always late and four protocols to help you start showing up on time. STUDY CITATIONS Conte, J.M., & Jacobs, R.R. (2003). Validity evidence linking polychronicity and Big Five personality dimensions to absence, lateness, and performance. Human Performance, 16(2), 107–129.Wilmot, M.P., & Ones, D.S. (2019). A century of research on conscientiousness at work. P...

We're covering phosphatidylserine, what phosphatidyl serine is, what the research says about what it does to your brain and your stress hormones, and 3 ways to use phosphatidylserine to get the most out of it. STUDY CITATIONS Crook, T.H., Tinklenberg, J., Yesavage, J., Petrie, W., Nunzi, M.G., & Massari, D.C. (1991). Effects of phosphatidylserine in age-associated memory impairment. Neurology, 41(5), 644–649.Starks, M.A., Starks, S.L., Kingsley, M., Purpura, M., & Jäger, R. (2008). Th...

AI Brain Fry, what ai brain fly is, what the research says is causing it, and 3 protocols you do so you can use AI without getting burned out. STUDY CITATIONS Bedard, J., et al. (2025). AI at Work: The Productivity Paradox. Boston Consulting Group industry report. Survey of 1,488 full-time U.S. workers.Ye, X.M., & Ranganathan, A. (2025). "Does AI Actually Free Up Workers' Time?" Eight-month ethnographic study, featured in Harvard Business Review. UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. Make ...

People pleasing: what being a people pleaser is, why the science says we do it, and 3 ways to stop people pleasing and start protecting your own time and sanity so you can be happier with yourself. STUDY CITATIONS Crocker, J., & Park, L. E. (2004). The costly pursuit of self-esteem. Psychological Bulletin, 130(3), 392–414.Canlı, D., & Karaşar, B. (2021). Predictors of major depressive disorder: The need for social approval and self-esteem. Alpha Psychiatry, 22(1), 38–42. Make su...

We're covering what mind wandering is, why the research says a wandering mind is making you unhappy, and 3 ways to take control of a wandering mind so you can be more present, more productive, more creative, and happier. STUDY CITATIONS Killingsworth, M. A., & Gilbert, D. T. (2010). A wandering mind is an unhappy mind. Science, 330(6006), 932. DOI: 10.1126/science.1192439 Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so you never miss an episode of the PRODUCTIVITY Podcast SUPPORT OUR...

We're talking about what happens to the people around you when pressure spikes, how to spot the ones who are about to blow up the mission, project or goal, how to be honest about whether that person might be you and 3 protocols to put to work when the pressure is on and someone is losing it and doesn't even realize it. STUDY CITATIONS Raio, C.M., Konova, A.B., & Otto, A.R. (2020). Trait impulsivity and acute stress interact to influence choice and decision speed during multi-stage decisio...

We're breaking down the 4 enduring Army leadership principles, what the research says about why they drive real performance and as for the US Army for two centuries, and one protocol for each one you can put to work this week to take your leadership to the next level. STUDY CITATIONS Dvir, T., Eden, D., Avolio, B.J., & Shamir, B. (2002). Impact of transformational leadership on follower development and performance: A field experiment. Academy of Management Journal, 45(4), 735–744. Make su...

We're breaking down creatine — what it is, why the body and brain research behind it is so strong, and three practical protocols on how to use creatine so you actually get the benefits and protect your energy and sanity on the days you need it most. STUDY CITATIONS Gordji-Nejad, A., Matusch, A., Kleedörfer, S., Patel, H.J., Drzezga, A., Elmenhorst, D., & Bauer, A. (2024). Single dose creatine improves cognitive performance and induces changes in cerebral high energy phosphates during slee...

We're covering a 3-step protocol to never forget a name or face again, looking at what the research says about why face-name memory is so hard to begin with, and 3 protocols you can use the next time you meet someone new to make sure their name and face stick STUDY CITATIONS Sperling, R.A., Chua, E., Cocchiarella, A., Rand-Giovannetti, E., Poldrack, R., Schacter, D.L., & Albert, M. (2003). Putting names to faces: Successful encoding of associative memories activates the anterior hippocamp...

We're covering how to write a business plan in 11 slides — what a business plan actually is in its modern form, what the research says about why having one matters, and then the 11 slides you need to test and validate any product or service quickly. LINKS FROM THE EPISODE Book: Back of the Napkin to Business Plan in 11 Slides | https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C1DBTDZG/Business Plan Podcast | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Or search "Business Plan Brandon" in your favorite podcast playerHow to W...

We're breaking down the gut vs. data debate, what the research says about when trusting your gut works, when it quietly leads you off a cliff, and a simple decision-making tool called a decision matrix that will take the noise out of hard choices and help you make decisions you can live with. STUDY CITATIONS Dane, E., Rockmann, K.W., & Pratt, M.G. (2012). When should I trust my gut? Linking domain expertise to intuitive decision-making effectiveness. Organizational Behavior and Human Deci...

Decision fatigue: what decision fatigue is, why your brain burns through its decision making fuel faster than you think, and 3 protocols to beat decision fatigue so you stay sharp and productive all day. STUDY CITATIONS Danziger, S., Levav, J., & Avnaim-Pesso, L. (2011). Extraneous factors in judicial decisions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108 (17), 6889–6892. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so you never miss an episode of the PRODUCTIVITY Podca...

Self-Sabotage: why you sabotage your own best days, what the Immunity to Change framework says about the hidden commitments driving that self-sabotage, and 3 protocols to surface the real reasons you keep getting in your own way. STUDY CITATIONS Low, R. S. T., Overall, N. C., Hammond, M. D., & Girme, Y. U. (2017). Emotional suppression during personal goal pursuit impedes goal strivings and achievement. Emotion, 17 (2), 208–223. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so you nev...

Continuity Books, what Continuity Books are, why the U.S. military swears by them, what the research says about why continuity books work, and 3 protocols to use them so the next person stepping into a role hits the ground running and gets productive from day one. STUDY CITATIONS Bauer, T.N., Bodner, T., Erdogan, B., Truxillo, D.M., & Tucker, J.S. (2007). Newcomer adjustment during organizational socialization: A meta-analytic review of antecedents, outcomes, and methods. Journal of Appli...

We're covering AI meeting assistants. What AI meeting assistants are, why the research says your meetings follow-through keeps breaking down 44% of the time, and 3 protocols for using an AI meeting assistant that will turn your meetings into a plan. STUDY CITATIONS Rogelberg, S. G., Allen, J. A., Shanock, L., Scott, C. W., & Shuffler, M. (2010). Employee satisfaction with their meetings: A unique predictor of job satisfaction. Human Resource Management, 49(2), 149–172. Make sure you hit "...

We're breaking down what it means to become an Orchestrator in the age of AI, what the shift looks like, what the research says about why making the shift matters for your job security, and 3 protocols to start making the transition before the transition is made for you. STUDY CITATIONS McGuire, J., De Cremer, D., & Van de Cruys, T. (2024). Establishing the importance of co-creation and self-efficacy in creative collaboration with artificial intelligence. Scientific Reports, 14, 185...

We’re diving deeper on flow state psychology to hit your peak performance mode, what the research says about how flow state works, and the 4 triggers psychologists and performance researchers say you need to enter flow state on command so you can hit your peak performance. STUDY CITATIONS Fong, C.J., Zaleski, D.J., & Leach, J.K. (2015). The challenge-skill balance and antecedents of flow: A meta-analytic investigation. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 10 (5), 425-446.Csiksze...

We're breaking down the "Can Pick Your Brain" meeting request, what it really is, why you should always say no at first, and 3 protocols to handle pick your brain requests that protect your time while still being genuinely helpful to the person asking. STUDY CITATIONS Leach, D.J., Rogelberg, S.G., Warr, P.B., & Burnfield, J.L. (2009). Perceived meeting effectiveness: The role of design characteristics. Journal of Business and Psychology, 24(1), 65–76.Mark, G., Gudith, D., & Klocke, U....

We're diving into the indirect approach, what the indirect approach is, why Lawrence of Arabia used it to pull off one of the most stunning upsets in military history, what the research says about why the indirect approach works, and 2 ways you can put the indirect approach to work in your own life to get winning outcomes. STUDY CITATIONS Kay, J. (2011). Obliquity: Why Our Goals Are Best Achieved Indirectly. Penguin Press.Gollwitzer, P. M., & Brandstätter, V. (1997). Implementation intent...

How to reach your peak performance, what tricking your brain into peak performance means, what the research says about the hidden reserves your brain is sitting on, and 3 ways to trick your brain into peak performance so you can get more out of your workouts, your deep work sessions, and your creative projects. STUDY CITATIONS Stone, M.R., Thomas, K., Wilkinson, M., Jones, A.M., St Clair Gibson, A., & Thompson, K.G. (2012). Effects of deception on exercise performance: Implications ...

The Ask Me First AI Prompt, what it is, why the ask me first ai prompt works, and 3 ways to put the Ask Me First prompt to work so you get results that actually fit your life. STUDY CITATIONS White, J., Fu, Q., Hays, S., Sandborn, M., Olea, C., Gilbert, H., Elnashar, A., Spencer-Smith, J., & Schmidt, D.C. (2023). A Prompt Pattern Catalog to Enhance Prompt Engineering with ChatGPT. arXiv, abs/2302.11382. Presented at the 30th Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs (PLoP '23), Vanderbi...

Gaslighting, what gaslighting is, what the research says about how it damages your sense of reality, and 3 ways to protect yourself and your sanity when you're dealing with a gaslighter in your relationship, your family, or your job. STUDY CITATIONS Ciabatti, M., Nerini, A., & Matera, C. (2024). Gaslighting experience, psychological health, and well-being: The role of self-compassion and social support. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 40 (23-24), 5751–5773. Make sure you hit "FOLL...

The Steel Man Technique, what steel manning is, what the research says about why your brain fights it, and 3 ways to use the Steel Man technique to make sharper decisions at home, at work, and when it matters most for your team. STUDY CITATIONS Lord, C.G., Lepper, M.R., & Preston, E. (1984). Considering the opposite: A corrective strategy for social judgment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 47(6), 1231–1243. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so you never mi...

Groupthink, what groupthink is, what the research says about how Groupthink quietly kills good decisions and ideas, and 3 ways to protect yourself and your team from groupthink before it does any damage. STUDY CITATIONS Choi, J.N., & Kim, M.U. (1999). The organizational application of groupthink and its limitations in organizations. Journal of Applied Psychology, 84 (2), 297–306. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so you never miss an episode of the PRODUCTIVITY Podcast SUP...

We're breaking down imposter syndrome, what imposter syndrome is, what the research says about it, and three ways to flip imposter syndrome from a source of dread into a signal that you're growing. STUDY CITATIONS Clance, P.R., & Imes, S.A. (1978). The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 15(3), 241–247. Tewfik, B.A. (2022). The impostor phenomenon revisited: Examining the relationship betwee...

We're breaking down why saying no is so hard, what the research says about the language that makes saying no stick, and 3 ways to say no without guilt that will protect your time, your energy, and your sanity. STUDY CITATIONS Patrick, V.M., & Hagtvedt, H. (2012). "I Don't" versus "I Can't": When empowered refusal motivates goal-directed behavior. Journal of Consumer Research, 39(2), 371–381. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so you never miss an episode of the PRODUCTIVITY...

We're explaining how to use Googles Nano Banana effectively for image editing, what Nano Banana is, why vague prompts tank your results every time, and three Nano Banana prompting techniques that will get you the output you're actually shooting for. STUDY CITATIONS Research section: Xiang, Y., et al. (2025). When misunderstanding meets artificial intelligence: the critical role of trust in human–AI and human–human team communication and performance. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, Article 163733...

We're breaking down email signatures, not the kind with your name and title, but pre-written response templates you build once and send in seconds. We explain what email signatures are, why the research on email signatures makes them a no-brainer, how to build email signatures, and three ways to put email signatures to work so you can stop retyping the same responses and get your time back. STUDY CITATIONS McKinsey Global Institute. (2012). The social economy: Unlocking value and produc...

We're covering the Steve Jobs 2-hour rule, we explain what the Steve Jobs 2-hour rule is, what neuroscience says about why unstructured thinking time is one of the most productive things you can do for your brain, and three ways to build the Steve Jobs 2-hour rule into your day. STUDY CITATIONS Mason, M.F., Norton, M.I., Van Horn, J.D., Wegner, D.M., Grafton, S.T., & Macrae, C.N. (2007). Wandering minds: The default network and stimulus-independent thought. Science, 315(5810), 393–395. ...

We're giving you the top AI prompts for your work life. We explain what the research says about the hours you stand to get back, and five AI prompts you can start using today to get your time back, protect your sanity and even leave work early a few days a week STUDY CITATIONS Microsoft. (2023). Microsoft Work Trend Index Special Report: Will AI Fix Work? Microsoft Corporation.Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI. (2025). AI Index Report 2025. Stanford HAI. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in...

We're giving you AI prompts for your personal life that saves you hours every week. We explain what they are, why the research says AI is about to change how we handle the stuff that eats our time at home, and five specific personal life AI prompts you can copy and use this week to get real hours back for yourself. STUDY CITATIONS Shi, L., Hertfordshire, H., Yamamoto, K., & Yamamoto, T. (2023). Household automation: Experts estimate how time spent on home tasks can be automated. Ag...

We're breaking down what cognitive diversity is, why Churchill's secret WWII unit proved it before science did, what the research says about why cognitively diverse teams outperform everyone else, and three moves you can make to build a more productive team that can actually handle the hard stuff. STUDY CITATIONS Reynolds, A., & Lewis, D. (2017). Teams solve problems faster when they're more cognitively diverse. Harvard Business Review. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so...

We're breaking down the power of "because." What it is, why your brain responds to “because” the way it does, what the research says, and three ways to put "because" to work so you get more yeses at work, at home, and everywhere in between. STUDY CITATIONS Langer, E. J., Blank, A., & Chanowitz, B. (1978). The mindlessness of ostensibly thoughtful action: The role of "placebic" information in interpersonal interaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36(6), 635–642. Make s...

We're breaking down No Single-Player Mode, what it means, why being the only person who knows how to do something is a productivity and burnout trap, and three moves to get you and your team out of single-player mode for good. STUDY CITATIONS Myers, C.G., & Desai, S.V. (2018). Association between team learning behavior and reduced burnout among medicine residents. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 33(8), 1283–1285. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so you never miss ...

We're talking Google NotebookLM, what it is, how Google NotebookLM is different from every other AI tool you're already using, what the research says about using AI this way, and three ways to start using Google NotebookLM to save you time, reduce your frustration, and see things in your data you might otherwise not have realized was there. STUDY CITATIONS Brynjolfsson, E., Li, D., & Raymond, L. (2025). Generative AI at work. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 140(2), 889. Make sure you ...

We're talking the Pygmalion Effect, what the Pygmalion Effect is, what the research says about how it shows up at home and at work, and three ways to use the Pygmalion Effect to lift the people around you. STUDY CITATIONS Rosenthal, R., & Jacobson, L. (1968). Pygmalion in the classroom. The Urban Review, 3(1), 16–20.Kierein, N. M., & Gold, M. A. (2000). Pygmalion in work organizations: A meta-analysis. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 21(8), 913–928. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in y...

Today we're talking digital tone interpretation, what it is, why your brain is wired to misread email, text and IM messages, what the research says, and three ways to stop letting these messages live rent-free in your head and wreck your day. STUDY CITATIONS Kruger, J., Epley, N., Parker, J., & Ng, Z. (2005). Egocentrism over e-mail: Can we communicate as well as we think? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89(6), 925–936. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so yo...

We're diving into what strategic vulnerability is, why most people have it completely backwards, what the research says about how strategic vulnerability builds trust and makes you more productive, and three practical ways to start using strategic vulnerability at home, at work, and anywhere you want people to actually follow your lead. STUDY CITATIONS Ito, A., & Bligh, M. (2017). Feeling vulnerable? Disclosure of vulnerability in the charismatic leadership relationship. Journal of Leader...

We're breaking down emotional contagion, what emotional contagion is, what the science says about how emotional contagion spreads at work, at home, and on your phone, and three practical tips to use emotional contagion to protect your energy and stay positive and productive. STUDY CITATIONS Barsade, S.G. (2002). The ripple effect: Emotional contagion and its influence on group behavior. Administrative Science Quarterly, 47(4), 644–675.Kramer, A.D.I., Guillory, J.E., & Hancock, J.T. (2014)...

We're covering what the After Action Report is, where it came from, the two ways to run After Action Reports after important meetings and after big projects, then we give you four tips to that will help your team be 25% more productive, and it’s backed by science. STUDY CITATIONS Tannenbaum, S. I., & Cerasoli, C. P. (2013). Do team and individual debriefs enhance performance? A meta-analysis. Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 55(1), 231–245.&nbs...

What the Marshmallow Test is, what the research says about delayed gratification, and three ways to train yourself to wait for what really matters so you can be more productive at work, at home, and everywhere in between. STUDY CITATIONS Mischel, W., Shoda, Y., & Peake, P. K. (1988). The nature of adolescent competencies predicted by preschool delay of gratification. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(4), 687–696. Shoda, Y., Mischel, W., & Peake, P. K. (1990). Predi...

Why a dirty screen is quietly draining your productivity, what the science says about visual clutter and your brain, and three simple screen-cleaning tips to get cleaner, sharper focus starting today. LINKS MENTIONED IN EPISODE WHOOSH! Computer Screen Cleaner | https://amzn.to/3NIttAzSTUDY CITATIONS McMains, S., & Kastner, S. (2011). Interactions of top-down and bottom-up mechanisms in human visual cortex. Journal of Neuroscience, 31(2), 587–597. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in ...

We're diving into attrition warfare as a personal productivity strategy. We explain what attrition warfare is, why it works, what the research says, and three tips to put attrition warfare to work so you can stop being the one who quits first. STUDY CITATIONS Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087–1101. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast pl...

This is a bonus episode for our Build Your Network series to explains the app you want to use to help you manage your personal and professional networks, all in one place. If you haven't listened to the seven-part series yet, go back and start with Episode 1 of the series, starting at ep. 231 on the Productivity Podcast, because everything we cover will make a lot more sense with the how to build your network foundation, under you. LINK TALKED ABOUT IN THE EPISODE Trevally ( https...

Over the past six episodes in the Build Your Network Series we've covered why networking fails, how to treat your network as a real asset, the three relationship types you need, what separates investors from takers, how to fill your relationship bank with deposits that compound, and how to identify the handful of people who can change your trajectory. Today we bring it all together and talk about what happens when you play this long enough for it to matter. BUILD YOUR NETWORK SERIES W...

In this Build Your Network Series we've covered why networking fails, how to treat your network as an asset, the three relationship types you need, what separates investors from takers, and how to fill your relationship bank with deposits that compound. Today we get into the relationships that can change your trajectory entirely, the handful of people in any career who compress years of progress into months. BUILD YOUR NETWORK SERIES WORKBOOK DOWNLOAD LINK Build Your Network Series Work...

In this series we've covered why networking fails, how to treat your network as an asset, the three types of relationships you need, and what separates investors from takers. Today we're getting specific about what you're depositing into your key relationships, the four ways to invest in your network that pay off, why it works, and what twenty years of consistent deposits looks like. BUILD YOUR NETWORK SERIES WORKBOOK DOWNLOAD LINK Build Your Network Series Workbook https://edge.ck.pa...

In this Build Your Network series we've covered why most networking fails, how to treat your network as a real asset, and the three types of relationships every strong network needs. Today we're talking about the part most people find a little uncomfortable, an honest look at what you're putting into your relationships versus what you're taking out. BUILD YOUR NETWORK SERIES WORKBOOK DOWNLOAD LINK Build Your Network Series Workbook https://edge.ck.page/e2fc7eb5b1 STUDY CITATIONS Grant...

In this series we've established that networking is an investment, your network is one of your most valuable assets, and that the groups you already belong to are networks most people never think to tap. Today we're breaking down the three types of relationships every strong network needs and why missing even one of them puts a ceiling on what your network can do for you. BUILD YOUR NETWORK SERIES WORKBOOK DOWNLOAD LINK Build Your Network Series Workbook https://edge.ck.page/e2fc7eb5b1S...

In this Build Your Network series we've been building the case that networking isn't a transaction, rather it's an investment. Last episode we covered why most networking fails before it starts. Today we're digging deeper on the investment idea and what it means to treat your network as a real asset, and what happens when you don't. BUILD YOUR NETWORK SERIES WORKBOOK DOWNLOAD LINK Build Your Network Series Workbook https://edge.ck.page/e2fc7eb5b1STUDY CITATIONS Seibert, S.E., Krai...

We're kicking off a seven-part series called Build Your Network with Why Most Networking Doesn't Work and What to Do Instead. BUILD YOUR NETWORK SERIES WORKBOOK DOWNLOAD LINK Build Your Network Series Workbook https://edge.ck.page/e2fc7eb5b1 STUDY CITATIONS Grant, A.M. (2013). Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success. Viking. Research based on interviews with 30,000 people across industries and cultures.Nour, D. (2008). Relationship Economics: Transform Your Most Valuable Business ...

We're explaining what HeyGen is, why AI-generated video avatars are changing how people create video content, what the research says about how AI video performs, and three practical tips to get your first HeyGen AI avatar built and ready to go in a few minutes time. STUDY CITATIONS Xu, Y. (2025). From recorded to AI-generated instructional videos: A comparison of learning performance and experience. British Journal of Educational Technology, 56, 1463–1487. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your ...

Today we're covering what positive affirmations are, why the science says they work, and seven positive affirmations you can start using today whether that’s at work, at home, and anywhere life challenges you to believe in yourself. STUDY CITATIONS Creswell, J. D., Dutcher, J. M., Klein, W. M. P., Harris, P. R., & Levine, J. M. (2013). Self-Affirmation Improves Problem-Solving under Stress. PLoS ONE, 8(5): e62593.Kross, E., Bruehlman-Senecal, E., Park, J., Burson, A., Dougherty, A.,...

We're breaking down what narcissism actually looks like in real life. The real-world version of a Narcissist you've probably already bumped into, what a study of 436 people living with as narcissist found, and three practical strategies to protect your time, your energy, and your sanity when you have to deal with a Narcissist. STUDY CITATIONS Day, N.J.S., Townsend, M.L., & Grenyer, B.F.S. (2020). Living with pathological narcissism: a qualitative study. Borderline Personality Disorder and...

We're covering the Socratic Method, a 2,500-year-old questioning technique that is one of the most underused decision making tools in the modern workplace. We explain what the Socratic Method is, walk through the research showing why the Socratic Method works, and give you three ways to start using it today to sharpen your thinking, protect your time and make better decisions. STUDY CITATION Peterson, E. (2009). "Socratic Problem-Solving in the Business World." American Journal of...

We're breaking down verbal and behavioral mirroring, what mirroring is, the science that proves mirroring works, and three ways to use mirroring in your next conversation, whether that's a negotiation at work, a difficult conversation at home, or any moment where the other person needs to feel genuinely heard before they'll let you in. STUDY CITATIONS Maddux, W.W., Mullen, E., & Galinsky, A.D. (2008). Chameleons Bake Bigger Pies and Take Bigger Pieces: Strategic Behavioral Mimicry Facilit...

Today, we're covering the single biggest reason AI projects fail, back it up with research, and arm you with 5 questions, developed by AI strategist and Former head of Google Strategy, Chris Hood, that every team should aim to answer before their next AI deployment. Get these questions right, and you and your company will be in the elite 5% that actually get an ROI from from their AI investment. STUDY CITATION: The GenAI Divide: State of AI in Business 2025", MIT Project NANDA (Networke...

Today we're covering what the research says about sexual frequency and your mental and emotional performance, whether the George Costanza "no sex makes you smarter" theory holds up, and three practical takeaways from the research you can use optimize how many times a week you have sex to reach your peak performance. STUDY CITATIONS Muise, A., Schimmack, U., & Impett, E. A. (2016). Sexual frequency predicts greater well-being, but more is not always better. Social Psychological and Persona...

What a 32-hour workweek looks like in practice, why the research says the 32-hour workweek works, and a 3-step standard operating procedure (SOP) to start compressing your week without dropping anything that matters. STUDY CITATION Microsoft Japan, "Work-Life Choice Challenge 2019 Summer" (August 2019). Reported across: NPR, CNN, CNBC, Washington Post, and the World Economic Forum. Productivity measured by sales per employee rose 39.9% compared to August 2018, while the company capped meeting...

Today we're covering three of the best: Oura, WHOOP, and Garmin. We'll explain what each one tracks, look at what the research says about consistent monitoring, and give you three tips for using the data to protect your energy and your productivity. STUDY CITATION Wearing WHOOP More Frequently Is Associated with Better Biometrics and Healthier Sleep and Activity Patterns." Published in PLOS ONE (2025). PMC12030945. Dataset: ~1 million days of longitudinal data from 11,914 WHOOP subscribers. ...

Today we're breaking down the Fogg Behavior Model, what it is, the surprisingly simple formula behind it, and three tips you can use to start building habits that actually stick. I'll also tell you why the graph behind this model is one of the most useful things I've ever seen, and I say that as someone who completed BJ Fogg's Behavior Design Boot Camp and earned the certification of an Expert Tiny Habits Coach from Dr. Fogg himself. STUDY CITATIONS: Anza, H., et al. (2025). "Behavioral...

Today we're explaining what a hot wash is and where it comes from, look at what the research says about why the hot wash works, and give you three practical tips to run regular hot washes with your team. STUDY CITATION: Tannenbaum, S. I., & Cerasoli, C. P. (2013). Do team and individual debriefs enhance performance? A meta-analysis. Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 55(1), 231–245. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW" in your podcast player so you never ...