What to do when virtues go wrong

913. When something's broken at work, we reach for the big fix — the reorg, the new tool, the strategy overhaul. But ask people to describe their perfect coffee and they'll say rich, dark, bold. Put a cup in front of them and they reach for weak and milky. Rachel Cooke applies th ...  Show more

912. Your boss used to have answers. Now they've got questions. It feels destabilizing - but Rachel makes the case that this is the opening of a lifetime. When certainty disappears, the old rules about who has the answers go with it. Four bold moves for a moment that's wide open. ...  Show more

Workers who want to get ahead but also be respected face a tricky balance of being too nice or too aggressive. WSJ “Work & Life” columnist Rachel Feintzeig joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss ways employees can navigate that challenge. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See ...  Show more

Can a “nice” workplace culture be as toxic as an abusive one? This past summer, our content intern Katie Bartlett (hi Katie!) wrote a piece about the workplace culture trend toward “niceness” investigating whether or not prioritizing “nice” feedback that’s full of vague platitude ...  Show more

<span data-sheets-root="1">Praise can be a powerful tool… but it can also backfire! Are you giving the kind of praise that builds true confidence, or are you unknowingly setting people up for failure? Join Darren as he dives deep into the dual-edged sword of praise, uncovering ...

Are you "too nice" at work? Social psychologist Tessa West shares her research on how people attempt to mask anxiety with overly polite feedback — a practice that's more harmful than helpful — and gives three tips to swap generic, unhelpful observations with clear, consistent fee ...  Show more