This is the second in a series of blog posts looking at five cognitive distortions of high achievers. Today, we’re looking at dichotomous thinking—or, to put it more simply, black and white thinking. This distortion manifests in several different ways. Dichotomous thinkers are both judgemental and opinionated to a high degree. They see only black… Continue Reading
In case you missed it, this presentation by Michael Dearing has been attracting a lot of comment on the net. After interviewing 4515 Silicon Valley executives, Dearing identified five distorted thinking habits of chronic overachievers: Personal exceptionalism Dichotomous thinking Correct overgeneralisation Blank canvas thinking Schumpeterianism Some big words there, but they look inoffensive enough. And… Continue Reading
This post follows on from our previous post about working with thinking and feeling personality types. It’s the fourth and final in a series of posts about the use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) in the workplace. As you will recall, the MBTI can help us understand how we prefer to take in information (sensing or thinking), and… Continue Reading
Here’s a scenario many managers and team leaders fear: a staff member sits down in your office and bursts into tears. You don’t know how to handle such an outpouring of emotion. What should you do? Your first step is simple: hand them a box of tissues. Don’t have a box of tissues handy? Then… Continue Reading
Stakes are high in the federal election campaign. With so much riding on the outcome, we’re seeing a number of politicians rolling up their sleeves and trotting out some of the oldest tricks in the political playbook: Distorting or misrepresenting the facts around specific issues Playing the candidate rather than playing the ball Questioning the… Continue Reading
Conflict can arise in a team when a new team leader is appointed. Team members who have enjoyed a positive relationship with their former leader may view the newcomer with suspicion. Indeed, some team members may foment dissent, especially if they believe their former team leader was hard done-by. But don’t worry–there’s some good news,… Continue Reading