Management Rewired

Applying the lessons of cognitive neuroscience to management

by Charles S. Jacobs

Asocial Network

As portrayed in the movie, the man responsible for creating the social network. Facebook, is anything but adept at managing social relationships. Perhaps it's to be expected. Read More

Five Subtle Ways To Punish Your Employees

We live in an enlightened age of management. I recently surveyed a group of senior executives on their management practices and only a small minority saw any value in punishing poor performance. There are hardly any companies I know of that still call upon our rich tradition of such motivational practices as the rack or flogging. Read More

'Tis the Season for Reviews. Bah, Humbug!

Some liken the annual performance appraisal to a root canal, but I think it's much more like Japanese Kabuki theater. The actors in this ritual go through predetermined stylized motions, and it's often hard to find any direct connection to reality. Read More

In the Company of a Hero

The quarterly business review is not a time for celebration if you haven't made your numbers, and he had missed by a long shot. Read More

Lady Gaga's Leadership Lesson

Leaders must attract attention, but they need a subtler approach than a rock star and a more positive one than an alpha display... Read More

Why Football Players Pat Each Other on the Butt and Other Leadership Lessons

We hear often of inspiring speeches in the locker room, but they're a rare occurrence in the conference room. Read More

Working With Colleagues A Bit Slow On The Uptake

For years, I've watched executives in meetings exasperated by the inability of their colleagues to appreciate their superior grasp of the business. What starts as a simple difference of opinion quickly escalates to an all out verbal battle over who is in sole possession of the truth. Read More

Those Who Get It and Those Who Don't

The CEO of a high-flying internet company once told me, "You get it." Although flattered, I wasn't quite sure what "it" was. But now I think I've figured "it" out. Read More

Shocking!

Today, we would never subject sentient beings to such cruel treatment except, perhaps, in the business world. Read More

Googling Evil

Then there are the stupefying power point presentations, with endless slides following one another like drips in a Chinese water torture. Read More

The Story of the Manager's Mind

My Aunt Bessie had a talent for dancing, and her ballet teacher foresaw a great future for her. But she never disciplined herself to practice the way she needed. That was why rather than becoming a prima ballerina, she was forced to drop out of school and work in the coal mine, which eventually lead to her abduction by Bahamian pirates. Read More

Changing the Mind of the Mule

A farmer was enormously proud of his mule and constantly bragged to his neighbors how obedient it was. "All you have do is ask politely, and it will do whatever you want." Read More

The Bankers Ate the Marshmallow

The emotions business people try so hard to repress might just be the key to increasing their profits. Read More

Charles S. Jacobs is the author of Management Rewired.

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About Management Rewired

The recent discoveries of neuroscience are challenging the conventional wisdom about how best to manage. It turns out that much of what managers do is self-defeating. But the latest scientific finding are also offering new approaches. Although they might strike managers as counterintuitive, they're far more effective and easy to implement. In this blog, author and practitioner Charles Jacobs writes about the surprising lessons of neuroscience and demonstrates their practical application at work.