Blogs

Minds at Work

Exploring the psychological forces at play while you work.
by Ben Dattner
Ben Dattner is a workplace consultant, an industrial and organizational psychologist, and an adjunct professor at New York University. See full bio
February 9, 2009

Influence without authority

In the current economic turmoil, one thing has become clear. In an enviroment of cutbacks, downsizing, and restructuring, formal lines of authority and accountability have been seriously disrupted and blurred. Read More

February 4, 2009

Screwing up in the workplace

Much has been said and written about how President Obama differs from his predecessor in the oval office in both substance and style. These distinctions were highlighted yesterday when President Obama candidly admitted "I screwed up" in the cabinet nominations he had made. Read More

January 27, 2009

So you want to be an I/O Psychologist?

Since I teach in the Industrial and Organizational MA Program at New York University, I often get asked to describe the field. Read More

January 12, 2009

Assessing and developing your company's assessment and development system

In the current economic environment, companies are increasingly realizing that their only endurable source of competitive advantage is how well they can assess and develop their human capital. Pre-employment intelligence and personality testing are more common than ever, and leadership development and executive coaching programs are becoming standard in organizations large and small. Read More

January 8, 2009

Does your boss hover over you?

If your boss hovers over you in a figurative sense, you are likely to perceive micromanagement and may become resentful after a certain point. You may need to have a candid conversation with your boss about feeling that you are not given sufficient empowerment or autonomy in your role. But what do you do if your boss is hovering over you in a literal, physical sense? Read More

January 6, 2009

How Teams Develop Dysfunctional Habits

OK- here is a game that an old friend's young kids recently shared with me. Say "white" 5 times fast. Now say it 2 times fast. Now 3 times fast. Now that you've said "white" 10 times, what do cows drink? Most people answer "milk" even though upon reflection the correct answer is "water". Read More

December 19, 2008

The wages of cynicism

Cynicism in the workplace is rampant nowadays. Leaders and organizations of all kinds have demonstrated that their "success" was no more than an illusory house of cards, and that there was a huge gap between rhetoric and reality. Managers and workers all across the country have lost faith in their organizations' party line. Read More

December 16, 2008

How to accelerate team learning

Teams are increasingly common in the workplace, and in the current economic environment, teams of all kinds and sizes are being forced to learn and adapt to changing circumstances. However, it can be quite challenging for teams to learn for a variety of social and psychological reasons. Read More

December 11, 2008

Do you have a teflon boss?

One special kind of hellish boss is the one who does the opposite of what Jim Collins describes and recommends in "Good to Great". Read More

December 6, 2008

Cobblers Children Syndrome in the Workplace

In many organizations I have encountered during my consulting career, people have complained about "Cobbler's Children Syndrome". Read More

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