There’s a natural state of heightened attention to the self when we know we’re being watched, Bernstein notes. “Our practiced response become better,” he told me, “our unpracticed responses become worse.” So actions that have been drilled by the boss may well turn out better when everyone believes the boss is watching. On the other hand, for behavior that isn’t already learned—where the best response needs unselfconscious focus on the problem, and the chance to try something new without fear—being watched makes things harder. Attention that could have gone to one’s actions goes, instead, to managing the appearance of one’s actions.
The “gospel of transparency” declares that this is not a problem, because workers should stick to management’s script. But in one vast Chinese factory that Bernstein studied, workers who craftily deviated from standard procedure often improved the plant’s productivity.
People act differently when they know they are being watched. Period. Whether you are talking about the workplace, out in public, at events, etc. and the way we behave when being watched is not always in the best interests of the company or society.
There are serious ramifications to this study, in and out of the workplace.
I haven’t yet panicked, but this occurred during a time when I was traveling, and spending time in airports and various other places where finding something on Twitter on the iPad and wanting to save it for later would be incredibly useful. That’s what Pocket is for, that’s why I use it. Unfortunately, those same…
This is, undoubtedly true, and something I’ve talked about many times. “Many people share articles that they actually don’t read, which contributes to a great deal of chaos on their social-media pages. In fact, this Forbes Magazine article cites research that shows that 59% of us share articles we never read.” It appears that the…
7 Things I Wish Law School Taught About eDiscovery -“Nearly two decades later, I would love to say law schools have improved their coverage of all things eDiscovery. But sadly, many gaps remain to this day!”
My point was that as a trainer, I do quite a bit of presenting and public speaking. I also do a fair bit of storytelling, but I didn’t learn that skill in business school or from my technical education. I had to learn those skills later in my professional life. So, I take every opportunity to encourage young people to learn those skills. You may not be looking for a career as a speaker, actor, or Improvisational Comedy, but the skills you learn there will make you stand out in the workplace when it comes time to do a presentation or speak up for your ideas.
I was reminded of this again last week when I listened to my friend and former colleague Laura Prael being interviewed on the Aussie podcast Two Drunk Accountants.
I find this approach to building awareness around security refreshing, because I’m betting the answers to these questions may not be what you’d expect: “Go ahead — survey a few co-workers with this question,” says Gamblin, a principal security engineer with Kenna Security, as he plants his tongue firmly in his cheek. “Were you satisfied…
My wife shared an article on Facebook recently, and I thought the subject matter would make for a good career and social media reminder. Believe it or not, I do realize that many of us get a little sloppy when we’re typing things on social media, and make the occasional typo, or even, *gasp*, a…
