Marcus Buckingham, author of StandOut 2.0, explains why performance management systems are broken.

On Masters of Scale, we talk a lot about how businesses grow. But we also talk about how people grow: How key decisions (and happy accidents) can shape your future, and how your setbacks can actually set you up for success. On this special Graduation Episode, guest host Jordan Harbinger teams up with Reid Hoffman to share advice that will help you navigate choices in your career. Including clips from Instagram's Kevin Systrom, Yahoo's Marissa Mayer, Spotify's Daniel Ek, and more. 

Smart people are not only just as prone to making mistakes as everyone else—they may even be more susceptible to them. This idea has been dubbed the Intelligence Trap. It explains the flaws in our understanding of intelligence and expertise, and how the decisions of even the brightest minds and talented organisations can backfire.

Our culture is obsessed with happiness, but what if there's a more fulfilling path? Happiness comes and goes, says writer Emily Esfahani Smith, but having meaning in life -- serving something beyond yourself and developing the best within you -- gives you something to hold onto. Learn more about the difference between being happy and having meaning as Smith offers four pillars of a meaningful life.

In this episode, we get negotiation coaching from Chris Voss, former lead international kidnapping negotiator for the FBI. Whether you’re buying a car, requesting a raise at work, or just deciding where to eat out with your spouse or partner, your negotiating skills will determine how pleased you are with the outcome. Today, we have the special opportunity to learn some of the most effective tactics and strategies from a true master, Chris Voss. Chris is the former lead international kidnapping negotiator for the FBI and author of the excellent book, Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As Though Your Life Depended On It. In this fascinating conversation, Chris shares how you can use the same techniques that have been field tested in some of the most high-stakes, pressure cooker situations, in your daily life. If you want to become a better haggler, a better communicator, or a better listener, don’t miss this episode. It’s packed with actionable insights you can start using today to be more persuasive and grab hold of more of what you want in life. Here are just a few things we cover: What it really takes to be great at negotiating (most people approach it all wrong) How to keep your emotions in check in a negotiation The three different voices you use to connect with your counterpart and put them at ease How many of us “take ourselves hostage” in a negotiation and ruin it before it starts The biggest time-waster (and profit-killer) that plagues so many negotiations The main problems with traditional negotiation techniques (BATNA etc) and how they’re leaving lots on the table The “negotiation one-sheet” Chris uses before entering into any negotiation (and how you can use it to) How to use an “accusations audit” when you’re structuring winning deals (this is brilliant) One technique to get your counterpart to spill their guts when they’re trying to be tight-lipped. “Prospect theory” and how to use it to your advantage Maximizing employee satisfaction in the hiring process so you get the best talent...and keep them! How empathy saves time and makes you more likely to get what you want in a negotiation The power of deference (and when to use it) Chris’ go to tools that work best on all personality types, in nearly any situation How intentionally getting the other party to say “no” substantially increases the success rate of a negotiation And much more. An edited transcript is available to members of the Farnam Street Learning Community or for purchase separately ($9). For comprehensive show notes on this episode and more go to https://www.fs.blog/podcast/ Our free weekly email, Brain Food, helps you get better results through intelligent preparation and offers great reading recommendations. Don't miss out, sign up at https://www.fs.blog/newsletter/ Follow Shane on Twitter (https://twitter.com/farnamstreet) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/FarnamStreet/) to go to bed smarter than you woke up. 

A graduate of Yale Law School, Gretchen Rubin spent a year doing scientific research and practical projects in an attempt to discover how to lead a happier life. This experiment of self-discovery led to her New York Times bestselling book and phenomenon “The Happiness Project.” The book recounts what Gretchen learned about herself and how she was able to become happier and more fulfilled.  Gretchen shares her eight personal rules of happiness, which she says can help fill your day with more joy.

“True behavior change is really identity change.” James Clear What stands in the way of becoming the person you aspire...

Amy Schumer, the Peabody- and Emmy-winning comedian, actress and best-selling author, discusses one of Oprah's favorite life lessons: You become what you believe. This message of empowerment is the theme of Amy's latest romantic comedy, "I Feel Pretty." Amy's character in the film, Renee, suffers from low self-esteem and a lack of confidence until a series of events allows her to shift her paradigm and believe in her own beauty and self-worth. Oprah describes Amy as a "modern-day warrior woman changing the way so many women perceive themselves and their lives." Amy also talks about her personal #MeToo story, her work to help prevent gun violence, and the one lesson that took her the longest to learn. Plus, she opens up about her recent marriage to chef Chris Fischer.

August 4 (Bloomberg) -- Bloomberg View columnist Barry Ritholtz interviews Daniel Kahneman, who is a professor emeritus of psychology and public affairs at Princeton University and a fellow of the Federmann Center for the Study of Rationality at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. This commentary aired on Bloomberg Radio.\u0010\u0010(Barry Ritholtz is a Bloomberg View columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.)

Just when I start to think I’m using my time well and getting a lot done in my life, I meet someone like Barbara Oakley. Barbara is a true polymath. She was a captain in the U.S. Army, a Russian translator on Soviet trawlers, a radio operator in the South Pole, an engineer, university professor, researcher and the author of 8 books. Oh, and she is also the creator and instructor of Learning to Learn, the most popular Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) ever(!), with over one million enrolled students. In this fascinating interview, we cover many aspects of learning, including how to make it stick so we remember more and forget less, how to be more efficient so we learn more quickly, and how to remove that barriers that get in the way of effective learning. Specifically, Barbara covers: How she changed her brain from hating math and science to loving it so much she now teaches engineering to college students What neuroscience can tell us about how to learn more effectively The two modes of your brain and how that impacts what and how you learn Why backing off can sometimes be the best thing you can do when learning something new How to “chunk” your learning so new knowledge is woven into prior knowledge making it easily accessible The best ways to develop new patterns of learning in our brains How to practice a skill so you can blast through plateaus and improve more quickly Her favorite tactic for dealing with procrastination so you can spend more time learning The activities she recommends that rapidly increase neural connections like fertilizer on the brain Whether memorization has a place in learning anymore, or simply a barrier to true understanding The truth about “learning types” and how identifying as a visual or auditory learner might be setting yourself up for failure. ...and a whole lot more. If you want to be the most efficient learner you can be, and have more fun doing it, you won’t want to miss this discussion. *** For comprehensive show notes on this episode and more go to https://www.fs.blog/podcast/ My free weekly Brain Food digest helps you get better results through intelligent preparation and offers great reading recommendations. Don't miss out, sign up at https://www.fs.blog/newsletter/ Follow Shane on Twitter (https://twitter.com/farnamstreet) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/FarnamStreet/) to go to bed smarter than you woke up.