Madeleine Rauch

Everyone experiences boredom at work. But new research found that one kind of boredom—existential boredom—led to higher turnover and greater employee disengagement than the kind of boredom caused by repetitive tasks or tedious meetings. In a study of UN peacekeepers, a researcher found that those employees who were able to acknowledge their boredom and pivot from lofty goals to smaller, more focused wins, were more likely to stay engaged and sign up for another tour while those who stayed rigidly focused on the end goal were more likely to quit. The researcher draws on their study to point out the signs of existential boredom and what managers can do to overcome it on their teams.

William Reed

Experts share small, intentional changes leaders can make to transform meetings from tedious to time well spent.

Ruchira Chaudhary

People often believe they’re coaching when they’re actually just giving instructions. So what is coaching and how do you get better at it? Effective coaching involves knowing when to ask questions and guide your employee and when to step back and let them own the decision-making.

Jen Briselli

Expertise is a group project.

Eoin Whelan, René Riedl, Markus Salo, and Henri Pirkkalainen

Research shows that “Zoom fatigue” is a demonstrable neurological phenomenon. Address it with these practical strategies.

Grace M. Simon, Xiaoran Hu, Michael Parke and Randall Peterson

Many studies suggest that humor is a useful leadership tool. Leaders with a sense of humor are seen as 27% more motivating, executives rated as outstanding tended to use humor twice as much as those deemed average, and leader humor, in general, can relieve stress and boredom by boosting engagement and well-being. But two recent studies suggest that humor can sometimes backfire. It turns out that leaders who use humor a lot—especially if they are perceived as authority figures—can make employees feel obligated to act as though they enjoy the humor, even when they do not, leading to emotional exhaustion and reduced job satisfaction.

Piyush Shah, Thomas Kull, Elias Kirche and Daniel J. Finkenstadt

The silo effect, characterized by limited communication between specialized business departments, can negatively impact communication and collaboration in organizations. In particular, there are three types of silos: systemic, elitist, and protectionist, each requiring specific strategies for resolution. These targeted solutions—aligning goals, improving communication, and fostering secure data sharing—can help dismantle silos and foster a more collaborative environment.