“Oh this is delicious, Peter. The ice cream is homemade, the perfect consistency, And this lemon cookie on top, mmmmm. Are you sure you don’t…
Managing people
Defend Your Sweet Spot
Spending time on projects that he considered unimportant was driving Carlos* insane. Carlos is an excellent leader. He’s turned around every business that he’s led…
How to Speak More Strategically
It had been three weeks since my throat started to feel sore, and it wasn’t getting better. The pain was most acute when I spoke.…
The Mouthwash Principle: For Max Effectiveness At Work, Rinse And Repeat
I had what I considered a pretty solid dental routine: floss and brush twice a day. That’s enough, right? Not according to my new dentist.…
Do You Know What You Are Feeling?
Over the 23 years since we met, my wife Eleanor and I have spent considerable time, money, and energy on our development. Individually and together,…
How to Respond to Emotional Outbursts
“Please, Daddy, please? Can we open our presents from you now?” It was the third night of Hanukkah and my wife Eleanor, our three young…
Do You Need a Checkup?
I had been feeling a little odd; a number of minor physical discomforts were leading me to feel anxious about my health in general. And…
Diversity Training Doesn’t Work
“We’ve got another lawsuit,” my friend and client Lana* told me over the phone. “Really?” I was honestly surprised. “What about all that diversity training…
The Problem with High Expectations
At 5 am I was lying in bed, awake, thinking. Actually, thinking is too generous a word for what I was doing. I was perseverating.…
Do People Really Want You to Be Honest?
My wife Eleanor and I were walking up a mountain road, enjoying a rare moment of being alone together. As we rounded a bend, we…
The Power of Workplace Do-It-Yourself
Plural Investments*, a hedge fund started several years ago, had a problem. They needed art on the walls of their New York City offices. It…
How to Avoid Becoming a Person You Hate
I was so angry my whole body was shaking. I stared at Günther* with hate, my left hand in a fist and my right hand…
Three Questions that Help Me Live a Fulfilling Life
I am on a plane with my wife Eleanor as we fly back from our once-a-year-without-children vacation. It was, for us, the perfect week. After…
A Simple Communication Mistake to Avoid
Eleanor and I were fast asleep at my parents’ house in upstate New York when my five-year-old daughter Sophia came…
Solving Your Organization’s Open-Faced Sandwich
I stepped up to the counter and ordered a bagel with smoked salmon and cream cheese. I asked for the…
Don’t Be Nice; Be Helpful
Ron* was up next. As a senior analyst in this investment firm — and a good one — he…
The Right Way to Respond to Failure
My wife Eleanor and I were visiting some friends on a Saturday when their nine-year-old daughter, Dana*, came home. She…
What the Academy Awards Tell Us About Teamwork
FC Expert Blog There Is No I in Oscar–What the Academy Awards Tell Us About Teamwork BY FC EXPERT BLOGGER PETER BREGMANToday This blog is written…
The Real Point of Gift-Giving
A few weeks ago was my birthday. I turned 43. 43 doesn’t mark a new decade. It’s not one of…
The Best Way to Handle a Power Struggle
My flight from New York to Paris was delayed — maybe it would be canceled — and the passengers at…
An interview with Bulgarian magazine “Manager”
Mr. Bregman, can the change in a company begin from the bottom? And how would that not lead to anarchy?…
The Farm-to-Table Secret to Motivating People
The kitchen was a complete mess. I tried to clean the utensils and machines right after I used them but…
The No-Drama Rule of Management
I lay back in the chair, closed my eyes, and almost immediately felt my body relax. An instant later a…
Why Not Having a Plan Can Be the Best Plan of All
This weekend I went back to Princeton University, where I was a student over twenty years ago, to give a…
Don’t Get Distracted by Your Plan
Wait a minute, I thought, as I looked up from the trail we had been hiking for several hours. Where…
Don’t Let Your Expectations Fool You
Two weeks ago, with the sun shining and little buds emerging from tree branches, I got frostbite while skiing. Not…
An Effective (and Underused) Way to Reassure and Motivate
Yoga is astonishingly predictable. Invariably after an hour class I feel light, supple, strong, and refreshed. But Liz’s class felt…
Manager Employee Communication
Peter Bregman writes for the Harvard Business Review, and he’s also CEO of Bregman Partners, a global management consulting firm. Bregman authored an article in January titled “When…
The Cardinal Rule of Rules
I was in my home office, on the phone with a new client, when I heard a knock on the…
How to Help Others Through a Difficult Transition
“I don’t want to go to ski class!” Sophia, my four-year-old daughter, was crying. I knelt down on the snow…
Olympics 1, AIG 0: Why Forced Ranking Is a Bad Idea
“I’ve always been a stats guy,” Don Steinberg wrote in the Philedelphia Inquirer explaining why he invented America Bowl, a…
A Story About Motivation
I was walking back to our apartment in Manhattan, the hood of my jacket pulled tight to keep the rain…
Why Parents Make Great Managers
A few days ago I was running in Central Park as fast as I could, pushing myself hard, trying to…
When Should You Let an Employee Make a Mistake?
“Put my training wheels back on,” Sophia said in a stern tone, “Or I’m not going to ride my bike!”…
To Change Effectively, Change Just One Thing
I lost 18 pounds in the past month and a half. I didn’t exercise harder or longer than usual. I…
Why the Wrong People Get Laid Off — And How to Prevent It
Lisa (names have been changed) held a mid-level position in Human Resources at a large bank and received stellar performance…
How to Make Solving Problems Fun
When my friend Richard asked me to join him in training for a triathlon, I carefully considered his request. For…
A New Rule for the Workplace
A few months ago my wife Eleanor came home upset after an incident with one of the parents at our…
Stop Worrying about Your Weaknesses
Little Johnny comes home one day, looks down at his feet, and gives you his report card. You smile at…
Don’t Live in a Half-Built House
There is something curious about a group of houses in Utah. They’re falling apart. Windows covered with wood. Roofs patched…
How to Counter Resistance to Change
Across the table from my most important and challenging client, I faced a conflict that required a delicate and sophisticated…
Susan Boyle: A Lesson in Talent Management
Susan Boyle, who recently performed on the UK television show Britain’s Got Talent, has captured the world’s attention. And it’s…