Tyler Cowen’s three lawsby Tyler Cowen on April 15, 2015 at 9:55 am in Economics, Law, Philosophy | Permalink
Many of you have been asking for a canonical statement of what I sometimes refer to as Cowen’s Laws. Here goes:
1. Cowen’s First Law: There is something wrong with everything (by which I mean there are few decisive or knockdown articles or arguments, and furthermore until you have found the major flaws in an argument, you do not understand it).
2. Cowen’s Second Law: There is a literature on everything.
3. Cowen’s Third Law: All propositions about real interest rates are wrong.
I coined those some time ago, when teaching macroeconomics, yet I remain amazed how often I see blog posts which violate all three laws within the span of a few paragraphs.There is of course a common thread to all three laws, namely you should not have too much confidence in your own judgment.
Surprising danger of being good at your job – Business Insider
All that leads to a problem: High-self-control people feel more burdened by their work relationships than their less-disciplined peers. They sacrifice more for the coworkers, the researchers found, even when those sacrifices come at the expense of their own goals. And that same dynamic plays out in romantic relationships. Being reliable is draining.Which doesn’t mean go-getters should stop go-getting. The benefits of high self-control still far outweigh the costs.But managers (and coworkers and romantic partners) should take note: If you take those high-self-control people for granted, you may risk losing them. While relying on go-getters might be a good short-term strategy — they’ll get stuff done — in the long run, Koval suggests, they “might become dissatisfied with this burden we’re placing on them.”Accordingly, it’s essential to recognize them for their (probably underestimated) efforts. They need to feel “a return on the effort they’re putting in,” she says.
Source: Surprising danger of being good at your job – Business Insider
The Decision-Maker
The first chapter in Seymour Schulich’s book, Get Smarter: Life and Business Lessons, offers a decision tool that adds to the simple pro-and-con list that many of us have used to make decisions. Schulich, a self-made billionaire, is one of Canada’s richest and best-known businessmen.I learned this tool in a practical mathematics course more than fifty years ago and have used it for virtually every major decision of my adult life. It has never let me down and it will serve you well, too.
via The Decision-Maker.
The Difference Between Good And Bad Organizations
seems like some place i know.
Me: “Do you know the difference between a good place to work and a bad place to work?”
Steve: “Umm, I think so.”
Me: “What is the difference?”
Steve: “Umm, well . . .”
Me: “Let me break it down for you. In good organizations, people can focus on their work and have confidence that if they get their work done, good things will happen for both the company and them personally. It is a true pleasure to work in an organization such as this. Every person can wake up knowing that the work they do will be efficient, effective, and make a difference for the organization and themselves. These things make their jobs both motivating and fulfilling.
“In a poor organization, on the other hand, people spend much of their time fighting organizational boundaries, infighting, and broken processes. They are not even clear on what their jobs are, so there is no way to know if they are getting the job done or not. In the miracle case that they work ridiculous hours and get the job done, they have no idea what it means for the company or their careers. To make it all much worse and rub salt in the wound, when they finally work up the courage to tell management how fucked-up their situation is, management denies there is a problem, then defends the status quo, then ignores the problem.”
via The Difference Between Good And Bad Organizations.
Don’t overestimate the downside of risk — Medium
He’s been at it for three years, and he’s wondering — like many of the founders I meet with — what it will be like if he raises money.
“Will I have a board?” he asked.
“How often will we meet? What will their expectations be?” he quickly followed.
“How will things change?”
I thought for a minute before answering — something I’ve added to my Jedi skill set later in life — and told him “It will change.”
He looked at me and I realized he wanted the details. Was he ready for it, I wondered. Yes, he’s ready for it.
“You are going to have to learn to take bigger risks and get comfortable with failing more. You got one of those kids who has worked for you since the beginning, who has been super loyal and does anything you ask him to?”
“Yeah actually, we do” he replied.
“Well, you’re going to take the three jobs he’s doing poorly and hire three people to do them right — and there is a 50–50 chance there won’t be a place for him when you do.” I told him candidly.
“Hmmm… “ he replied. I could see it sinking in — things change.
“And you’re going to have to take $500,000 and come up with 10 really good ideas to try, knowing that eight of them are gonna fail. You’re gonna burn $400,000 big ones in a pile of ash — so that one or two ideas might transform the business. Those ideas will take you from $1m this year to $3m the next year — and $10m the year after. How many $50,000 crazy bets have you made in the last three years?” I asked.
Zero.
Of course, you can’t make crazy bets when you haven’t learned to turn off your fear. Just like Luke needed to face Vader in the cave trial and then in person, founders must face their fears … without feeling fear.
It takes time, and there is no silver bullet, but as my pal E told me once, “people overestimate the downside of risk, Jason.”
via Don’t overestimate the downside of risk — Medium.
rePost::Tom Hanks on His Two Years at Chabot College – NYTimes.com
President Obama hopes to make two years of free community college accessible for up to nine million Americans. I’m guessing the new Congress will squawk at the $60 billion price tag, but I hope the idea sticks, because more veterans, from Iraq and Afghanistan this time, as well as another generation of mothers, single parents and workers who have been out of the job market, need lower obstacles between now and the next chapter of their lives. High school graduates without the finances for a higher education can postpone taking on big loans and maybe luck into the class that will redefine their life’s work. Many lives will be changed.Chabot College is still in Hayward, though Mr. Coovelis, Ms. Fitzgerald and Mr. Kennedy are no longer there. I drove past the campus a few years ago with one of my kids and summed up my two years there this way: “That place made me what I am today.”
via Tom Hanks on His Two Years at Chabot College – NYTimes.com.
Coddled kids paying high price: expert | Illawarra Mercury
“This generation of parents just push all the obstacles out of the way and try to make life as simple and as easy as possible for their kids,” he said.
“On the face of it, that’s admirable because we all want the best for our kids, but it teaches them absolutely nothing about resilience and creates immense vulnerability when they leave home and go into the big wide world.”
A snowplough parent drives their child right to the school gate instead of making them catch a bus or walk to school.
They buy their children all the latest gadgets and toys, wash, clean, cook and iron without making kids pitch in, and they make sure their sons and daughters only hand in meticulous homework and assignments.
via Coddled kids paying high price: expert | Illawarra Mercury.
rePost::3 Steps To Learn Any Topic Quickly — Growth Stacking — Medium
Get the frick out of your place! Leave your city, your house, your office, and go to an event on that topic. There’s something about being in the proximity of those people that is really powerful. It’s energizing and you get to do what I call, “pitch and catch.” You are able to share some of the ideas that you’ve learned so far and also have them “pitch” some other ideas back and you “catch” those. It’s an opportunity to really take your thinking and understanding and move it forward.
via 3 Steps To Learn Any Topic Quickly — Growth Stacking — Medium.
8 Slow, Difficult Steps to Become a Millionaire
2. Start tracking how many people you help, even in a very small way.
The most successful people I know – both financially and in other ways – are shockingly helpful. They’re incredibly good at understanding other people and helping them achieve their goals. They know their success is ultimately based on the success of the people around them.
So they work hard to make other people successful: their employees, their customers, their vendors and suppliers… because they know, if they can do that, then their own success will surely follow.
And they will have built a business – or a career – they can be truly proud of.
3. Stop thinking about making a million dollars and start thinking about serving a million people.
When you only have a few customers and your goal is to make a lot of money, you’re incented to find ways to wring every last dollar out of those customers.
But when you find a way to serve a million people, many other benefits follow. The effect of word of mouth is greatly magnified. The feedback you receive is exponentially greater – and so are your opportunities to improve your products and services. You get to hire more employees and benefit from their experience, their skills, and their overall awesomeness.
And, in time, your business becomes something you never dreamed of – because your customers and your employees have taken you to places you couldn’t even imagine.
Serve a million people – and serve them incredibly well – and the money will follow.
via 8 Slow, Difficult Steps to Become a Millionaire.
10 Signs You Are Interviewing With a Bad Boss
Here are a few telltale signs of bad bosses.
They get straight to the point: When you are attending an interview, there’s a usual formality of greeting, introducing oneself, setting the context of the interview, and making the interviewee comfortable. This is basic etiquette. If the interviewer just blurts out a “good morning” and begins the questioning process, it’s a red flag. This boss is only concerned about work and not the person performing the work. So requests for leaves, promotion, etc. could be very tough discussions to have.
They are impatient: When you’re answering a question, they’re too impatient to let you finish your thought. They make hand gestures signaling you to hurry up and finish or interrupt you to ask a counter question or finish up your sentences. Such a boss is difficult to work with and may not give you the time or space to do your job well.
They are distracted: Checking email during the interview, making or receiving calls, and stepping out to give instructions to the secretary are all signs that the boss will not have time for you. If they cannot take time to assess a future team member, then the role may not be all that important to their view.
Their body language is intimidating/cautious: Looking down at you, pointing fingers, and crossing legs on the table are all signs of an intimidating boss. On the other hand, if they do not make eye contact, shift uneasily, keep looking at their watch, rechecking your resume, then you have a boss who’s not confident and may not let you grow in your role. “An insecure boss will find you threatening if you are good at your job and will use the power of the position to make your life miserable,” says Pamela Lenehan, president of Ridge Hill Consulting and author of What You Don’t Know and Your Boss Won’t Tell You, speaking to Forbes.
via 10 Signs You Are Interviewing With a Bad Boss.