Weekly Articles Archive (March 7-March 13)

1. Removing Signals and Signs from Intersections Just Might Make Us Safer

A handful of towns there have embraced a radical idea, originally the brainchild of the late Dutch traffic engineer Hans Monderman: Remove all the traffic lights, signs, curbs and lane markings from roads, and people will share them more effectively... In Europe, the result has proven to be safer and more efficient – and more social – for everyone involved.

2. How to Develop Important Leadership Skills, Even if You're Nowhere Near Senior Level

We've all been there: The assistant's assistant, the coffee-runner, the one that gets delegated the work no one else wants to do. No matter how far away a leadership position feels, it's never too early to start developing valuable leadership (even manager-level) skills to adopt early on in your career. That way you feel prepared and confident to step into the next opportunity, rather than the trial-by-fire approach.

3. The forgetting curve: the science of how fast we forget

Be honest: how often have you read a book only to forget most of its content a few months later? How much do you remember of that article you thoroughly enjoyed reading last year? When people ask you what a podcast episode you recommended is about, are you able to give them a detailed summary, or only share a vague overview."

4. How To Stand Out At Work

If you do your job and do it well, you will brand yourself into a person really good in that job. However, when it comes time to promote, the management team is looking for a leader and leaders typically need to be fully engaged in the company. They need to care about their job and role but also need to care about the business in its entirety.

5. 4 Ways to Spark Creativity When You’re Feeling Stressed

The Covid-19 pandemic has wrought massive disruption throughout society, leading to loss of life, health, jobs, childcare, industries, stability, and peace of mind as we knew it. It marks the first time in a century that everyone on the planet has simultaneously gone through the same unplanned, stressful transition. Despite experiencing such large-scale uncertainty, we can collectively rely on one thing: the human brain comes equipped with powerful response mechanisms to protect us.

6. Our Brain Typically Overlooks This Brilliant Problem-Solving Strategy

[W]hen faced with a problem, people tend to select solutions that involve adding new elements rather than taking existing components away.