Neuroscientist Uri Hasson researches the basis of human communication, and experiments from his lab reveal that even across different languages, our brains show similar activity, or become “aligned,” when we hear the same idea or story. This amazing neural mechanism allows us to transmit brain patterns, sharing memories and knowledge. “We can communicate because we…
There are about 7,000 languages spoken around the world — and they all have different sounds, vocabularies and structures. But do they shape the way we think? Cognitive scientist Lera Boroditsky shares examples of language — from an Aboriginal community in Australia that uses cardinal directions instead of left and right to the multiple words…
Trust is the foundation for everything we do. But what do we do when it’s broken? In an eye-opening talk, Harvard Business School professor Frances Frei gives a crash course in trust: how to build it, maintain it and rebuild it — something she worked on during a recent stint at Uber. “If we can…
Nicole Zwieg Daly, J.D, Ed.D. Let’s break this down into its two parts. First, let’s define ethical or ethics. Ethics are the moral principles or values that govern an individual’s behavior(s). Second, let’s define perspective. A perspective is a person’s particular attitude toward something or his/her unique point of view. Think of it like this:…
Nicole Zwieg Daly, J.D, Ed.D. The terms “Code of Ethics” and “Code of Conduct” are often used interchangeably – this is a mistake. These are two unique documents. A code of ethics governs employee decision-making. A code of conduct governs employee action(s). Businesses should have both a code of ethics and a code of conduct…
The circumstances of our lives may matter less than how we see them, says Rory Sutherland. At TEDxAthens, he makes a compelling case for how reframing is the key to happiness. By: Rory Sutherland This video is shared under a Creative Commons license (BY-NC-ND 4.0). Please visit Ted.com. This TED Talk originally appeared on TEDxAthens in…
Imagine you’re watching a runaway trolley barreling down the tracks, straight towards five workers. You happen to be standing next to a switch that will divert the trolley onto a second track. Here’s the problem: that track has a worker on it, too – but just one. What do you do? Do you sacrifice one…
Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory of moral development is based on Piaget’s theory. Kohlberg stated that moral reasoning is based on six developmental stages. These stages are the basis for ethical behavior. The higher the level of moral reasoning, the better that the person is at dealing with moral dilemmas. The six stages of moral development are…
Everyone has heard stories of unethical managers who are unfair to their employees. This video from Gregg Learning provides the basics on how companies and managers can treat employees more ethically (and vice versa). Human resources professionals must help create a work environment that honors fairness, protects individual privacy, treats all workers with dignity and…