We often hear and talk about cooperation: in organizational, political, and social contexts in general. It is a widely shared opinion that the solution to many complex situations requires a higher extent of cooperation. However, explaining its authentic meaning is not simple at all. Listen to how the poet Maya Angelou has admirably done it. […]

The cartoon’s moral? If you want to be cautious and stay on the defensive to play it safe, at least make sure you can tie the score by your opponent. And that the habit of defending does not make you forget how to make a goal. What do you think?

The interest in the falsity of the people we come across is triggered by the danger they may represent. This morning I read this Nathaniel Hawthorne quote, which may be further and useful food for thought. No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally […]

Banality, I must confess, is for me a real nightmare. When you have a blog and have chosen to be present on social networks, it is difficult to write about interesting stuff all the time and avoid the temptation to “make volume.” How can you prevent or significantly lower the risk of writing banalities? Reading […]

It is a serious matter for all of us, particularly when we hold positions of responsibility as well as power. Listen to what Plutarch thinks about it. The phony, like an octopus, adapts himself to situations. He who wants to expose his ruse must show to change his purposes, blaming the lifestyle he was praising […]

We live in a time when vanity is a major driver of human actions. How can we define it? Several sources converge in defining vanity as self-complacency, overconfidence in one’s abilities, and in attracting others. With a close connection to narcissism. The term vanity comes from the Latin vanus, which stands for vain, empty, useless, […]

Dear Minister, I was informed that you appointed me as director of the Ministry of Public Works. I thank you for the honour you have given me, but I do not have the technical knowledge necessary for a director of Public Works and I could not, without public damage and reproach of my conscience, take […]

Momma says stupid is as stupid does. This is what used to say Forrest Gump in the homonymous film, meaning by this that stupidity is not so much a people attribute but a characteristic of human behaviour. In short, even smart people do stupid things: the good news is that they also can benefit from […]

A few years ago, the news agencies beat out a surprising story: a fox shot the hunter and sent him to the hospital. The facts. In the Grodno region of Belarus, a hunter shot a fox, only succeeding in wounding it. After shooting the fox, the man approached it trying to immobilize and kill it with […]

Yes, stating what you think about specific situations in meetings can be ” unpleasant” or even damage relationships. What to do then? A rather popular route is to hold informal meetings “later”, spilling the beans with the boss, who may like to receive “confidential” information, or colleagues we know are on our side. Best at […]