Dr. Peter H. Kim, researcher in the field of trust and author of How Trust Works: The Science of How Relationships Are Built, Broken and Repaired, shares surprising evidence-based insights about trust and trust violations. He describes how efforts to repair trust, such as apologies, can be ineffective or even harm relationships.  

Karen Dillon, co-author with Rob Cross of The Microstress Effect: How Little Things Pile Up and Create Big Problems and What to Do about It, describes their discovery of the little noticed day-to-day stressors causing significant impact on even the highest performing employees, and how failing to address them can lead to burnout. Karen Dillon is a contributing editor at Harvard Business Review and coauthor of three books with Clayton Christensen, including the New York Times bestseller, How Will You Measure Your Life?

We encourage you to use and share a resource that complements this episode: The Hidden Toll of Microstress, the authors’ Harvard Business Review article with a link to a microstress diagnostic tool. You might also enjoy In Session episode 35 on how subtracting can lead to more, available on fjc.dcn, or from your favorite podcast app.

Leidy Klotz, author of Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less, shares how subtracting before adding can create better outcomes, especially when we are clear about what we want to accomplish. Klotz’s innovative research shows how subtracting doesn’t necessarily mean doing less; rather it’s an important first step for individuals and organizations that want to improve processes and solve problems.

In addition to several research articles, Leidy’s work has appeared in the journals Nature and Science and been featured on NPR’s Hidden Brain podcast. He is an interdisciplinary professor of engineering, architecture, and business at the University of Virginia whose research focuses on the science of design.

A four-page Reading and Discussion Guide (shared with permission) complements this episode.

Today on In Session: Leading the Judiciary, we talk with public policy expert Bobby Duffy about his book The Generation Myth: Why When You’re Born Matters Less Than You Think. Duffy discusses what’s real and not-so-real about differences among generations. Stereotypes like “Baby Boomers hate technology” and “Millennials are lazy” not only lack support but can be dangerous: creating division and distracting from real issues. Duffy argues that to understand how different generations shape society, it’s essential to consider the political, economic, and cultural contexts impacting everyone, and the lifecycle changes common to all generations.

Bobby Duffy is professor of public policy and director of the Policy Institute at King’s College London, and previously was director of global research at Ipsos MORI and the Ipsos Social Research Institute. His first book, Why We’re Wrong About Nearly Everything, published in 2019, examined the causes and consequences of human delusion.