Mean People Suck Blog

A recent public opinion survey indicates that since 1990, the number of Americans who report being "not too happy" increased by 50%. Even more so, Americans report a 6% decline in overall life satisfaction between 2007 and 2018. Another indication that people are...

We all want the same things, don’t we? We want to be happy in our lives and jobs. I hope and pray very few of us wake-up and say, “How can I make today worse than yesterday?”   We want to make a difference, to do great things with our “one wild and precious...

In 2004, a Carnegie Mellon University study looked at the impact of empathetic storytelling. They studied participants who received two different kinds of donation requests from the well-known nonprofit Save the Children, an organization that aims to promote all...

When I was researching my book Mean People Suck, I came across many useful resources, which I reference throughout the book and in the end bibliography. In this series, I want to explore these resources more in-depth, and explain how they helped me to uncover some of...

Think back to a time when you realized that the project your boss asked you to do was flawed. Maybe it included trying a new software application, or implementing a new process, or chasing the latest buzzword in your industry. You know it won't work. However, because...

“Behind every bad idea is an executive who asked for it.” After holding 53 jobs in my life and my months of research to write “Mean People Suck”, I penned this quote. Besides my love for my family, it’s one of the few things I know to be true in life. I’ve been there....

6 Steps To Dealing With a Toxic Boss

Since the launch of Mean People Suck last year, many people have asked me what inspired me to write the book. Aside from my many experiences, challenges, and some surprising moments, I was also inspired by some amazing writers and books that came before Mean People...

No matter what level of work experience you have, we can agree on one thing: office politics SUCK.  Perhaps you saw someone's passive-aggressive note in the kitchen, asking for people to clean up after themselves. Or maybe it was a coworker taking credit for a project...

Have you ever tried to raise a concern about something your manager or leadership team proposes? Maybe you have first-hand knowledge that would help to shine a light on the problem with their proposal. If only they would listen! I think it's safe to say we have all...

In this article, we're continuing the series exploring the resources I came across while writing Mean People Suck. Today I want to discuss an article that explored the findings of a study that focused on empathy among college students. The study, by the University of...

Innovation may be a bit of a buzzword these days. However, in an era with continually changing technology, research indicates it is a top priority for senior executives. Many leaders may not feel confident in their ability to foster innovation. In researching my...

One of the questions I wanted to answer when I wrote Mean People Suck is: What happens to empathy when we get older? Why does it seem to disappear somewhere between childhood and adulthood so we end up living in a world where a lot of people, from managers at work to...

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” - Bill Gates In today's world, there are multiple ways for customers to voice their displeasure with your company. They can complain to management, share their displeasure on social media, write a...

A quick search on empathy and business may indicate that it’s somewhat of a buzzword in marketing circles. Skeptics may even go as far as to say, “Empathy is for losers! Winners focus on getting the job done.” However, in my experience, the business world often...