In the late 1970s, Anders Ericsson devised a very boring experiment. His subject, Steve Faloon, was instructed to memorize random strings of numbers. Ericsson’s interest was in how many numbers Steve ...

There is growing evidence that individuals can achieve high levels of performance through extended training. You may remember the 10,000 hour rule discussed by Malcolm Gladwell in Outliers (2011). It ...

Managers make a wide range of decisions, from routine calls they face on a recurring basis, to large-scale strategic decisions they may encounter just once in their careers. For issues that are often ...

In prior lessons we learned some of the key principles of memorization: Lesson 1: encoding, consolidation, retrieval, reconsolidation Lesson 2: getting motivated Lesson 3: paying attention Lesson 8: ...

Seeking sports excellence? Follow the example of elite performers. Expert athletic skill isn’t something you’re born with and doesn’t randomly happen. The expertise of athletes—as well as singers, ...

Ballet is a dazzling art form. Dancers defy gravity as they leap and pirouette across the stage. Every movement is precise; every gesture considered. The world’s most accomplished dancers also make ...

As a teenager in Sweden, Anders Ericsson used to play chess against one of his classmates, a boy considerably worse at the game than Ericsson. Every time they'd play, Ericsson would trounce him. Then ...

According to a recent survey by the Society of Human Resource Management, 97 percent of employers say that reliability is a very or extremely important qualification for an entry-level job; it’s at ...