Adam Grant

BACKBONE: Surviving the Road Less Quantified; Toward a Deeper Understanding of Qualitative Research,” a gripping new book by David M. Schneer, Ph.D., is a seminal exploration of the seven salient traits for a qualitative researcher. Schneer’s gripping narrative of a vicious Christmas Eve assault that left him paralyzed is woven throughout the book as he blends his experiences with the necessary traits of curiosity, extroversion, preparedness, synthesizing complexity, body language, grit, and venturousness. Schneer chronicles a life of serendipitous choices that molded him. From his early formative, coast-to-coast travels, to his education at SDSU, Berkeley and then later earning a Ph.D. in theology, Schneer paints a powerfully emotional portrait of what it takes to succeed in corporate qualitative research at this level. This text provides a step-by-step look at how to blend effective questioning, body language and AI to reveal what others are truly thinking. This book is a must-read for anyone considering a career in market research, new product development or strategic communications. #marketresearch #qualitativeresearch #interviewing #focusgroups #grit #bodylanguage https://lnkd.in/gGi8HeWG

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A response to questions on Post #2 on the #publicpessimist. Q1. If a large number of private schools in the LEAPS study do better than public schools, even if we make factor prices the same for both, won't that make private still better on average? Keep factor prices aside for the moment, since it may confuse the main point, which is that the answer to the question depends on precisely what policy we are interested in. I considered two policies in my article--closing down public schools and providing vouchers for private school attendance--and showed that in both cases, the average performance is not informative. Does that make sense? 2. Isn't a huge constraint on private schools that they've got to hire less trained, less qualified teachers, and if this constraint was removed, their performances would also improve (even if not substantially) -- and consequently make them more productive? Unclear! In my paper with Natalie Bau we show that (like in other countries) we are absolutely dismal at predicting what makes a good teacher! 3. You point out that lower prices aren't really sustainable in the long run, and eventually private players will run into the same headwinds that raise factor prices that public schools did. Isn't that in a very narrow case of when the gov hands over public schools to private providers? Yes! Great point! That is exactly right--handing over government schools to private providers saves costs *only* if we want to avoid a democratic consensus around compensation. 4. But the policy consequences of scientific work may not entirely be within the reach and control of economists. The data may suggest a particular finding, but how that data is interpreted, applied, or translated into policy is so much more complex, no? Absolutely! and it must not be within the reach and control of economists. Virtually every policy creates winners and losers and it should be firmly outside the control of the economists to adjudicate among those different populations. What we should be doing is our best to show *who* the winners and losers from a policy are and communicating our research clearly to a broader audience if we think that it should influence a policy debate. Thank you for these questions--will keep answering more if they come up. Otherwise, Post #3 in a couple of days!

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Yesterday, in writing about Silverchair acquiring ScholarOne from Clarivate, I briefly mentioned some key competitive dynamics. "ScholarOne competes most directly with Elsevier’s Aries Editorial Manager...It will be interesting to see how this rearrangement affects the Clarivate - Elsevier competition going forward." Clarivate will continue investing in research office services, building on Web of Science in an effort to better compete with Elsevier's Pure and Interfolio, among others. With respect to publisher services, at one point, Elsevier brought Aries together organizationally with SSRN, indicating one kind of strategic direction. Today, in light of the ScholarOne transaction, exactly how is Aries a core asset for Elsevier's strategy? https://lnkd.in/ePbkuVyH

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Like many of us, I've been thinking a lot about how consequential a new Trump administration could be. One way I process uncertainty is by trying to imagine what comes next—it’s no surprise, given that I teach foresight. A few days ago, I came up with a small 2x2 matrix that, through a mix of obsession and insomnia, evolved into four different scenarios that, I hope, will help foster more informed discussions about the potential fracture lines and challenges we may see in the geopolitical futures of the country. The exercise turned out to be interesting beyond just the potential victory of former president Trump, as it helped identify the interdependencies among many of the existing fracture lines in the political landscape. This isn’t a comprehensive effort or one that took many weeks to put together, as scenario planning exercises often do. Time is of the essence. Instead, it’s a rapid attempt to leverage some scenario planning methods to expand the conversation beyond the headlines and, for those about to cast their vote, to provide a backdrop that allows their imagination to factor in the electoral choices ahead. While I don’t promise a “fair and balanced view,” no scenario here offers unicorns and rainbows for one side or doom and gloom for the other. And, for reasons explained in the introduction to this post, I concentrate solely on the potential of a new Trump administration. https://lnkd.in/gccPmqhB

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Here's what I hope is a "delightful piece" by Walter Bowne (me) titled "Cuckqueans and Cackles: Scrabble With James Joyce." It's a "witty, imaginative account" of playing Scrabble with the shade of James Joyce, and it's packed with literary references and wordplay. Key takeaways: The power of imagination in writing The depth of Joyce's linguistic knowledge The importance of challenging ourselves intellectually I hope this piece reminds us that even in our professional lives, there's room for creativity and humor. I also highlight the value of continuous learning and the joy of wordplay. Have you ever imagined playing a game with a historical figure? Who would you choose and why? Slainte! #Literature #Creativity #ContinuousLearning #Wordplay Medium #humor #satire #education Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/eAfz-iWB

I'm using this book to try to become a better consultant and mentor to fellow creatives. If that's also your goal, you, too, can attend a free training session and be eligible to win a free coaching session with the author, 📚 Michael Bungay Stanier.

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Can chatbots saying "Wow" improve service interactions? Research by Ben Sheehan, Hyun Seung "H.S." Jin, Brett Martin and Jay Kim shows how chatbots using words such as “Wow” result in consumers being more satisfied, more willing to purchase, and more likely to remain loyal. Consumers respond positively because the chatbot is seen as more human-like which in turn, makes people feel the chatbot is listening to them. Access to the article below: https://lnkd.in/gU_J7Ubi

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The first copy of Kate Towsey's long-awaited book "Research That Scales: The Research Operations Handbook" in existence! We'll publish it in September, but you can pre-order right now at 15% off--link in first comment. #ResearchOperations #DesignOperations #ResearchOps #DesignOps #UXresearch #UserResearch

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Amy Gallo's most recent newsletter (if you're not subscribing already, subcribe now -- it's free and it's terrific) reminded me of a helpful HBR article she interviewed me for a few years ago. The article touches on a common issue people face in the workplace - having a colleague take credit for our work. Should we let it go or immediately confront the credit thief? Neither of those are good choices in the long run. Check out the article for some valuable insights on how to handle this tricky situation. Remember, you're building a "bank account" of the value you add to the organization over time. It's possible to be a great team player without letting others take away from your hard work and contributions! Here's the link to the article: https://lnkd.in/eUUbhZEd. Brian Uzzi

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Please check out my newsletter on Democracy and Hope -- we need more of both these days!

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⏰ Have you heard of the “Returning Education to Our States Act”? I did. And here’s the tea… It’s the latest Republican-led bill, straight out of the Project 2025 playbook. This proposed bill would abolish the Department of Education and hand over control of critical programs to other federal agencies, like the Treasury and Health and Human Services. States would receive block grants to fund education as they see fit. On the surface, it sounds like a push for “local control” and “school choice.” But don't fall for that. These are just euphemisms for stripping away rights and protections from kids who are poor, low-income, and mostly Black and Brown. It is a one-way ticket to: ➡️ No federal guardrails: Programs that protect marginalized students—like IDEA for students with disabilities—would move to agencies unequipped to handle them. ➡️ Unequal state priorities: States with more resources will thrive, while poorer states and districts (mostly Black and Brown communities) will fall further behind. ➡️ Civil rights oversight gone: Federal protections for students—Title IX, IDEA, and Title VI—will depend entirely on whether your state cares about equity. Spoiler: many don’t. This initiative is a deliberate attempt to dismantle public education and shift responsibility to a patchwork of systems that set up folks who are not already wealthy to fail. It’s bad for our kids and even worse for communities already facing systemic inequities. 🤔 What do you think? Will this help or hurt education in your community? Let’s start the conversation now—because the future of public education is on the line. Pedro A. Noguera A. B. Michaela McMillian Jenkins Jeremy Anderson Benjamin Pearce John Eason Bianca Baldridge Ebony Bridwell-Mitchell Karen Mapp Cassidy Puckett Letricia Black RJ Miller Black Enterprise Magazine NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. https://lnkd.in/dx65pBfr

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