Michael Metcalf
Michael is a writer and content marketer. He’s written for Trello, Unilever and Timetastic.
He helps business owners publish thought leadership at his agency Expert Machine.
The best health coaching apps – better than a human coach?
Can you really get fit and healthy by using an app?
Michael Metcalf
52 of the best productivity tools for work and life
There are a ton of different productivity tools out there. How do you know which ones to choose? And how do you know which one is the best productivity tool for your team?
Michael Metcalf
Energage review: overview, features, pros, cons, and alternatives
OverviewEnergage offers a unified SaaS platform with four integrated solutions designed to help businesses learn more about their employees. The surveys provide valuable insights, but the software isn't always user-friendly, and plans can be costly.
Michael Metcalf
The 12 best mental health apps: wellbeing support on the go
Talking to mental health professionals face to face is usually the best way to tackle immediate mental health issues, but that's not always an available choice, and can be quite a commitment. If you know something's up, but you don't feel ready to seek professional help right away, a mental health app can help you track your negative thoughts and promote your well-being.
Michael Metcalf
The best mental health chatbots in 2024
We all know the importance of mental health. It impacts individuals worldwide, and estimates show that 792 million people live with a mental health disorder1. Despite an increased understanding of the role of mental health, there can still be shame in admitting the need for support.
Michael Metcalf
The power of visualization techniques to achieve your goals
Visualization is one of the most powerful techniques that you can use to improve your life.
Michael Metcalf
Identifying & overcoming toxic traits in yourself & others
Are you dealing with someone's constant negativity, criticism, or dishonesty? Or perhaps you've recognized toxic behaviors in yourself? Toxic traits harm the individual and those around them, impacting well-being, relationships, and career prospects. This article will delve into identifying toxic traits in yourself and others, preventing their development, and navigating difficult people in your personal and professional life. By understanding and addressing these traits, you can foster healthier connections and protect your own psychological safety.
Michael Metcalf
Legitimate power: develop leadership skills at any level
Your boss has the power to give you a promotion and a higher paycheck.
Michael Metcalf
How to identify (and survive) an existential crisis
Do you ever lose sleep pondering the true meaning of life?
Michael Metcalf
How to influence people (without being manipulative)
Did you know you can influence people to do whatever you want?
Michael Metcalf
The different types of power: which one is best for leaders?
What is power? Whether we like it or not, we all exercise power over each other every day. We use our position, status, knowledge, or influence to get people to do what we want.
Michael Metcalf
What is divergent thinking? Definition, examples and its link to creativity
Divergent thinking lies at the heart of creativity. It's a way of figuring out answers, solutions and ideas in a free-flowing, spontaneous way.
Michael Metcalf
🎯 Ikigai meaning: 5 Steps to unlocking your life's joy 🎯
Some people seem to possess an inner joy that helps them navigate life's challenges with a positive attitude. Their secret may lie in the Japanese concept of "ikigai," which offers a path to finding purpose and meaning in daily living. Ikigai provides a framework for self-discovery, allowing you to identify your passions, embrace a more fulfilling mindset, and cultivate lasting happiness. By exploring this philosophy, you can learn to appreciate life's simple pleasures and maintain motivation, even in difficult times. Join us as we delve into the essence of ikigai from the Japanese and Western perspectives and discover how it can guide you toward a more joyful existence.
Michael Metcalf
Servant leadership: a powerful, people-first leader style
Imagine a workplace where employees' development, needs, and concerns always come first.
Michael Metcalf
Ace the interview question: how do you work under pressure?
Pressure drives us to achieve great things for causes we care about. It brings out the best in our abilities and can push us to the next level of our potential.
Michael Metcalf
How to build good work relationships and why they matter
Building good work relationships is one of the best ways to become more productive, enhance your collaboration skills, and create more opportunities for yourself.
Michael Metcalf
The Perceived Stress Scale: Measure how stressed you are
Anxiety can be all-consuming in high pressure environments. High levels of stress negatively affect your brain functions, immune system, and overall mental health. Psychological distress is the main culprit behind work stress and burnout, often accompanied by low physical activity and all sorts of physical ailments.
Michael Metcalf
How to be successful: start winning at life with these tips
How do you define success, and what does it mean to be successful?
Michael Metcalf
The core components of conscious discipline
We've all had classroom experiences we'd rather forget.
Michael Metcalf
Five time management techniques to help you make the most of each day
Making the most of each day is a real challenge, especially when you consider the many distractions we’ve all become accustomed to. Getting around this means taking a smart approach to managing your time.
Michael Metcalf
How to think on your feet: 10 tips for a more confident you
How good are you at thinking on your feet?
Michael Metcalf
How to improve situational awareness (Hint: Be like Jason Bourne)
When you find yourself in a crowded place, are you relaxed or alert?
Michael Metcalf
Self-control is a top achiever's best-kept secret to a successful life.
Self-control is often seen as a trait that you either have or you don’t. You either have the power to control your impulses, or you’re impatient and undisciplined.
Michael Metcalf
SMART goals: A step-by-step guide (with examples)
How successful would you say you are? Do you regularly achieve what you set out to do?
Michael Metcalf
Intrinsic motivation: How to maximize your inner drive
Would you eat a pair of socks for a million dollars?
Michael Metcalf
How to stop procrastinating (but not feel like a failure when it happens)
The best time to read this article is right now. Not later, or tomorrow. Don't open it in a browser tab and switch over to social media. Don't bookmark it and hope you'll remember to come back and read it.
Michael Metcalf
Signs of good mental health and how maintain it for life
You can have all the success in the world - whether that's through money, fame, or achievement - but still be unsatisfied. Your internal state dictates your perceptions of reality and experiences of each day. When your emotional health is hindered, external affairs can feel meaningless.
Michael Metcalf
Collectivist culture in the workplace and around the world
Collectivist cultures are some of the most fascinating types of social organization that humans can build.
Michael Metcalf
Personal Power: How to Make Your Mark (Without Selling Your Soul)
Have you ever known someone who just exudes confidence?
Michael Metcalf
What is referent power? (Plus, how to use it to earn respect)
We all follow orders at some point in our lives. And eventually, we’ll start giving them too.
Michael Metcalf
What is locus of control? (Hint: it drives every choice you make)
Do you ever feel like life is passing you by? Like you're observing things from the window of a moving train car, waiting to get to your destination?
Michael Metcalf
Expert power: How you can amplify your workplace clout the ethical way
Changes in power dynamics can quickly alter the way a company works.
Michael Metcalf
How to set goals and achieve them: the art of getting things done
Have you ever met a chronic goal-setter who seems to have endless plans for world domination but never quite seems to follow through?
Michael Metcalf
How to be patient and keep your cool in stressful situations
The fast-paced world we live in doesn’t leave much room for patience—or so it would seem.
Michael Metcalf
What makes a team successful?
You can’t just assemble a team of superstars and expect them to make magic. (Just ask the numerous sports teams that wrongly thought they could bankroll their way to a trophy.)
Michael Metcalf
How to address discrimination against women in the workplace
While women have felt the sting of discrimination for hundreds of years, it continues to permeate the workplace - even the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionally impacted women.
Michael Metcalf
How to trust yourself and make confident decisions
“The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.”Writer Charles Bukowski believed that if you constantly doubt yourself, chances are that you’re more intelligent than your more outwardly self-assured colleagues. For the more insecure amongst us, you could take that as a compliment.
Michael Metcalf
The link between leadership and culture
You can’t build company culture from scratch. It’s an asset built over time, by values and behaviors percolating down through the entire organization. No matter how many fancy PowerPoints you make or catchy slogans you paint on the office walls, it simply can’t be forced.
Michael Metcalf
How to be more approachable and increase your personal magnetism
Becoming more approachable can help you better connect with people both in your personal and work life. It can often lead to new friends, better partners, and even a promotion or great new job.
Michael Metcalf
A one on one meetings agenda that actually boosts productivity
Individual review meetings are often the first to be skipped when other priorities arise.
Michael Metcalf
Managing Multicultural Teams (in 3 Steps)
Diversity is almost always an asset. In many Western companies, managing multicultural teams is pretty much the norm these days. With the 21st century’s global movement of people and increased connectedness through tech, we’re blessed with a larger pool of talent to source from than ever before.
Michael Metcalf
What is a ‘low power distance’ company, and should you create one?
Power. It’s something we crave, fear, accept, and resent in equal measure.
Michael Metcalf
Maternity leave policy: Why it's time for a new one
The world may have been put on pause recently, but the human instinct to multiply has not. Babies are still being born despite global uncertainty, and it’s something all businesses need to make provisions for.
Michael Metcalf
How to stop thinking about work (so you can relax)
It's 2 am. You're in bed after a strenuous day. You can't stop thinking about a project you were working on.
Michael Metcalf
How to build trust in the workplace (3 easy strategies)
So you've assembled your group of superstars. The project brief is ready. You know the goals, and so do they.
Michael Metcalf
Management by objectives — a classic strategy for modern teams
It’s also a surprisingly positive outlook on doing business.
Michael Metcalf
How to deal with a micromanager with less stress
We’ve all known that one coworker. The one that never leaves you alone.
Michael Metcalf
Core culture: the engine that powers iconic companies
What does your company really believe?
Michael Metcalf
How to be your authentic self: The path to self-discovery
The reality of how to be your authentic self, in statistics:
Michael Metcalf
How do you measure success?
How do you measure success? Let’s start by understanding it.
Michael Metcalf
Why you should trust your gut when making big decisions
The surprising reason you should trust your gut when making important decisions — in work and life.
Michael Metcalf
Workplace incivility: how it happens and how to combat it quickly
Workplace incivility isn’t easy to identify.
Michael Metcalf
Accountability vs Responsibility: What’s the Difference? (With Examples)
Accountability vs responsibility - what's the difference?
Michael Metcalf
Change management: Five principles to lead people through upheaval
The only thing you can be certain about in life is change. It just keeps on happening.
Michael Metcalf
The benefits of collaboration (and how to increase it seamlessly)
What do the statistics tell us about the benefits of collaboration?
Michael Metcalf