Test yourself in one Minute – with Colleagues, Family and Friends!

Till 15 and more significantly after 45 women are outperforming guys when it comes to verbald fluency. Between 15 and 45 both genders are pretty similar, though.

From 30 on education is an additional factor für higher verbal fluency – men could take use of that if they keep learning. They reach their top at the age of 39 and decline afterwards stronger than women who reach their peak at 43 and keep their pole position until their high age.

Test yourself in one minute or compete with someone in your proximity: each of has got one minute to name words of the same category like animals, fruits or objects, and secondly there is another minute where the two of you should collect as much words as possible starting with the same initial. Please compare: Females accomplish 36 words with the categories (median result), males only 33, where the same initials are sought of females reach 22 and males only 19 (median result).

Konstantipoulos/Martzoukou/Vogaziaos/Messinis/Nousia/Binos/Naxios, “Verbal Fluency Development Across the Lifespan: The Effects of Age, Gender and Education”, in: Neuropsychology, vol. 40, No.2, 191-200, 2026.

From the practice:

A big verby fluency helps when you want to be precise and to the point. And yes: who is a constand reade or learner keeps better going. Who of you is not remembering language classes at school where repetition of words within two subsequent sentences are prohibited?

Frequently though managers, functionaries or scientists simply don´t prepare properly before going on stage. Well, never that´ll be perfect. But one thing is close to my heart: please don´t call projects, presentations or discussions “exciting” all the time. 1. Only a minority of things who are claimed to be “exciting” actually are. 2. The more you use “exciting” for everything you want to promote the less the audience is believing you. On the contrary: You are losing credibility. 3. The net shows 143 Synonyms: https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exciting. Please choose!

Familie und Freundeskreis keine Top-Adressen für gute Entscheidungen

Nicht Sorgenfalten, Kummer oder Angstschweiß sind es, die bei älteren Menschen das Bedürfnis nach Beratung und guten Entscheidungen triggern. Im Gegenteil: Es ist die gute Laune, die die Generation 60+ motiviert, auf einsame Entscheidungen zu verzichten. Oder anders gesagt: Je deprimierter wir im fortgeschrittenen Alter sind, desto weniger suchen und akzeptieren wir Rat von anderen.

Das sind die recht überraschenden Ergebnisse einer aktuellen Studie aus Sydney/Australien, die der Frage, inwieweit Entscheidungen von verschiedenen Altersgruppen unterschiedlich getroffen werden, nachgegangen ist. Fazit: weniger als man hätte erwarten können, zB.: Alle Altersgruppen, und eben nicht nur Jüngere, vertrauen BeraterInnen von Familie oder dem Freundeskreis. Denn um zu zufriedenstellenden nachhaltigen Entscheidungen zu kommen, scheint Expertise von RatgeberInnen am Ende des Tages auch für Menschen vor oder nach der Pension wichtiger zu sein als soziale Beziehungen.

Leon/Weidemann/Kneebone/Bailey, “Age, Affect and Social Closeness: An Experience Sampling Study of Advice-Taking Across the Adult LIfespan” in: Emotion”, 2026, vo. 26, No. 1, 195 – 205.

Aus der Praxis:

Wie interessant! Obwohl also gerade ältere Menschen auf jahrzehntelange vertrauensvolle Beziehungen zurückgreifen können, wenden auch sie sich im Zweifel an ExpertInnen, wenn sie vor substantiellen Entscheidungen stehen. Wie schön!

Meiner Meinung nach können wir das wie folgt interpretieren: 1. Auch im fortgeschrittenen Alter haben rationale Argumente Bedeutung = “nur” das geliebte Enkerl zu sein, überzeugt sichtlich nicht ausreichend, um automatisch als Omas und Opas RatgeberIn zu fungieren. 2. Es zahlt sich aus, die Generation 60+ in gute Stimmung zu bringen, wenn sie vor wichtigen Entscheidungen stehen – jedenfalls ist es eine viel bessere Strategie, als ihnen den Teufel an die Wand zu malen, damit sie sich endlich beraten lassen. 3. Wir als BeraterInnen und Coaches können auch jenseits der Baby Boomers und Millennials noch KlientInnen gewinnen.

Studie empfiehlt mehr Unterstützung für WissKomm und Fitness für Social Media

In Skandinavien, Benelux und deutschsprachigen Ländern, damit auch in Österreich, erreichen News zu wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnissen die Bevölkerung primär über Informationsmedien wie Print, Radio, TV und die Homepages der Verlage und Sender. Damit befinden wir uns allerdings im globalen Vergleich in der Minderheit: denn überall sonst werden Studienergebnisse vor allem über Social Media kommuniziert, vor allem dort, wo klassische Medien zu teuer sind, es kein Angebot an Qualitätsmedien gibt und der nationale Bildungsgrad niedrig ist. Apropos: je geringer der Bildungsgrad desto mehr besprechen, diskutieren und teilen User wissenschaftliche Themen. Social Media mit ihren Vereinfachungen und Fake News haben daher einen überproportionalen Einfluss darauf, wie die Menschheit mit Wissenschaft umgeht. Das legt eine ausgedehnte, über 70.000 TeilnehmerInnen in 68 Ländern umfassende Studie nahe.

Die ForscherInnen empfehlen u.a. Ländern wie Österreich: Wissenschaftsjournalismus mehr zu fördern und WissKomm in den Social Media stärker einzusetzen.

Mede/Cologna/TISP Consortium, “Public Communication about Science in 68 Countries: Global Evidence on How People Encounter and Engage With Information about Science”, in: Science Communication, , First published Oct. 24th, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1177/10755470251376615

Aus der Praxis:

Eins ist jedenfalls klar: Menschen interessieren sich für Wissenschaft – egal ob sie in ärmeren oder reicheren Ländern leben, mehr oder weniger Bildung und Internetzugang haben, oder in Demokratien bzw. Autokratien tätig sind.

Ich halte das grundsätzlich für gut und für eine Chance. Wichtig ist es jetzt “nur”, Erkenntnisse der Wissenschaft in Form und Inhalt laiengerecht aufzubereiten (kurz, korrekt, konsequent und nutzenorientiert) und neben den klassischen Informationsmedien auch und gerade Social Media zu nutzen. WissenschaftlerInnen könnten noch viel besser lernen, ausdrucksstark in eine Kamera zu sprechen, ihre Studienergebnisse für den Alltag relevant darzustellen und gegen Falschmeldungen und Mythenbildungen aufzutreten.

Es gibt noch einiges zu tun.

Plan your Withdrawal as Professionally as did it with your Career so far

A check list with 27 questions as a supporting tool for the key question: Shall I retire and if yes am I well prepared? – that´s a new Pennsylvanian scientific paper´s output that was published recently. Divided into the 4 main factors when decisions concerning your withdrawal are to be made – readiness, introspection, advisors and control over free time – and based on interviews with a bunch of CEOs the researchers have developed a new tool for retirement candidates and executive coaches alike.

There you can find questions as “How satisfied are you with what you have accomplished?”, “Which image pops up when thinking about your future time with your family?” or “Which role does aging play when you are considering retirement?”

The scientists concede that each case is different from each other – of course – something is crystal-clear, though, for them after all: the professional withdrawal ought to be planned as well as the single steps of your career so far.

Wasylyshyn/Slater/Woo/Nissen, “An Exploration of Factors That Influence the Retirement Decision of CEOS”, in: Psychology of Leaders and Leadership, 2025, vol. 28nr. 2, 261-285.

From the practise:

And there is another excellent tool for you to identify if retirement should be done better earlier than later: the concept and training of your farewell speech.

There you not only have to mention your reasons for retiring, but you also will present your personal end results and provide ideas how you will spend your time in the future. I have recommended and used this tool amazingly often when working with managers, politicians or university professors. And it was always an eye opener and more efficient than a bunch of coaching sessions over several months!

Those who had troubles yet when developing the concept of the speech knew soon that they had to do a better preparation first or to stay in the round still for some time. By training the speech and by analysing the video afterwards at the very latest all cards were put on the table: Go or stay? If while doing the concept the mind and intellect were in control, was now unmistakenly brought up by my client´s body: the solar plexus, the posture, the voice, the eye contact, the mimics and the gestures.

British study: Pros and Cons are keeping a Balance

Having worked close to someone like Barack Obama, Steve Jobs, the Queen or Niki Lauda provides young superiors a big advantage: when proceeding in their career they do get better job opportunities and even with weak performances they aren´t likely to get fired due to their connection to a former star in the field.

This has a major disadvantage, though, too: regularly expectations are flying so high that any particular performance is seen as normal and is not appreciated and honored as it should be. Non-star-connected employees on the contrary do benefit from job-promotions in case of outstanding merits much more often.

These are the outcomes of a British study recently published. Altogether the reputation “being connected with xy” persists amazingly for 9 years.

Liu/Kilduff/Lee/Fisher, “Buffered by Reflected Glory? The Effects of Star Connections on Career Outcomes”, in: “Journal of Applied Psychology”, 2025, vol. 110, no. 11, 1490-1510.

From the practice:

There are always two sides of a coin: high expectation pressure may be stressful – regardless if it comes from your connection to a hero in his/her area, from a bunch of degrees by well known universities your CV is showing or if you have been compared with your ancient ones as the kid of super sucessfull and prominent parents your whole life. It´s not enough a relief that according to this study you would be protected longer than others if you are not performing.

Still – in my opinion – it pays off absolutely to learn from the best! But don´t emphasize these experiences permanently and live from them only – that´s not likeable. Take your star-connection as a ressource for outstanding performances in the future. And exhibit them to your current employer – self confident, but unpretentiously

New study: We keep trying too long with weak strategies

Strategies which are always successful we proceed with and those which are not we let go. But what is to be done when – as so often – a strategy for accomplishing a goal is average to say the best, meaning it is ok but has some substantial disadvantages, too?

Then we show persistence and perserverance. We change horses very late and may miss a lot of decisive opportunities. That´s at least the outcome of a new study by Princeton University where a research was examining how long it pays off to continue and continue and continue with the very same strategy.

Conclusion: The more alternatives exist the faster we should leave the mediocre strategy. And before determining a new path we should try particularly in the beginning of a task a couple of options.

Sukhov/Dubey/Duke/Griffiths, “When To Keep Trying and When to Let Go: Benchmarking Optimal Quitting”, in: Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, Vol 154(9), Sep 2025, 2599-2618

From the practise:

Why is letting go of sub-opimal ways so difficult? This questions concerns me for a long time already. The US-scientiests mention 3 theories for a plausible answer: 1. because we are so optimistic and believe till the very end everything would turn out good, 2. because we don´t want to lose time and efforts that we have put into the task yet and 3. because we are not aware of the potential (better) alternatives.

Let me add 2 more: 4. because we have got used to the weaknesses of our endeavours while a new strategy could turn to the even worse – at least theoretically and 5. because it appears to be more challenging – especially for leaders – to explain to employees, members and the electorate the “Letting go” of a current way instead of muddling on.

Relaxed and moderate: Cool leaders we need

Did you expect this? To be cool ist not only a hit, but has got also the very same meaning worldwide. In such diverse and different cultures as India, USA, China, Chile or Germany people do associate the same attributes with “cool”: extravert, hedonistic, powerful, open, adventurous and autonomous. This is the outcome of a new study by the famous Princeton University 6.000 subjects from 12 countries and 5 continents have participated in over a period of 4 years.

For your positive impact and image it is key, though, that you do not try hard to be “cool” under all circumstances. Relax is the motto. And: You should stay moderate! Being extremely extravert, extremely adventurous or extremely hedonistic, shifts the positive effect to the negative.

According to the researchers “to be cool” stands altogether for innovation and creativity. That given an appeal to coolness could establish a collective understanding for change all over the world. Since we all want to be cool people.

Pezzuti/Warren/Chen, “Cool people”, in “Journal of Experimental Psychology: General”, 2025, 154(9), 2410–2431

From the practice:

But can we transfer this common understanding of coolness into the business world? Absolutely! Particularly 5 out of these 6 attributes of “cool” are synonyms for leadership – at least for me. Each leader should be extravert, powerful, open, adventurous and autonomous. Only the term “hedonistic” I am sceptical about. Perhaps in the business context the term “confidence” is more appropiate than hedonism which means the thrive for lust, joy and pleasure.

In any case: How would our work worlds – from the office to the construction site and from the laboratory to the field – look like, if leaders aspire to be cool in the definition described above?

Words with few synonyms and only one meaning are memorized best

To all advertising guys, political consultants and communication coaches: there exist better indicators whether your clients will remember one of your words or whether they won´t than imageability, high frequency or trigger words. The more an expression is unchangeable (only one meaning) and distinctive (no or few synonyms) , the more your memory will keep it regardless which language you are speaking, how big your vocabulary is and what the context seems to be.

These are at least the results of a new US-American study where not any Department of Communication provided the key authors but the MIT (Massachussetts Institute of Technology).

“An avalanche of precise vocabulary has a lot of advantages.” “Avalanche” and “Vocabulary” – unmistaken and with no alternative – were remembered best by the participants. “Precise” and “Advantage” they could memorized least.

Tuckute/Mahowald/Isola/Oliva/Gibson/Fedorenko, “Intrinsically Memorable Words Have Unique Associations With Their Meanings”, in: Journal of Experimental Psychology: General”, 2025, vol. 154, no.8, 2059-2075.

From the practice:

Exciting and plausible: a word where your brain needs not to consider what sort of meaning may count here, AND which as the only option mills itself into your memory, is remembered best.

These new learnings expand our opportunities to communicate unforgettably. And still there are even additional criteria how to make your words memorable, criteria which the current study does not even mention: i.e. that a word/sentence needs to be short, not complicated and easily to be pronounced.

Pretty funny for us as German-speaking people: one of the words that were considered to be unchangeable and unforgettable in the study would not at all have the very same effect in our language: Pineapple – cristal-clear and unique in English – turns in German to “Ananas”. And that´s how we also call strawberries. So we may assume that “Ananas” is according to the researchers not the best example for being easily kept in your memory.

Psychological detachment is strongest factor for employee´s well-being

The vacation effect is not only measurable during the vacation per se, but prior to it (anticipation) and particularly afterwards: up to 43 days after having returned to the working place more engagement by employees is being delivered. Strongest factor for well-being due to vacation is the psychological detachment which means not to think about the job and its challenges and to be unreachable for a certain period of time at least. Additionally physical activities are also proven to be important triggers in that area. Hence, if vacation should be better spent abroad or at home remains pretty unclear according to the outcomes of a meta-analysis where 32 international studies have been examined.

Basically this US-American paper can be read as an appeal for US-American authorities and companies alike. To revise their system of only max. 19 nationally mandated vacation days.

Grant/Buchanan”Shockley, “I Need a Vacation: A Meta-Analysis of Vacation an Employee Well-Being”, in: Journal of Applied Psychology,2025, Vol. 110., Nr. 7, 887-905.

From the practice:

Undisputedly we do have a way better understanding for employee vacation – for its importance and its benefits. Still I´d like to join the appeal for taking vacation as one of the best form of getting well-being back and like to address top managers and particularly owners and self-imployed ones.

Correct: it is a major challenge to leave the job, orders and projects, back for days let alone weeks if you are paid a lot for leadership & responsibility. Especially if times are as difficult as now.

Still I recommend to give this psychological detachment a try – at least for one day or another unless your organisation is currently going through its worst time ever.

No client, no business partner and finally also no employee wants to deal with exhausted and therefore thin-skinned and error-prone managers or consultants.

Interrelational skills stand for long-term performance – particularly in technology oriented firms

Due to recent prominent bancruptcies questions have popped up if not the respective boards have been responsible, too, to say the least. But could better controls and better decisions actually have avoided these failures? Rather yes is the reply of a Swedish-Israelian scientific paper where interviews with 336 board members out of 200 publicly listed firms have been analysed. Crucial is according to the study leadership of the head of the board – extraordinary reputation, brilliant expertise in the field and exceptional networking contacts are particularly in volatile times not sufficient. This resonates especially with technology-oriented firms.

The researchers recommend leadership trainings to establish and enhance interrelational skills.

Nahum/Carmeli/Uman, “On the Power of Professional and Relational Respect of Chairpersons”. In “Psychology of Leaders and Leadership, 2025, vol. 28, Nr. 1, 65-95.

From the praxis:

What are interrelational skills? Well, the capability to communicate respectfully, to build up trustful relationships and to motivate toward constructive cooperation. When dealing with alpha animals – and we can assume each of the members of a board is one of these – it is key that professional leadership applies and steers the best processes beyond any possible differences in opinion. That´s the only way to create respect for each other and therefore to provide an atmosphere where an efficiently working board can get to bold decisions if necessary.

Ok, but why is this so important for boards in the technology-oriented field? Because there – even up to my own observations over decades – social skills and so also interrelational skills are upgradable both on the operative level and in the boards which control. I am offering leadership training for head of the boards for more than 10 years. So I am a bit proud that now my move is confirmed by science.😊