Ep 112- How to Spend Money So It Actually Makes You Happier (The New Science of Money and Happiness)

Ep 112- How to Spend Money So It Actually Makes You Happier (The New Science of Money and Happiness)

Money can buy happiness. There, we said it. But before you sprint toward a yacht, a five-star hotel, or a deeply unnecessary espresso machine, there’s some fine print. For years, the popular story was that money buys happiness only up to about $75,000. After that, more income supposedly stopped moving the happiness needle. But updated research on money, happiness, income, and well-being suggests the relationship is more nuanced. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin unpack the newer findings and explore why the real question is not just, “Does money buy happiness?” but “How do you spend money in ways that actually improve your life?” It’s a smart, funny, science-backed guide to getting more happiness per dollar, with practical takeaways for anyone trying to spend better, stress less, and understand what money means for employee well-being. Episode Highlights * Why the old money-happiness story was too simple * What newer research reveals about income and well-being * Four ways money can actually improve happiness * How expectations shape satisfaction * What managers should understand about money, stress, and employee well-being Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UHo5MdYok2A Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here [https://ondemandleadership.com/books/].  → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter [https://managementmuse.com/newsletter/] and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook. Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading: * Kahneman, Daniel, and Angus Deaton. “High Income Improves Evaluation of Life but Not Emotional Well-Being.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2010. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1011492107 [https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1011492107]  * Killingsworth, Matthew A., Daniel Kahneman, and Barbara Mellers. “Income and Emotional Well-Being: A Conflict Resolved.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2023. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2208661120 [https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2208661120]  * Dunn, Elizabeth, and Michael Norton. Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending. Simon & Schuster, 2013. https://a.co/d/0aK2M6pG [https://a.co/d/0aK2M6pG]  * Osnos, Evan. “The Haves and Have-Yachts.” The New Yorker, Jul. 2022. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/07/25/the-haves-and-the-have-yachts [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/07/25/the-haves-and-the-have-yachts]  Join Our Community & Follow Us:  - Youtube Channel  [https://www.youtube.com/c/ManagementMusePodcast] - LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/management-muse-podcast/] - Instagram [https://instagram.com/managementmuse] -Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/managementmusepodcast] -TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@managementmusepod?_r=1&_t=ZT-916OMGdGlKA] - Website [https://managementmuse.com/]

Ep 111- Fairness at Work: 5 Trust Breakers Every Manager Needs to Know w/ Hanna Hasl-Kelchner

A lot of managers want employees to go the extra mile, yet they treat the relationship like a transaction. That mismatch is where trust starts to crack. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi talks with award-winning author Hanna Hasl-Kelchner about the workplace social contract: the unwritten agreement that determines whether employees lean in, pull back, or start polishing their résumés.  Hanna breaks down the five “speed bumps” that can block trust: approachability, recognition, bias, workload management, and conflict management.  From overlooked ideas to overloaded high performers, this conversation gives managers a practical way to spot where trust may be getting stuck, and a roadmap to get the relationship back on track. Episode Highlights * What a workplace social contract really means * Why employees stop going the extra mile * The five trust speed bumps every manager needs to address * The subtle cues that may hurt your approachability as a manager * When recognition can backfire * The boundaries needed to build fairness About Hanna Hasl-Kelchner: Hanna's a no-nonsense workplace fairness strategist and the award-winning author of 'Seeking Fairness at Work [https://www.amazon.com/Seeking-Fairness-Work-Engagement-Satisfaction/dp/B0D1GRWKZH] - Cracking the New Code of Greater Employee Engagement, Retention & Satisfaction.' Her straight talk and practical tools have helped organizations from startups to S&P 500 companies tackle the messy realities beneath the surface of employee engagement and retention. Connect with Hanna: Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/colletterevere/] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/BusinessConfidentialNow] | Blue Sky [https://bsky.app/profile/nononsensehanna.bsky.social] | Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@HannaHaslKelchner] Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/09HooWAQ7vM Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here [https://ondemandleadership.com/books/].  → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter [https://managementmuse.com/newsletter/] and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook. Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading: * T. Kähkönen, et al., “Employee trust repair: A systematic review of 20 years of empirical research and future research directions,” Journal of Business Research, 130, 98-109 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.03.019 [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.03.019]  * Rousseau, D.M. “Psychological and implied contracts in organizations,” Employ Respons Rights J 2, 121–139 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01384942 [https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01384942]  Join Our Community & Follow Us:  - Youtube Channel  [https://www.youtube.com/c/ManagementMusePodcast] - LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/management-muse-podcast/] - Instagram [https://instagram.com/managementmuse] -Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/managementmusepodcast] -TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@managementmusepod?_r=1&_t=ZT-916OMGdGlKA] - Website [https://managementmuse.com/]

Ep 110 - Narcissism at Work: Why Your Boss Probably Isn’t a Narcissist

Your coworker probably isn’t a narcissist. They may be stubborn. They may be self-important. But “narcissist” is a big word—and Cindi and Geoff think we’re throwing it around way too easily. In this episode of Management Muse, they challenge the way we talk about narcissism at work. Cindi and Geoff separate the clinical meaning of narcissism from the management research on narcissistic traits, where confidence, visibility, and bold action can sometimes help leaders rise. But the upside has a shadow. The same self-belief that helps a leader make a hard call can also make them resistant to feedback, blind to risk, and exhausting to follow. They explore the line between leadership confidence and dangerous certainty, why high-level leadership often requires tolerating loneliness, and why calling someone a narcissist can flatten a complicated workplace problem into a dead-end diagnosis. This episode is a smarter way to think about ego, power, conflict. Episode Highlights: * Why your coworker probably is not a narcissist * How narcissism differs in psychology and management research * The link between CEOs and narcissistic traits * When confidence becomes a feedback problem  * The question to ask before declaring someone impossible Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/R5OTDD-QuPg Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here [https://ondemandleadership.com/books/].  → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook: https://managementmuse.com/newsletter/ Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading: * Chatterjee, Arijit, and Donald C. Hambrick. “It’s All about Me: Narcissistic Chief Executive Officers and Their Effects on Company Strategy and Performance.” Administrative Science Quarterly, 52 (3), 2007, pp. 351–86. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20109929 Join Our Community & Follow Us:  - Youtube Channel  [https://www.youtube.com/c/ManagementMusePodcast] - LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/management-muse-podcast/] - Instagram [https://instagram.com/managementmuse] -Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/managementmusepodcast] -TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@managementmusepod?_r=1&_t=ZT-916OMGdGlKA] - Website [https://managementmuse.com/]

Ep 109 - How to Let Employees Go Without Destroying Trust (w/ Collette Revere and Kim White)

Nothing reveals a company’s culture faster than how it lets people go. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi talks with Collette Revere and Kim White about the importance of empathetic exits: a more intentional, humane approach to layoffs, terminations, and voluntary departures.  Too often, companies invest heavily in employee engagement while people are useful to the organization, then sever the relationship abruptly when the employment arrangement ends. That sends a clear message not only to the person leaving, but to everyone who stays. Collette and Kim explain why exits should be treated as part of the employee lifecycle, not an awkward administrative task to rush through. They discuss the hidden costs of cold layoffs, the importance of planning before a crisis, and why departing employees can remain valuable members of an organization’s broader network.  If you want to preserve trust, protect culture, and handle employee exits in a way that reflects your actual values, don’t miss this episode. Episode Highlights: * The history–and cost–of cold layoffs * What employees are noticing when someone leaves * How rushed terminations can damage trust, engagement, and retention * What empathetic exits look like in practice * How to handle hard decisions without burning bridges * Why every company should have an offboarding plan before a crisis hits **EXCLUSIVE Offering for Muse Listeners: The Empathetic Exits Consultation A 30-minute diagnostic to help organizations find relief before, during, or after employee exits and workforce transitions. This brief diagnostic is for leaders who want a more thoughtful, human, and effective approach to exits, offboarding, layoffs, or workforce transitions. In 30 minutes, we’ll help you identify where your current process may be creating unnecessary pressure, risk, confusion, or loss and uncover the next right step. Available exclusively in May 2026 to the first 10 Management Muse listeners who claim it. Claim Your Spot! [https://collette-myopen360.zohobookings.com/#/4750576000000544142] About Collette Revere: Collette Revere is the Founder and CEO of Open360™, a psychology-based leadership and development company helping organizations strengthen trust, alignment, and performance through feedback and communication. A mental health professional, certified change management practitioner, and organizational development consultant, she has spent nearly two decades helping leaders improve performance management, navigate change, and build healthier workplace culture using practical approaches grounded in behavioral science.  Connect with Collette:  Website [https://www.myopen360.com/] | Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/colletterevere/] About Kim White: With a background in I-O psychology, product leadership, and AI-driven learning, Kim White helps teams and leaders bring their WOW—Work on What Matters—into view—when they’re at pivotal moments of growth and decision-making.  Together we map bold new paths, co-create what fits, and turn crossroads into pathways.  Connect with Kim:  Website [https://www.kimwhitewow.com/] | Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimwhitewow/] Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zTG3tHa11Ns Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here [https://ondemandleadership.com/books/].  → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter [https://managementmuse.com/newsletter/] and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook. Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading: * Kitterman, Ted. “How to Avoid Losing Trust in the Wake of Potential Layoffs,” Great Place to Work, 18 Jul. 2022, https://www.greatplacetowork.com/resources/blog/how-to-avoid-losing-trust-in-the-wake-of-potential-layoffs [https://www.greatplacetowork.com/resources/blog/how-to-avoid-losing-trust-in-the-wake-of-potential-layoffs?utm_source=chatgpt.com]  * Uchitelle, Louie. The Disposable American, Penguin Random House, Apr. 2007, https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/181481/the-disposable-american-by-louis-uchitelle/ [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/181481/the-disposable-american-by-louis-uchitelle/]  Join Our Community & Follow Us:  - Youtube Channel  [https://www.youtube.com/c/ManagementMusePodcast] - LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/management-muse-podcast/] - Instagram [https://instagram.com/managementmuse] -Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/managementmusepodcast] -TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@managementmusepod?_r=1&_t=ZT-916OMGdGlKA] - Website [https://managementmuse.com/]

Ep 108 - The Motivation Trap (Why Rewards Are Trickier Than You Think)

If you only read one book on motivation, you might be missing half the story. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin dig into the messy, controversial, and often misunderstood science of motivation. They explore intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation, how reward systems are easy to mess up, and why popular advice often oversimplifies what actually drives people at work. From sales targets to healthcare metrics, Cindi and Geoff explore where well-intentioned rewards changes create frustration instead of motivation, and what to do instead. Before you change compensation, bonuses, performance metrics, or incentives, listen to this one. Motivation is not simple — and your people will feel it if you treat it like it is. Episode Highlights: * Why motivation advice is often oversimplified * The pros of cons of intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation * The research controversy behind rewards * How to avoid accidentally breaking motivation while trying to improve performance * The key elements employees need to feel satisfied with changing targets * Navigating the messy business of changing pay structures Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ACzmEnAqjxI Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here [https://ondemandleadership.com/books/].  → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook: https://managementmuse.com/newsletter/ Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading: * Uri, Gneezy. Mixed Signals: How Incentives Really Work, Yale University Press, 21 Mar. 2023, https://a.co/d/07vHQsd7 [https://a.co/d/07vHQsd7]  * Doshi & McGregor. Primed to Perform, Harper Business, 6 Oct. 2015, https://a.co/d/0ibqm98O [https://a.co/d/0ibqm98O]  * Amabile and Kramer. The Progress Principle, Harvard Business School Press, 2011, https://a.co/d/0eFJn0Ow [https://a.co/d/0eFJn0Ow] * Cameron and Pierce. “Reinforcment, Reward, and Intrinsic Motivation: A Meta-Analysis,” Review of Educational Research, 64 (3), 363-423, Fall 1994, https://www.jstor.org/stable/1170677 [https://www.jstor.org/stable/1170677] Join Our Community & Follow Us:  - Youtube Channel  [https://www.youtube.com/c/ManagementMusePodcast] - LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/management-muse-podcast/] - Instagram [https://instagram.com/managementmuse] -Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/managementmusepodcast] -TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@managementmusepod?_r=1&_t=ZT-916OMGdGlKA] - Website [https://managementmuse.com/]