Hi Reader,

I’m lucky enough to have the opportunity to be in Cambridge, MA this week for the Leadership & Happiness Symposium hosted by Arthur Brooks at Harvard. I can’t wait to soak up what these incredible speakers and attendees have to share and look forward to sharing insights with you in the weeks to come.

We also have some big news this week—check out our community section below for information on our brand new partnership with Furman University’s Center for Innovative Leadership.

Oh, and be sure to check out The Murmuration next week for a super exciting announcement about an upcoming members-only event with a best-selling author. I love a good cliffhanger 😂

Now—enjoy this week’s edition!

Each week, we share an applied tip or did-you-know to help you build knowledge and hone essential skills that help you kick butt at work and in life.

Enter The Matrix

As managers and leaders, we’re paid to think—to solve problems, make decisions, and guide others effectively. But let’s be real—thinking is hard! Sorting through information to find good solutions or reasonable decisions can feel overwhelming, especially in today’s world, where problems are increasingly complex, and information overload is the norm.

One tool that’s been a game-changer for me is the matrix. It’s simple, effective, and often overlooked. Today, I want to highlight this tool and ensure it’s in your decision-making toolkit.

What is a matrix?

Matrices come in various forms, but at their core, they are tools for organizing and comparing information in a structured format. They help us take a messy mass of data, make sense of it, and identify relationships and patterns that might not be immediately obvious. Matrices are invaluable thinking tools in that they can help us clarify priorities, evaluate options more objectively, and target our efforts effectively.

Let’s look at two specific types: 2x2s and criteria-based matrices.

2x2s

A two-by-two matrix compares data points on two intersecting axes. Doing so results in a grid with four equal parts (quadrants). Arguably, the most well-known example of this is the Eisenhower Matrix, which helps with time management and prioritization by categorizing tasks by urgency and importance.

But urgency and importance are not the only axes you can use and time management is not the only function of a matrix. You might also use one for the following:

• ​Product Feature Selection. Mapping potential features by “effort” and “impact” can help determine which to prioritize. For example, features that will have a high impact on users but take little effort to develop are a no-brainer to invest in.
• Customer Segmentation. Mapping customers on a grid that describes key attributes can help tailor your products and marketing to specific sub-groups. Your axes could be anything that helps generate meaningful quadrants, such as experience, behaviors, geography, preferences, and more.
• ​Risk Analysis. Mapping future scenarios by “likelihood” and “potential impact” can help create effective mitigation and management plans. If a risk is likely and could have a big impact—you better be prepared for it.

We’ve talked primarily about 2x2s, but know that a matrix can have more than four segmentations. For example, a nine-box grid is a tool for evaluating employees based on their “performance” and “potential” with (you guessed it) nine potential cells.

Quantitative Matrices

You can also use matrices to provide a more quantitative comparison between options, helping you rank them. This type is sometimes called a Pugh Matrix after a dude named Stuart Pugh, who introduced it in the 1980s. Here’s how it works:

1. Focus. Identify the decision you are trying to make, such as selecting a vendor or a software product or deciding between multiple job offers or even restaurants.
2. Identify criteria. Determine the most relevant factors for evaluating the options. These could include cost, quality, ease of use, core values, or personal preferences.
3. List the options. Identify the potential choices you have in this decision—vendors, products, actions, etc.
4. Rate the options. For each criterion, rate each option on a scale (like 1 to 3, where 1 is least preferable and 3 is most). For example, if Vendor A produces the highest quality work (your preference), rate Vendor A a 3 for quality.
5. Add ‘em up. Sum the totals for each option to see how they compare. The highest score is theoretically the preferable option.

To get more precise, you can assign a weight to each criterion. For example, if cost is less important than quality, you might weight cost as 1 and quality as 3. Multiply your ratings by the weight and sum those. For instance, if Vendor A scores 3 for quality and quality is weighted at 3, Vendor A scores 9 for quality.

Remember, this isn’t a foolproof method—don’t blindly follow the numbers. Use your critical thinking and judgment. You might choose an option that didn’t rate the highest quantitatively, but this process helps you understand where you can mitigate or improve lower scores.

A Final Note

So there you have it—matrices in a nutshell! Whether you're juggling tasks, choosing the next big feature for your product, segmenting your customer base, analyzing risks, or something else entirely, these simple tools can make a world of difference. They bring clarity to chaos and help you make more informed, strategic decisions. So, next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, remember the power of a good matrix. It’s not just a grid; it’s your secret weapon for smarter thinking.

Each week, we touch on an aspect of happiness and health at work, how to build it, and how to drive positive change in the workplace.

Feeling Competent

Picture this: you’re a manager struggling with your workload, working long hours, and feeling overwhelmed. Your efforts often go unnoticed, and you rarely receive feedback. You're starting to doubt your abilities. Are you excited to go to work? Motivated to do your best? Probably not—the only reason you’re dragging yourself into the office these days is for the free lunch.

According to Self-Determination Theory, proposed by psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan in the 1980s, three key factors contribute to intrinsic motivation: autonomy, competence, and belonging. We are more likely to engage, persist, and succeed when motivated by internal reasons (e.g., interest and enjoyment) rather than external ones (e.g., bonuses and food). So, feeling unnoticed and doubting our abilities—lacking a sense of competence—is a bad thing.

When we feel competent, we feel effective and capable. This goes beyond having the necessary skills; it includes ongoing skill development and recognition of our capabilities. Competence boosts our initiative, productivity, creativity, and overall well-being and performance at work. Conversely, feeling unnoticed and questioning our abilities undermines our competence and intrinsic motivation, making us less likely to perform well and be happy at work.

So, how can we boost our own and others’ feelings of competence?

• Feedback and reflection. Proactively ask for feedback and reflect on your progress. Managers should regularly provide both constructive and positive feedback. This affirms our abilities and charts our growth, enhancing our sense of competence.
• Goals and learning. Set goals to encourage ongoing learning and work with your reports to do the same. Seeing our progress toward goals—and ultimately achieving them—helps us feel confident and competent.
• Challenge. Do you feel more elated when you hit an easy goal or an ambitious one? Stretching to reach a challenging goal can significantly boost feelings of competence.
• Recognition. Celebrate successes, both big and small. In the absence of recognition, we may question our abilities, diminishing feelings of competence. Even just a quick “Great job!” can help.

There are many factors that impact our happiness and health at work—competence is just one lever we can pull. By fostering a sense of competence in ourselves and others, we can create a more motivated, engaged, and satisfied workforce.

Each week, we collect a few great reads from a variety of disciplines to help you forge new connections and gain fresh perspectives.

• ​Your Professional Decline Is Coming (Much) Sooner Than You Think (The Atlantic). An article I read back in 2019 that has stuck with me and made me an Arthur Brooks fan.
• ​Why We Love How-to Videos (Nautilus). Another article I read years ago that also came back to me recently—on why YouTube is such an effective learning tool.
• ​5 Traps to Avoid as You Gain Power as a Leader (HBR). Key traps leaders can fall into—the savior trap, the complacency trap, the avoidance trap, the friend trap, and the stress trap—and ways to counteract each.
• ​4 reasons that reading for pleasure can make you a better person (Fast Company). I strongly believe in this.
• ​Losing a pet is hard. Here's how to cope (NPR). On a personal note, I lost my dear, sweet little cat this week and want this newsletter to be as real as I tell you to be as a leader—including both the highs and lows. She was loved deeply.

Each week, we highlight some of the great things going on across the Starling community. Members can click on any of the links below to explore further.

Furman CIL x Starling

As we teased at the top of today's newsletter, we're thrilled to announce a new partnership with Furman University’s Center for Innovative Leadership (CIL)!

As part of this collaboration, we will be providing CIL students with Starling memberships to promote ongoing learning and community-building online.

In a couple of weeks, we’ll welcome 20 recent graduates of the CIL’s Women’s Leadership Initiative into the community as a pilot.

We've got big plans for this partnership. In the coming months, we’ll be collaborating with the CIL to launch and test new offerings—including a peer coaching program—that we hope to be able to roll out to the community at large.

We couldn't have asked for a more values-aligned partner in the CIL team, and we can't wait to get started with this first group!

Given that you made it this far, we felt you ought to be rewarded with one of Jeff’s Famous Dad Jokes:

Rachel & The Starling Team