Incredibly counter-intuitive research out of Harvard suggests a novel way to make your employees feel more free: Give them more to do. Huh?

Sometimes scientific findings of such head-slapping obviousness--talking on the phone makes you a worse driver and men generally favor large breasts, for example--that they make the average lay person wonder how anyone ever got funding to investigate the question in the first place. But then every once in a while, you run into a research result on the opposite end of the spectrum--something so counter-intuitive you can hardly believe it's true.

Harvard Business School just produced one of the latter, and it's of particular interest to entrepreneurs hoping to help their busy employees feel less of a time crunch. Michael Norton, an associate professor of business administration, wanted to find out how bosses can help their teams feel like they have more time. Given that we can't slow the sun's crossing of the sky, the obvious alternative is to simply give employees fewer tasks. But it turns out this common sense response is actually the exact opposite of what Norton discovered.

To figure out what can relieve our sense of time pressure, Norton conducted a series of experiments that gave some study subjects an unexpected block of free time, by sending them home 15 minutes early from an experiment they were told would take an hour for example. Another group was instead told to fill the time with worthwhile activities to help others such as editing essays for low-income students. Which group reported back that they felt they had enough time for all the tasks in their day?

Surprisingly, the answer is those who spend time helping others rather than those who were given additional free time. By doing activities that make them feel useful, employees increase their sense of "time affluence," the researchers conclude, implying that the source of our perceived time famine isn't really lack of hours but a lack of a sense of purpose and accomplishment. Norton offered three suggestions for how managers could put thus insight to use to Business Insider:

Make employees participate in a company volunteer effort, particularly if they can use part of their workday to do it.

Let employees know how their day-to-day tasks are helping others. If they can hear how the employee helped a customer, this will also make them more satisfied with their job.

Use fun strategies to encourage team members to help each other. Norton tells of one experiment where salespeople were given $20 bonus money and told they had to spend on another team member. Those teams sold more than other groups that were told to spend the $20 on themselves.

This latest research finding of Norton's follows earlier studies showing analogous, counter-intuitive results. One finding, for instance, revealed that letting employees give bonuses to others is actually more motivating than receiving bonuses themselves.

Do you think forcing your team to spend time on worthy tasks to help others would relieve their sense of being time poor--or just start a mutiny?

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Incredibly counter-intuitive research out of Harvard suggests a novel way to make your employees feel more free: Give them more to do. Huh?

Sometimes scientific findings of such head-slapping obviousness--talking on the phone makes you a worse driver and men generally favor large breasts, for example--that they make the average lay person wonder how anyone ever got funding to investigate the question in the first place. But then every once in a while, you run into a research result on the opposite end of the spectrum--something so counter-intuitive you can hardly believe it's true.

Harvard Business School just produced one of the latter, and it's of particular interest to entrepreneurs hoping to help their busy employees feel less of a time crunch. Michael Norton, an associate professor of business administration, wanted to find out how bosses can help their teams feel like they have more time. Given that we can't slow the sun's crossing of the sky, the obvious alternative is to simply give employees fewer tasks. But it turns out this common sense response is actually the exact opposite of what Norton discovered.

To figure out what can relieve our sense of time pressure, Norton conducted a series of experiments that gave some study subjects an unexpected block of free time, by sending them home 15 minutes early from an experiment they were told would take an hour for example. Another group was instead told to fill the time with worthwhile activities to help others such as editing essays for low-income students. Which group reported back that they felt they had enough time for all the tasks in their day?

Surprisingly, the answer is those who spend time helping others rather than those who were given additional free time. By doing activities that make them feel useful, employees increase their sense of "time affluence," the researchers conclude, implying that the source of our perceived time famine isn't really lack of hours but a lack of a sense of purpose and accomplishment. Norton offered three suggestions for how managers could put thus insight to use to Business Insider:

Make employees participate in a company volunteer effort, particularly if they can use part of their workday to do it.

Let employees know how their day-to-day tasks are helping others. If they can hear how the employee helped a customer, this will also make them more satisfied with their job.

Use fun strategies to encourage team members to help each other. Norton tells of one experiment where salespeople were given $20 bonus money and told they had to spend on another team member. Those teams sold more than other groups that were told to spend the $20 on themselves.

This latest research finding of Norton's follows earlier studies showing analogous, counter-intuitive results. One finding, for instance, revealed that letting employees give bonuses to others is actually more motivating than receiving bonuses themselves.

Do you think forcing your team to spend time on worthy tasks to help others would relieve their sense of being time poor--or just start a mutiny?

		Avoid unnecessary clutter by archiving files. With the DYMO® Touch Screen™ label maker, you can use the full color touch screen to add graphics or barcodes to your labels for detailed archiving.
		Dymo.com

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Who knew what Facebook would become when Mark Zuckerberg launched it in 2004? Not these guys.

Hindsight is 20/20. And sometimes, it's just plain funny.

With Facebook's blockbuster IPO upon us, let's take a look back through the company's eight-year history at some of the people and companies who were doubters, haters, and nay-sayers.

Sure, in 2004, no one really expected the then-22-year-old Mark Zuckerberg's student-only social networking site to become a multi-billion dollar company with hundreds of millions of users. Or that that fledgeling start-up would someday grow to make a public stock offering bigger than that of Google.

But in the age of the Internet, it's so easy to say: "Told you so."

Check out some of the worst offenses.

"For many in the dotcom world, 2007 was dominated by one story: the rise of Facebook. The success of the social networking service has increased optimism about the internet industry. After all, if Microsoft is prepared to buy a 1.6% share for $240m (£121m), there is evidence that good ideas can be worth a lot of money. It is no surprise then that investors are looking for the next big thing--and these are some of the favourites." —The Guardian, 2007

"The context of Facebook is 'social networking.' It's all the rage right now--the novelty of connecting or reconnecting, of building your network, of watching the torrent of trivia flow to and from your network of peeps. But ultimately we as people--at least most of us-aren't social networking hobbyists....While it is likely that Facebook will find a viable and scalable business model somewhere within the monthly engagement of 200 million people, its future is anything but certain." —Jim Banister, SpectrumDNA CEO and entrepreneurship professor at UCLA, 2009

"Facebook is a fad. Yes, a FAD!!! You couldn't give a single legitimate argument to prove otherwise (and don't try to feed me that crap line about social networking being around long enough to no longer be a fad… Facebook, a single company, doesn't equate to 'social networking'). People who waste their time chasing fads (especially in marketing) always get burned, wasting more time than they can justify in the long run." —SocialRealist.com, 2007

"Facebook can't afford to screw up. Facebook's U.S. user base grew 56 percent to 22.5 million in April from 14.4 million during the year-ago period, according to Nielsen Online. That was down from a blistering 98 percent growth a year earlier." —Forbes, 2008

"Ross Levinsohn, president of Fox Interactive Media, told an investors conference in New York yesterday, 'It's a great site and I know the guys there well. We're certainly not paying $2 billion for Facebook.'" —MarketWatch, 2006

The projects that take off on crowdfunding platforms are the ones that offer great rewards. Here are a few ideas to try.

Editor's note: This is an excerpt from the recently published book The Crowdfunding Bible by Scott Steinberg, CEO of consulting firm TechSavvy Global, and Rusel DeMaria, author of High Score: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games.

If you try to launch a crowdfunding project simply by asking for contributions and offering little of value in return, you’ll very quickly discover that managing projects isn’t like running a political campaign or charity fundraiser. Few will pledge money simply to provide support. The majority of backers expect something in return—hence the need to incentivize them by offering compelling goods or services in exchange for contributions.

In the case of physical products, the notion of pre-ordering, or making advance payments, is a well-established practice. Similar transactions work well under the crowdfunding model, especially when coupled with eye-catching or exclusive extras such as elaborate collector’s sets and limited edition coffeetable books. The type of reward you offer should be determined by the kind of project you’re running. In the case of special events, for instance, you might offer free admission, backstage passes, or even a chance to hop up onstage and jam with a favorite band.

However, for consumer products, the first and most obvious reward would be to provide backers with a digital or physical copy of the item in advance or at a price far less than the typical retail value. From there, you can tack on or bundle together other rewards. Bear in mind that creativity pays: Among the most consistently popular rewards are those that offer personal or unique touches, or provide singular opportunities, e.g. lunch with a famed industry figure or the inclusion of donors’ names in your new software product’s credits.

When weighing reward prospects, be sure to research similar projects to see what resonates with fans. The overall distribution makeup and the individual items’ respective contributions to the campaigns’ bottomline are important to keep in mind. The following are example rewards you might consider offering:

• The product itself. A copy of the item in question—and, potentially, one sold for a limited time at a steep discount. Be sure to calculate any associated costs and figure them into your pricing structure and funding goals.
• Advanced or early access to the product or service. This may include advance entry for backers to prototype testing programs.
• Enhanced versions of the product. For instance, autographed, deluxe, director’s cut and collector’s editions.
• Merchandise and souvenirs. Besides “making of” books and autographed materials, you might offer posters, stickers, t-shirts, caps and other items that commemorate the project.
• Behind-the-scenes photos, videos, and booklets. Items that show the people, concept work and other elements featured within the project—especially if there is a large visual component to it.
• Opportunities to affect the project’s eventual outcome. Some film, book, music, TV, theater and video game projects allow backers to suggest how stories develop, the contents included in the finished package, and featured subjects or locations.
• Making your backers part of the product. Several creative projects allow backers to be a character within the narrative, soundtrack or action itself.
• Giving contributors credit. It’s always a good idea to thank your backers, but sometimes there are ways to do so publicly: within the product itself (e.g. liner notes, book, or game credits) or at surrounding events. Be generous with donors.
• Combined rewards. These rewards combine several other rewards into one or bundle several pricing tiers worth of incentives together. Many successful campaigns use an “all of the above” strategy, offering simple rewards at lower tiers and then add extras on top of them.
• Exclusive access. Chances to meet people who are part of the creative team behind various projects or related notables (e.g. actors, directors, musicians, artists, online celebrities, etc.).
• Private parties, events, and occasions. Some projects offer special events as a reward to donors—usually at the highest pricing tiers. These may include invitations to exclusive launch parties, private events held in backers’ honor or private concerts.

There are lots of options when it comes to creating unique, eye-catching and memorable rewards. Pick the ones that fit your project best.

The electronic version of The Crowdfunding Bible is available now for free download.

Some guidelines to help you decide if this is the time to jumpstart your new venture.

Facebook's IPO will likely spawn a new generation of entrepreneurs. A number of Facebook alums have already invested in their own start-ups, but there are millions more young people who will now look to create the next big thing.

It's an exciting time to be a young entrepreneur, given how easy technology can make running a business. But first you have to ask yourself: Do I have what it takes? Do I really want to start a business? Is now the right time? Is it too risky?

No one can tell you the answer. There's no calculation that can make it a sure bet either way. But here's how I look at it. In my view, there are two types of entrepreneurs: those who come to this vocation by nature; the other by nurture.

A natural entrepreneur is someone who takes risks no matter what, and sees some of them hit really big. Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs come to mind. That said, the majority of entrepreneurs are "nurture" types; they are people who take a calculated risk to start a business because they have a particular skill set that enables them to.

If you're a nurture type, you will probably think through your decision to start a company very carefully. The odds may be against you, but you see some reasons a venture may not be too risky, especially if you are young and starting your career.

Here are some reasons to start your entrepreneurial adventure sooner rather than later:

• Freedom. People are waiting longer than ever to have kids and get married. Before that life transition, and the accompanying responsibilities and expenses, throw yourself into your business. Make it count by selfishly devoting yourself to your dream.

• Passion. The vast majority of entrepreneurs don't go into business to become rich. There are thousands more 10-year successes than overnight successes, so you better enjoy what you're doing. This is a chance to make a career out of something you love.

• Jobs. You may start out on your own, but eventually you could be building a place for other people to work and prosper. The more growing new businesses that sprout up, the more job growth we'll see.

• Education. You learn the most from failure. If your first entrepreneurial go doesn't work out, you can still work in the area where skills lie. Or, maybe you'll be more prepared a second time around. Building a business takes lots of patience.

Hats off to those who can sell a new app for a billion dollars, but it's more likely going to be a slow climb. I know it was for SurePayroll. No matter what happens, you'll discover great things about business, and yourself, along the way.

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What's better than data to a marketer? Getting a true emotional response from your audience. Here are the questions you need to ask first.

Marketers are positively drowning in data. You don't need to take my word for it: A recent survey of some 1,700 chief marketing officers worldwide by IBM Consulting said marketers are being in some ways paralyzed by the reams of research they're being provided.

Aside from eye strain, migraine headaches, and other occasional physical side effects, the mounds of data are impairing, if not disabling, the one quality great marketers (and entrepreneurs for that matter) depend on: their gut instinct.

Indeed, Christa Carone, Xerox's chief marketing officer, recently opined, "I fear that marketers' access to and obsession with measuring everything takes away from the business of real marketing. It's impossible to measure squishier, meaningful intangibles, such as human emotions, personal connection, and the occasional 'ahhh' moment. Those things often come with a marketer's intuition and they deliver big time.”

I agree with Ms. Carone. It's important not just to collect data, but to feel what your audience is feeling on a personal level: as humans, rather than data points in a report. That's why my team has begun asking the "why" question whenever we have the opportunity to go beyond a client's market research data. The latter is superb for answering the who, what, when and where questions necessary to sell a product, service or organization. But, data fails miserably when it comes to providing answers to the why and how questions. Stated simply, market research disconnects marketers from the human contact that is so crucial to triggering an executive's gut instincts and eliciting an ahhh.

Here are three recent examples of how we've used the why question to glean insights left unearthed by the clients' market research:

• A major technology corporation conducted quarterly surveys of its employees that told them everything except why their workers weren't engaging with the organization's internal communications. By sitting alongside a handful of employees at different levels and from different business units, we found out why. We learned that they were already overwhelmed with information from internal and external sources. And we could see first-hand, as they worked in real time, that there was no space on their computer screens for any more input. How, we asked, can internal information become a must-read? Easy, they responded, explain how the company can help us do a better job, get a raise and promotion, and we'll find the space. We've since retrofitted the employee communications and workers are now engaging.

• A professional services firm was trying to connect better with chief financial officers. Thanks to decks upon decks of research, they knew all there was to know about the world of a CFO, except how to engage with him (Note: more than 90 percent of the CFOs in the client's target base are male). Empowered to speak to a number of CFOs for an hour each, we asked a series of why questions. Why you do ignore our client's thought leadership? Why do you instead go to certain conferences to learn what's next and make connections? And, why are you having so much difficulty making connections at those conferences? The answer to the final question produced one of many ahhh moments for us and our clients. CFOs were too busy to connect with other CFOs in advance of the conferences they attended. If our client could become, in effect, an eHarmony for CFOs, they'd provide a clear value-added benefit that would set them apart from competitors. Guess who is now setting meetings for CFOs?

• A financial services firm in a highly competitive, highly commoditized industry was desperately trying to appear hip and relevant to the college and university students it needed to recruit for future growth. Yet, despite endless surveys and on-campus seminars, no apparent differentiator bubbled to the surface. So we took the time to follow a mix of undergrads and graduate students from our client's target schools on their online job search journeys, as they made various decisions about a future employer. At each step, we asked why they visited a particular chat room, web site or blogger. When they finally arrived at our client's site and then exited just as quickly, we again asked why. "Simple," one female student told us. "I'm a triathlete and am worried the 24x7 nature of your client's business will prevent me from pursuing my passion." Market research had told our client that work-life balance was a big concern for incoming employees. They thought they had adequately addressed it online. But as the recruitee told us, "I saw a lot about work, but not much about life." We confirmed that oversight when we analyzed their online presence. As are result, our client not only switched the mix, but, critically, told one work-life balance story through the eyes of actual triathletes working at the firm.

Nothing is more challenging in today's frenetic workplace than pausing to put yourself in the shoes of your audiences so you can find out why they do, or don't, engage with your product, service or organization. But, I'd argue it's never been more important to find the time to ask the why and how questions. If you do, I guarantee you’ll be the one emitting the next ahhh.

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