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“Introverts don’t feel they know enough about a subject until they know almost everything.”

This hit me between the eyes. 

Marti Olsen Laney, author of The Introvert Advantage, goes on to explain that introverts:

• Can imagine the vastness of any subject;
• Have experienced brain-lock, so over prepare to avoid going blank, and
• Don’t talk about what they are thinking, so don’t receive feedback and perspective on how much they already know. 

If you...

Did you know where people sit can have an impact on whether they’ll agree with you?

If you want to improve the chances of consensus, arrange chairs in a circular formation.

If you instead want people to retain their independence, set the chairs in an angular formation.

The difference is how the environment cues decision-making.

According to 2017 research, in a circular formation, our need for belonging is cued, so we’re more likely to be consensus driven.

In an angular...

Your job will never be as easy as it is today.

I’m not talking about AI and other technologies.

I’m talking about hindsight.

You’ll look back and think life was easy.

Because things will only get more chaotic, more complex and more compressed.

If that thought exhausts you, there’s no better time than now to learn how humans are wired to make decisions, because that’s something that won’t change.

Here's how.

Can your mindset transform your life?

That's what science journalist David Robson seeks to answer in his book, The Expectation Effect, the latest in my Book Bites series.

In Book Bites I share my top 3 takeaways from something I've read.

You might find this clip interesting if you want to know:

• What makes us less likely to feel full after a meal
• When sharing bad news can exacerbate it, and
• How to maintain mental stamina

94% of consumers said they were willing to pay a price premium for an energy efficient lightbulb, but only one-third actually purchased the product.

This is the problem of “Willingness-to-Pay (WTP)” research, and why not all behavioural studies are the same.

When people are asked a hypothetical, like “would you buy this product?” or “how much would you pay?”, they give you their best guess. As well intentioned as their answer might be, it...

There’s some phrasing we’ve got to stop using because it undermines the point we're trying to make.

See if you can spot the problem:

• “I can’t recommend this paper enough”
• “I would not hesitate to recommend…”
• “Couldn’t recommend anyone more for this”

Do you see it?

Can’t, wouldn’t, couldn’t.

When we start praise with a negative, that’s what people hear.

Instead, when offering praise use:

"I...

Any pathway looks smooth from a distance. Yet, as you walk along it, bumps and cracks appear at your feet.

This phenomenon mirrors our perception of time:

• The future and past appear abstract, blurry, and smooth due to their distance.
• The present is concrete, with details—both good and bad—in high definition.

This insight can inform how you communicate with customers and colleagues:

1. For future events:

   - Use abstract language to describe long-term...

The decisions you make at the end of your day are likely to differ from those you make earlier on.

Even if you are a highly trained doctor.

That’s what researchers discovered when they tracked 204 doctors over 17 months and 21,867 visits.

As the day wore on, the doctors prescribed more unnecessary antibiotics. 5% more, in fact.

Decision fatigue has a bearing on the types of decisions we make.

While researchers have different theories on why and to what extent, as a general rule...

You'll likely encounter three types of painful people in business. Know-it-alls, People Pleasers and Obstinates.

In this 7 minute clip I share how to identify each, and what to do to influence them.

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I've been having serious computer issues recently – repeated crashes and lots of frustrating downtime. 

The immediate cause is iMovie, the video editing software I use. I've been putting up with these problems because I know how to use the software and all my videos are stored there

However, this isn't just a technology issue; it's a behavioural one. 

I'm sacrificing productivity and sanity for the comfort of familiarity. 

By clinging to what I know, even though...