Watching people swelter through a European summer from wintry Melbourne, it’s hard to imagine what heat feels like.
This is a literal example of something we experience more often than we realise: the hot-cold empathy gap.
It’s the disconnect between how we think we’ll behave in a cold, rational, unaroused state, and how we actually behave in a hot, emotionally charged one.
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I might plan to go to the gym after work tomorrow, but feel too tired when the work day ends.
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I might imagine myself eating healthy meals all week, but find myself eating pizza by Friday night.
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I might think I’m a calm driver, forgetting the times I’ve tailgated someone who cut me off.
In business, the hot-cold empathy gap can impact the effectiveness of our initiatives.
For example:
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We design projects when energy is high and deadlines feel far away, then try to deliver them under pressure, with limited time and attention.
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We run training in calm, focused settings, then expect people to apply those lessons in messy, real-world situations when they’re hungry, frustrated, or both.
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We build customer journeys assuming people will behave logically, when many decisions happen in moments of distraction, stress, or emotional overload.
So, what to do?
Design for “hot” states, not “cold” intentions
Assume people will be tired, distracted or stressed, and plan accordingly.
Help them lock-it in
Gain commitment while people are in a cold-state, and make it harder to opt-out later. Deposits work this way. Implementation Intentions can help here, too, where people plan exactly what they’ll do when a situation arises.
Train for realism, not idealism
Make sure your training reflects the pressures people will actually face, not just the policies they’re supposed to follow.
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