Behavioral science is the science of how people behave. Or not. Working with the public, you know that human behavior can be hard (but not impossible) to predict and uncivil at times, delightful at others. Here you can read a collection of the latest news, handpicked by our seasoned and expert facilitators and trainers. Keeping up to date with the latest in behavioral science helps you better understand the people with whom you work and those you represent. And better understanding leads to better anticipation and preparation. As a result, better communication and facilitation is bound to happen. Read on, fearless facilitator, and be sure to send us a note about your reactions.
Growing up in America’s cheese state and having lived, and then worked, all across this country has shown me that people, although similar in many ways, are weirdly different in specific parts of the U.S. It appears that we have three very different personalities: friendly and conventional, relaxed and creative, ...
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A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is a lovely, thoughtful film. Whether you or your kids grew up watching Mr. Rogers or not, go see it. Especially this holiday season, given our current state of public discourse and general political discombobulation and the work that we all do. You’ll feel ...
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This story was penned by an experienced academic and practicing mediator, but everything in it really resonated for me and I thought you might like these six basic lessons....
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Competence, integrity and empathy are key ingredients when it comes to who we trust, which explains why many people have a difficult time trusting those who hold power over us. Read More …...
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Roger Schank is a cognitive scientist who said, “Humans are not ideally set up to understand logic; they are ideally set up to understand stories.” The days of experts delivering data and facts to educate and motivate people are over. We love stories because we’re able to inject ourselves into ...
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Facts and data will inform, but emotion is what motivates change and decisions. Emotional triggers are behind every behavior, including the ones that you need to elicit from the people you’re trying to reach and involve. Perceptions drive people to engage with you and emotion will motivate them to co-produce ...
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You might also consider that aside from the bot-generated posts and the active campaign to game the online world, real people like being mad. Really. We’re wired to … kinda get off on being angry; it’s a dopamine kick, a feel-good release of endorphins. And it works extra well online...
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If you’ve ever wondered if one of your more extrupulent (Yeah, I know there’s no such word … but it’s my newsletter) meeting attendees might be suffering from a lack of oxygen to the brain, we now have the answer – possibly. A recent study says “small rooms can build ...
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The power of an apology can’t be dismissed. When people feel like they’ve been mistreated, nothing less than an apology by the perpetrator will suffice – if you want some kind of decent relationship with the mistreated. But it’s incredibly difficult for ego driven people to accept or do it. ...
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It’s a tough work environment for people in a lot of organizations these days with forced changes, shutdowns and shifting priorities. People are on edge, and understandably so. Keeping things moving internally usually falls on the shoulders of communicators and group leaders, so I thought you might be able to ...
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