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.
We’ve frequently talked about facts versus perceptions in past issues of this newsletter, and how differently people tend to view the same things. As it was once said, “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” Here are some things you’ll find interesting....
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This isn’t about changing engineers (that’s just creepy), it’s about helping technically oriented people understand how and why people resist change. Most of the work that you do ultimately leads to some kind of change that people are required to accept in their lives, and believe it or not, there’s ...
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Working with the public and facilitating groups, especially oftentimes upset people, isn’t for the faint of heart – it takes courage, and courage requires confidence. For most healthy people, I think confidence can ebb and flow; it isn’t an absolute constant, and sometimes, when confidence is a little low it’s ...
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Good issue and stakeholder assessments are key to planning and executing effective public participation projects. The more we really know about the issues and nuances and the more we learn about the people who will be or think they’ll be affected by some action or plan, the more we’ll understand ...
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If you’re ‘lucky’ enough to deal with public confrontations and tough meetings in your work, you know that managing your own emotions and reactions is one of the challenges of the facilitation profession. I hope you’ll find the following useful....
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One of the behavior changes that we talk about is giving affirmation and respect to people. And no, I don’t mean pandering to bad behavior or bad ideas, but giving people some respect for the way they feel and even maybe some empathy for the fact that the system runs ...
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Most meetings and hearings are naturally scheduled evenings when more people are available, which makes perfect sense most of the time. Some time ago it was decided that most government organizations can’t spend taxpayer dollars on even basic refreshments for people who come to these meetings – the ubiquitous cookies ...
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You might have noticed that listening is one of the 10 rules in the previous Ted Talk, so these next two dig a little deeper.
You’re a bad listener, here’s how to remember what people say.
When listening isn’t enough.
There are reasons why we hate to listen, ...
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