Nuala Walsh - author of Tune In: How to Make Smarter Decisions in a Noisy World
Episode description
“The more successful you are the more vulnerable you are to bias”. Nuala Walsh has identified 200 biases that affect all our decisions! In her book Tune In: How to Make Smarter Decisions in a Noisy World she explores how biases cloud judgment and why even smart, successful people make bad decisions. Drawing from her 30-year career in the corporate world and her behavioural science expertise, she’s created the Perimeters Framework—a practical tool to help individuals and organizations mitigate decision risk.
00:00 – Intro: The Real Risk Is Decision Risk
Bruce introduces the core theme of decision risk and welcomes guest Nuala Walsh.
01:30 – Why Nuala Walsh Chose Decision Science
Nuala shares her corporate background and what drew her to behavioural science.
04:15 – What Is ‘Decision Risk’?
Exploring why poor decision-making is often overlooked compared to economic or political risks.
05:40 – The Perimeters Framework: 10 Decision Traps
Nuala introduces her signature framework derived from 200 cognitive biases.
09:29 – Bias Bingo and Real-World Case Studies
From Trump to Theranos—how bias shows up in politics, business, and history.
12.23 – The Myth of Fast Decisions
The problem with speed over substance and the lure of decisiveness in leadership.
14:10 – Slowing Down with Decision Friction
Tactics for creating pause, using reflection, and the 5 Why’s method.
21:00 – Emotion, Fear & The Probability Test
Strategies to remove emotion and fear from high-stakes decisions.
23:15 – Regret, Self-Awareness & Long-Term Learning
How regret shapes future behaviour and why self-awareness is critical.
25:49 – Final Insights & Tools for Better Decisions
Reflection on key lessons and practical tools from Nuala’s work.
Resources & Mentions
- Book: Tune In: How to Make Smarter Decisions in a Noisy World by Nuala Walsh
- Framework: The Perimeters Framework – 10 decision traps based on over 200 cognitive biases
- Referenced Thought Leaders:
- Noah Yuval Harari – “True power means knowing what to ignore.”
- Morgan Housel – Same as Ever, focusing on what doesn’t change
- Mary Budd Rowe – Research on reflection improving judgment
- Adam Grant – Challenger Networks for diverse thinking
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