On this episode, I explore the concept of denial; something we know is bad on an individual level. But what happens when denial takes place on an industrial scale? That's literally what my guest on this episode Barbara Freese, explores in her new book Industrial Strength Denial. Barbara is an environmental attorney who explores some high profile cases of where corporations have done things that are harmful. Yet faced with proof that they are hurting people or the planet, they deny evidence, blam...
Aug 26, 2020•1 hr
How can we use creativity to solve complex business problems? That's what Kelly Peters, my guest on this episode does. Kelly is the CEO and co-founder of BEWorks, a purpose-driven company whose goal is to transform society and the economy through scientific thinking. In simple terms, to use behavioral science to get better business outcomes. BEWorks supports Fortune 100 companies and governments to solve strategic challenges, through creative thinking. On the show, we talk about how Kelly came t...
Aug 24, 2020•57 min
Why do things often not turn out the way we planned them? That's what my guest, Paul Orlando is interested in discovering. In his blog 👉 https://unintendedconsequenc.es/ Paul explores Unintended Consequences and what he calls Second-Order Thinking. In other words, a failure to think about the second-order implications of events. Looking at topics as wide-ranging as autonomous vehicles and shoplifting, Paul explores this key aspect of failure in human decision-making. On this episode, we dive in...
Aug 21, 2020•1 hr
"Why Can't We All Just Get Along?" is a question that we've probably all asked at some point in recent times. And it's one that my guest on this episode, Iain Dale, seeks to answer in his brand new book which has that as its title. Iain is an award-winning radio presenter on the UK station LBC ( www.lbc.co.uk ). He's had a fascinating career, as a political candidate, a publisher and a host of other things. In our discussion, we talk about Iain's experiences on radio and what that's taught him a...
Aug 19, 2020•1 hr 1 min
What would you do if someone made false allegations online about your home city? Would you go into battle on social media? You would if you're my guest on this episode. Dan Kaszeta was so annoyed by the suggestions that his adopted city of London had 'no go' zones, that he disproved it and then took on others who, with no basis, suggested he was wrong. Dan isn't just an internet troll hunter, he's also a world expert in nerve agents, which form the subject of his latest book. I like having an ec...
Aug 13, 2020•1 hr 8 min
In industries where human error can be the difference between life & death, how can we manage Human Risk? The answer is Human Factors, a specialism that blends Behavioural Science & Psychology into operating processes, to ensure that Human Risk is mitigated by design. My guest on this episode Neil Clark, is the founder of IHF - Integrated Human Factors. He came to my attention because of this project that he was working on in Edinburgh: https://www.insider.co.uk/special-reports/how-fight...
Aug 11, 2020•58 min
You’ve heard of Zoom Fatigue. But what about Zoom Trauma? It sounds extreme, but an article by my guest on this episode Hanna Thomas Uose suggests that this is precisely what we’re experiencing. I was so intrigued by what she had to say, that I invited Hanna onto the show to talk about it. In our discussion, we explore why she thinks that and what we can begin to improve things. We discuss why Zoom (and other video channels) are so traumatic and what thoughts Hanna has about how we can begin to ...
Aug 08, 2020•58 min
As the risks of failing to comply with regulations & ethical standards increase, how can we ensure that employees do what we want them to? This question underpins my whole Human Risk mission; if we see it as an exercise in rule-making, we're likely to deliver frameworks that look good on paper, but fail to understand the underlying human components of what makes people do the things we don't want them to in the first place. I'm a proponent of "Bringing Science to Compliance". As is my guest....
Aug 06, 2020•1 hr 6 min
What can we learn about Human Risk from Football? Or Soccer for my US listeners? On this episode, I speak with Raphael Honigstein. Rapha is a sports journalist who covers football (soccer for US listeners) for several media outlets including The Athletic & BT Sport. In our broad-ranging talk, we explore the Human Risk dynamics of a sport where psychology is a prime factor. In our discussion, I firstly ask Rapha about his passion for the game and how he became a sports journalist. Then we exp...
Aug 03, 2020•1 hr 4 min
What can we learn about Human Risk from industries, like aviation, where the consequences of errors are matters of life & death. That's a question my guest this time, Andrew Blackie, is more than qualified to answer. He's an independent Safety and Human Factors consultant at Abris Consulting Ltd ( http://www.abris.co.uk/) . Abris takes aviation safety investigation techniques and applies them to help build operational excellence in the wider safety critical community. Andrew was a Senior Ins...
Jul 28, 2020•1 hr 6 min
How can we stop people from engaging in anti-social behaviour? That's not usually a question you'd ask someone from a marketing agency. But it's precisely the kind of problem that Benoît de Fleurian, my guest on this episode, likes helping his clients to solve. Benoît is the Head of the Behavioural Science for Ogilvy Consulting in Paris. He's worked on campaigns to tackle childhood obesity, gambling and many other social challenges. I came across Benoît because of this video he produced for Ogil...
Jul 26, 2020•53 min
How can Behavioural Science help get better healthcare outcomes? That's the topic I'm exploring with my guest Aline Holzwarth. She's a Behavioral Scientist working in digital healthcare. Aline is also the founder of Behavior Shop, a consultancy, as well as being a Principal at Dan Ariely's Center for Advanced Hindsight at Duke University. In our discussion, as well as looking at health more broadly, we also explore what we can learn from COVID-19; how have the techniques being deployed to change...
Jul 24, 2020•59 min
What is Privilege? It's a word that's being used very frequently, but what is it, why is it undesirable and what can we do about it? All questions that my guest on this episode, Grace Lordan, helps me answer. We also explore Cognitive Diversity: what is it and why does it matter? Grace is an Associate Professor in Behavioural Science at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Hger research is focused on understanding why some individuals succeed over others because of factors beyon...
Jul 16, 2020•58 min
What happens when a global organization has policies & procedures that clash with local customs & norms? The answer is that you risk non-compliance. Which is where Cultural Compliance comes in and it's the topic of my conversation with my guest Michael Kuckein. Michael is a Compliance Officer working for a global firm and based in Istanbul, Turkey. His experience representing a Western company in a culture where the norms are somewhat different, reveals much about the challenges of ensur...
Jul 14, 2020•1 hr 12 min
On this episode, I speak to Matt Edwards an expert in marketing. Matt has over 25 years of experience in the industry, having begun his career as a graduate at Saatchi & Saatchi and then becoming CEO of Creative Agency WCRS. He now advises clients on getting a better return for their marketing investment. Matt's website is https://mattedwardsconsulting.com/ and you can find him here on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattedwardsconsulting/...
Jul 11, 2020•1 hr 4 min
Very often, when we're trying to solve a problem, we can find the answer in a previous one. So as we try to get people to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID, what might we learn from the techniques used to prevent the spread of HIV? On this episode, I'm speaking to Dr Jill McDevitt who is a sexologist. She has three degrees in human sexology so is well qualified to help explore what is an unusual topic, but highly relevant ot the podcast. As the subject matter covers adult themes, listene...
Jul 08, 2020•1 hr 2 min
On this episode, I speak with Professor Anu Bradford of Columbia Law School about the subject of her new book, The Brussels Effect. This is the idea that the EU wields far more influence on global affairs than might first seem the case. In our discussion, we talk about how this happens, why it isn't obvious to people and what it means for all of us; whether you're living in Brexited Britain or in a country that seems so distant from the EU, that they can't possibly be influencing your life. Or c...
Jul 07, 2020•1 hr 1 min
On this episode, I speak to Dr Sarah Eaton, an Assistant Professor at the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary. She specialises in educational leadership, academic integrity, language learning and educational technology. In our discussion, we talk about ethical issues that include Exam Cheating, Research Ethics and how these are being impacted by COVID-19. Whether you're in education, have kids in it or your last exam was many years ago, this is a fascinating exploration of ...
Jul 03, 2020•52 min
Have you ever found yourself 'on fire' — not literally (I hope!) — but in terms of being on good form? On this episode, I speak to Ben Cohen, the author of "The Hot Hand: The Mystery and Science of Streaks". Ben is a sports reporter for the Wall St Journal, who was inspired by a basketball game, to explore a phenomenon that is well understood in the sport. In our discussion, we talk about the incident that got Ben interested in the phenomenon and the other cases of it that he explores in his boo...
Jul 01, 2020•50 min
On this episode, I'm speaking to Gerald Ashley who specialises in Business Risk and Decision Making. His work concentrates on trying to understand decision making, risk-taking and human behaviour, in the face of uncertainty. “In the slippery world of Risk, Uncertainty, Change and Complexity –hard and fast rules can be rare, and sometimes a trap.” as he puts it. Prior to concentrating on decision making analysis, Gerald had a 25-year career in international finance, having worked for Baring Broth...
Jun 28, 2020•54 min
How can Behavioural Science help with design? On this episode, I speak with Dr Amy Bucher who is the VP of Behavior Change Design at Mad*Pow, a purpose–driven strategic design agency in Boston She's the author of a new book called Engaged: Designing for Behavior Change 👉 https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/engaged-designing-for-behavior-change/ Amy crafts engaging and motivating experiences that help people change behaviors that contribute to physical, mental, and financial health and well–being. ...
Jun 26, 2020•49 min
On this, the 50th episode of the podcast, I'm speaking with Professor Charles Spence who heads the Crossmodal Research Laboratory at Oxford University. He is interested in how people perceive the world around them. In particular, how our brains manage to process the information from each of our different senses (such as smell, taste, sight, hearing, and touch) to form the extraordinarily rich multisensory experiences that fill our daily lives. In our discussion, we explore how the way our food a...
Jun 18, 2020•1 hr 1 min
On this episode, I speak with Dr. Nick Hobson of The Behaviorist. Not only does he hold a PhD in Behavioral Science, but he's also the host of a wonderful podcast. In our discussion, we explore (to paraphrase the name of his podcast) a load of BS. Nick's website - https://www.behaviorist.biz/ His podcast - https://www.behaviorist.biz/bspodcast
Jun 12, 2020•58 min
On this episode, I speak with Melina Palmer, host of The Brainy Business podcast. Melina uses Behavioural Science to help everyone from global corporations to entrepreneurs understand the psychology of why people buy, unlocking the secrets of small changes that make a big difference via her podcast, public speaking, and column on Inc.com. She specialises in messaging, branding, advertisements, pricing and products that are more “brain-friendly". The Brainy Business Website - https://www.thebrain...
Jun 10, 2020•52 min
On this episode, I speak with Florentin Blanc who is a Senior Policy Analyst at the OECD. In his work, he explores the effectiveness of regulation. Recently he has been looking at how different countries have responded to COVID-19 and in our discussion, we look at what has worked well and what hasn't. Not only is this of interest to each of us as citizens, but it is also helpful from a Human Risk perspective, as we can learn from what works (and doesn't) in this context and look to deploy the fi...
Jun 09, 2020•57 min
This episode is a cross-cast of Episode 10 of the Breaking The Fever Podcast. It features JS Nelson, Associate Professor of Law at Villanova University, Pennsylvania who speaks about her work on surveillance, management culture, and compliance. The workplace has seen a striking acceleration of surveillance-led management over the past several years, and the pandemic has given these efforts more momentum. Nelson described why surveillance can often be counterproductive to effective organizational...
Jun 05, 2020•1 hr 16 min
In this episode I speak to Dr. Grace Lordan who is an Associate Professor in behavioural science at the London School of Economics. She is an economist by background, and her research is focused on understanding why some individuals succeed over others because of factors beyond their control. In this regard, she has expertise on the effects of unconscious bias, discrimination and technology changes. Grace is also interested in using the techniques of behavioural science to design interventions f...
Jun 05, 2020•1 hr 6 min
What can a comedian, travel writer and hidden camera TV star teach us about human risk? A lot. On this episode, I speak to comedian and travel writer Dom Joly to gain his insights. We explore the psychology of hidden camera television, the behavioural aspects of travelling and look at the dynamics of satire in the current environment. You can find more information about Dom and his work on his website www.domjoly.tv and do follow him on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/domjoly) & Instagram ( ht...
Jun 03, 2020•1 hr 2 min
On this episode, I speak with Behavioural Science (BeSci) guru and Advertising expert Rory Sutherland. He's the Vice Chairman of Ogilvy and the founder of its BeSci practice. He's also a prolific thought-leader on the subject. It might seem surprising to have an Ad Man talking about Compliance, but as you'll discover, he's got some highly relevant (and entertaining) insights! On the podcast, we mention: Nudgestock, the Ogilvy BeSci festival on 12th June - www.nudgestock.co.uk Rory's book 'Alchem...
May 31, 2020•1 hr 3 min
On this episode, I speak with Professor Benjamin van Rooij who specialises in exploring the impact Laws have on Human Behaviour. He's recently been doing some research into the impact of COVID regulations in a number of jurisdictions. We discuss what he's discovered thus far and what he thinks the future of Compliance under COVID could look like. He also highlights the factors that determine whether or not people are compliant and what governments can do to make things more effective. This is an...
May 25, 2020•1 hr 5 min
