E43 How to apply behavioural science to internal comms with Melina Palmer

This episode welcomes Melina Palmer to talk about her new book "What your employees need and can't tell you". She has also published "What your customer wants and can't tell you."

Melina is an applied behavioural economist with a passion for helping people use behavioural economics aka behavioural science. In the episode we explore the difference between behavioural economics and behavioural science and Melina explains in a fun, engaging way how change is like riding an elephant and what to do when you smell cookies.

Melina runs the global consultancy The Brainy Business, teaches  behavioural economics and hosts the incredible podcast The Brainy Business.

Timestamps

6:25 What is the difference between behavioural economics and behavioural science?

10:10 Change doesn't have to be bad

12:05 How to brace for change at work

14:51 Why reducing the cognitive load is so important

19:17 Deadlines deadlines deadlines

21:34 It's not about the cookies

24:00 How to use behavioural economics to get people to buy in to your idea

Quote from Melina 

"So in your brain, you have that logical conscious writer that has a plan, you know, where you're supposed to go, what you want to do the best way to get there, you're set, however, you are at the mercy of the elephant, which if it wants to, like run in another direction, or just sit down and not do anything, you can't push or pull or logic it to do what you want it to do." Melina Palmer

Three aha moments🧠

One: Cognitive load is everything. Why do we keep on pushing out more and more information on people during stress times? Melina explains the importance of cognitive load and the importance of not tipping into it when you are leading change management.

Two: It's not the change - it's how you communicate it. Melina shares a fantastic example of cookies to illustrate how the way the change is presented is the as - if not more - important that the change itself. (or cookie!)

Three: We are all elephant riders trying to calm our brains! A lovely way to understand system 1 and system 2. Where is your elephant taking you...?

 

The book that changed Melina's life

A more beautiful question.  The power of inquiry to spark breakthrough ideas by Warren Berger

 

Useful links

Free chapter:  ➡️ https://thebrainybusiness.com/ruth - use this link to get the first chapter of What your employees need but can't tell you free plus you will find all of Melina's podcast episodes here. They are all worth a listen! 

 Don't forget the next Behaviour Change Marketing  Bootcamp is on the 7th June 2023 and it's currently half price via the Earlybird! 

https://www.socialinsightmarketing.co.uk/bootcamp