Katy Milkman, a Wharton professor and author of "How to Change," dives deep into the psychology of behavior change. She highlights that 40% of premature deaths result from choices we can control, offering insights on improving decision-making. Katy emphasizes the power of 'fresh start' moments and the importance of engaging the 'movable middle' in organizations to drive transformation. She also debunks the myth of positive visualization, advocating for pre-mortems to predict challenges instead. A fresh look at change management!
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insights INSIGHT
Impact of Daily Decisions
40% of premature deaths are due to changeable daily decisions.
This highlights the significant impact of our choices on health outcomes.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Fresh Start Effect
Katy Milkman discusses the "fresh start effect," where people are more motivated to change during times like New Year's.
These moments feel like new beginnings and can be leveraged for change initiatives.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Effective Fresh Starts
Leverage existing organizational markers like the close of a quarter or year to launch new goals.
Create a distinct experience, like an offsite, to enhance the feeling of a fresh start.
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The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
Katy Milkman
In this ground-breaking book, Katy Milkman reveals a proven path to help readers move from where they are to where they want to be. Drawing on her original research and the work of her world-renowned scientific collaborators, Milkman shares strategic methods for identifying and overcoming common barriers to change, such as impulsivity, procrastination, and forgetfulness. The book offers innovative approaches like 'temptation bundling,' using timely reminders, and creating 'set-it-and-forget-it systems' to make change more achievable. It emphasizes the importance of tailoring solutions to specific roadblocks and using science to stack the deck in favor of successful change.
Influence
The Psychology of Persuasion
Robert Cialdini
In this highly acclaimed book, Dr. Robert B. Cialdini explains the psychology behind why people say yes and how to apply these insights ethically. The book outlines six universal principles of influence: Reciprocation, Commitment and Consistency, Social Proof, Liking, Authority, and Scarcity. The new and expanded edition includes a seventh principle, Unity, along with new research, insights, and examples. Cialdini uses memorable stories and relatable examples to make the subject accessible and easy to understand, helping readers become more skilled persuaders and defend themselves against unethical influence attempts.
Stumbling on Happiness
Daniel Gilbert
In 'Stumbling on Happiness,' Daniel Gilbert delves into the human capacity to imagine the future and why we are often poor at predicting what will make us happy. Gilbert argues that our imagination is flawed in several ways: it adds or removes details, extrapolates from the present, and fails to account for the psychological immune system that helps us cope with undesired outcomes. The book uses scientific research from psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and behavioral economics to explain why we consistently misjudge our future satisfaction and how this affects our decisions. Gilbert also suggests that understanding these biases can help us make better choices and gain more control over our pursuit of happiness.
Fresh starts supercharge change initiatives, pre-mortems predict failure points before they happen, and the “movable middle” holds the key to transformation success.
Ever notice how change initiatives start with a bang but fizzle by February? As someone leading organizational change, you’ve probably seen this pattern too many times.
In this episode, I explore these challenges with Katy Milkman, professor at Wharton and author of “How to Change.” She shares a mind-blowing insight: 40% of premature deaths come from changeable daily decisions – which got me thinking about how this applies to organizational transformation.
We dig into practical tools for change leaders, including how to diagnose resistance (spoiler: your assumptions are probably wrong), why traditional change management wisdom fails, and what actually moves people to embrace new ways of working.
Plus, Katy busts one of the most persistent myths in change management. Turns out all that “visualize success” stuff? Not backed by science at all.
Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change management.
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