Why might an innocuous-sounding word we all use, result in a social injustice? The answer is: when that word is ‘accident’. It’s something we hear all the time. “Sorry, it was just an accident” or “there’s been a traffic accident’.But have you ever stopped to think about the impact the word has? I hadn’t until I read the book by my guest journalist Jessie Singer. In ‘There Are No Accidents’, she explains that the vast majority of mishaps are not random but predictable and preventable. What’s more, the term “accident” also changes how we look at things that go wrong. Perhaps surprisingly, the word protects those in power and leaves the most vulnerable in harm’s way, preventing investigations, pushing off debts, blaming the victims, diluting anger, and even sparking empathy for the perpetrators.
During our discussion, Jessie explains how the death of a close friend prompted her to write the book and what she’s learned from studying a wide range of accidents and why we need to think differently about accidents if we want to save lives and build a more just society.To find out more about Jessie’s book There Are No Accidents: The Deadly Rise of Injury and Disaster — Who Profits and Who Pays the Price visit https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/There-Are-No-Accidents/Jessie-Singer/9781982129668To find out more about Jessie, visit her website - http://jessiesinger.com/During our discussion, we talk about:The concepts of Jay Driving — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay-driver and the more common Jay Walking https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JaywalkingHugh Dehaven, the pilot who pioneered crash injury research - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_DeHavenThe Grenfell Tower Fire — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenfell_Tower_fireGrenfell was also covered in an episode of this show, in a two-part discussion with Gill Kernick. Find part one here: 👉 https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/gill-kernick-on-the-grenfell-tower-disaster-part-one/Grenfell also features on this show, in a two-part discussion with Gill Kernick. Part One here: https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/gill-kernick-on-the-grenfell-tower-disaster-part-one/The Electric Hummer - https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a39270970/hummer-ev-proves-were-making-all-the-same-mistakes-again/

Why might insubordination be a good thing? Normally when we use that word, it’s seen as a negative. 
But there’s an alternative interpretation, where insubordination is seen as a positive, constructive challenge to traditional orthodoxy. For ideas to evolve and societies to progress — in other words, if we want to mitigate human risk - we need to cultivate rebels who are committed to challenging conventional wisdom and improving on it. But change is never easy. And it's not easy being a rebel. Particularly if you don’t have the skills to overcome hostile audiences who cling desperately to the way things are. Which is where my guest comes in.He’s Todd Kashdan, Professor of psychology and director of the Well-Being Laboratory at George Mason University in Virginia. Todd’s research explores why people suffer, with an emphasis on the transition from normal to pathological anxiety.Todd has just written a book called ‘The Art of Insubordination: how to dissent and defy effectively’, which provides a toolkit for constructive insubordination. When I first came across Todd’s book — with huge thanks to friend of the show, Dr Zoe Chance — It’s incredible. It’s a book I wished I’d read decades ago and one I’m nos repeatedly dipping into as I work on delivering my human risk mission of bringing behavioural science to ethics & compliance. In our discussion, we explore what prompted Todd to write the book, why insubordination can be a good thing, what the obstacles are to being insubordinate and what we can all do to bring more insubordination into our lives.Some of the things we discuss on the show:
Todd and his research: https://toddkashdan.com/The Art of Insubordination: how to dissent & defy effectively - https://toddkashdan.com/the-art-of-insubordination/Serge Muscovici - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serge_MoscoviciDr Zoe Chance & her book ‘Influence Is Your Superpower’ - https://www.zoechance.com/Hear Zoe on this show here: https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/dr-zoe-chance-on-influence/Professor Vanessa Bohns & her book ‘You Have More Influence Than You Think’ - https://www.vanessabohns.com/Hear Vanessa on this show here: https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/professor-vanessa-bohns-on-influence/David Foster Wallace & his novel Infinite Jest - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_JestL’esprit de l’escalier, the idea that we always think of the perfect answer after the event - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27esprit_de_l%27escalier

What should you listen to when you’ve heard the entire Human Risk podcast back catalogue? I'm glad you asked. Because one of the aims of the show is to explore ideas, stories and people that can help to inspire us to think differently about human risk. And that includes pointing you in the direction of other content producers who have interesting things to say.On this special episode, I’m introducing a fellow podcaster who produces content that I think you’ll find interesting. Daniel Ross is the host of A Load of BS. The BS, of course, stands for Behavioural Science. Like this podcast, A Load of BS is a series of discussions with a wide range of people which seeks the answer as to why we do what we do and what can be done to influence that for good outcomes.Rather than just recommending you subscribe to Daniel’s show and newsletter, I thought I'd invite him into the studio for a chat. So, on this episode, I’m taking all things BS with Daniel Ross.You’ll find Daniel’s newsletter here: https://aloadofbs.substack.com/His show is available on all the major platforms, here's the link to the Apple Podcast feed: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a-load-of-bs-the-behavioural-science/id1575240086

Why should businesses get involved in politics? Traditionally companies have tried to avoid getting involved in political issues, because remaining apolitical, means you avoid offending anyone. But in the 21st century, there is an increasing expectation that companies will take a position.
As we’ve seen with the invasion of Ukraine, businesses have been taking steps to engage with the public mood. Some have ceased doing business in or with Russia or Russian clients, others have provided humanitarian support to refugees or practical help to the Ukrainian government.So what’s happening and how can companies navigate those challenges. That’s what my guest Dr Joe Zammit Lucia has just written a book about. In The New Political Capitalism: How Business and Societies Can Thrive in a Deeply Politicized World, Joe explores how modern businesses need to reflect the social values and cultural trends which shape the environment in which businesses operate and how an incredibly politicised set of stakeholders — from customers to employees and investors — are expecting companies to have a perspective on political issues.In our discussion, Joe explains to me why companies should and need to get involved in political issues and what that means for the way they’re run. We recorded this before the invasion of Ukraine took place, which is why there’s no reference to it in our conversation. To find out more about Joe’s book The New Political Capitalism visit: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/new-political-capitalism-9781472990198/You can read more about him here: https://radixuk.org/executiveboard/joe-zammit-lucia/

You can also follow Joe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/joezlTo hear the episode of this show featuring Béatrice Otto on the role of the Fool — https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/beatrice-otto-on-fools/

What drives people to follow careers that involve dangerous activities like skydiving & stunts? My guest is Nicole Smith-Ludvik, a professional skydiver and stuntwoman. Last year, Nicole starred in two incredible advertisements for Emirates, the Dubai based airline which featured Nicole standing on the top of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.If you haven’t seen the advertisements — and I recommend watching them before you listen to the show — then you can watch them here:Original ad from June 2021- https://youtu.be/uQHhYRuaEtMThe second ad featuring the Airbus A380 from January 2022 - https://youtu.be/fbL9QdWWJzoBehind The Scenes of the Original ad - https://youtu.be/HagU3vUp0Ck Behdin The Scenes of the Second ad - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAR1j6UfoG0What I find fascinating about Nicole is that she’s chosen a carer that involves taking real risk. Many of us talk about risk, but she actually runs genuine risk. And yet, as you’ll hear, she thinks very carefully about how she manages it.In our discussion, I learn how Nicole came to be interested in sky diving, how she thinks about risk, what she does to manage it, and what appeals to her about a carer that involves jumping out of planes. Of course, we explore the Emirates ads and I learn how they came about, what went into filming them and — world exclusive here – what Nicole would love to do if they ever film a third one.To read more about Nicole and her career:https://www.khaleejtimes.com/lifestyle/a-widow-at-25-to-surviving-a-critical-accident-how-nicole-smith-ludvik-made-it-to-the-top-of-the-bhttps://www.republicworld.com/world-news/middle-east/who-is-nicole-smith-ludvik-know-the-woman-who-stood-on-top-of-burj-khalifa-in-emirates-ad.htmlMy thanks to Emirates for giving permission for Nicole to appear and to Dr Roger Miles for the idea of inviting her on.
You can hear Roger’s previous appearances on the show here: https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/dr-roger-miles-on-conduct/https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/human-risk-webinar-recording-conduct/

Why would a bicycle delivery company ban its riders from wearing helmets? Depending on where you're reading this, you'll either think it's normal — hello, for example, to my Netherland's based listeners 🇳🇱 — or irresponsible. On this episode, I'm speaking to Ben Knowles, the CEO of PedalMe who is the man behind the company that made that decision.I'd heard of PedalMe, but not their policy. That changed, when they posted a thread on Social Media explaining the rationale behind it. Not only did they say why, but they posted details fo their risk management framework. It contained some fascinating insights and ideas.I wrote a LinkedIn blog on the subject, that sparked a lot of interest. You can read that — and watch a clip of Ben on a UK TV show discussing the subject — and see the debate it sparked here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/humanrisk_ethics-compliance-behaviouralscience-activity-6897141777678041088-CKwLGiven the level of interest, I thought I'd ask Ben onto the show and he agreed. So, in this special episode — special because I'm getting it out between teh normal schedule to encourage further discussion — I talk to Ben. We explore:- how Ben got into cycling & promoting cycling- where the idea for PedalMe came from and how they think about risk- why banning helmets is part of their attempt to reduce risk compensation- how they incentivise staff to report incidents- their leadership model and a whole lot more.To learn more about Pedal Me visit https://pedalme.co.uk/You'll find them on social media:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/pedalmeapp/Twitter - https://twitter.com/pedalmeappTo find Ben:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-knowles-49137748/

Why is something that happened in Iceland in 2008 still of relevance today? The answer is revealed by my guest Jared Bibler. He's the author of a book called 'Iceland's Secret: The Untold Story of the World's Biggest Con'.Having started his career working for a Wall Street Bank, Jared moved to Iceland in 2004, supporting the Icelandic pension funds' foreign investments. He resigned from his job at a leading Icelandic bank days before the 2008 Icelandic financial crisis and was subsequently hired to head a special investigation team at the Icelandic markets regulator. Jared and his team referred more than 30 criminal cases to the Special Prosecutor of Iceland, including the largest stock market manipulation cases to be prosecuted globally.In our discussion, we talk about Jared's career and what he learned while working on both sides of the regulatory fence. This is a tale of Human Risk on an epic scale — I thought I knew a lot about the Icelandic story, but what Jared reveals in his book is mindblowing!We also discuss Jared's motivation in writing the book and the response he's had both in Iceland and elsewhere. As you'll discover, there are many parallels between what happened in Iceland in 2008 and what is going on in other contexts today.For more on Jared and his book, visit https://icelandssecret.com/To learn about Iceland's history - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_IcelandMount Ejsa which dominates Reykjavik - https://visitreykjavik.is/city-areas/mosfellsbaer/mount-esja#The collapse of Lehman Brothers - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bankruptcy_of_Lehman_BrothersBethany Maclean, the reporter who broke the Enron story - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethany_McLeanJolabokaflod the Icelandic tradition of giving books for Christmas - https://www.countryliving.com/life/a46204/jolabokaflod-iceland-christmas-reading-tradition/Jared's webinar with Transparency International (in Icelandic) - https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=434772941474117Russell Napier - https://russellnapier.co.uk/

How can comic books reduce human risk? We've all seen airline safety cards that use imagery to communicate complex messages in a simple to understand way. So why couldn't we use that same logic for legal contracts? That's what my guest Professor Camilla Andersen, set out to discover when she stumbled across the idea during a conversation with a colleague.That led to the creation of Comic Book Contracts (CBCs). In our discussion, Camilla talks to me about the genesis of the idea and how CBCs are being and could be used. We also explore some of the unexpected benefits of this concept and how it doesn't just help people who aren't legal professionals. Surprisingly, it also has an impact on corporate culture. Listener Warning: the episode contains adult language. To find out more about Comic Book Contracts & see some examples visit the CBC website: https://www.comicbookcontracts.com/For more on Camilla and her work at the University of Western Australia visit: https://research-repository.uwa.edu.au/en/persons/camilla-andersenTo learn about Alternative Contracting, the business run by Camilla's husband that provides practical support in implementing the Comic Book Contracts: https://www.alternativecontracting.biz/Links to some of the other topics we discuss:Relational Contracting - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relational_contractThe Aurecon Visual Employment Contract - https://www.comicbookcontracts.com/aurecon-contractBankWest's Banking With Less BS - https://www.bankwest.com.au/about-us/bank-less

How can we become more influential?That’s a question that fascinates my guest on this episode, Dr Zoe Chance. She teaches a course on it at Yale and has just published a new book called Influence Is Your Superpower: The Science of Winning Hearts, Sparking Change, and Making Good Things Happen. In our discussion, we explore the simple ways in which we can all be more influential and how that can help us to fulfil our potential.To learn more about Zoe visit her website: https://www.zoechance.com/You’ll find Zoe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/zoebchance?s=20For more on Influence Is Your Superpower: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/603636/influence-is-your-superpower-by-zoe-chance/If you haven’t heard the previous episode of the show featuring Professor Vanessa Bohns, then do listen to that here: https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/professor-vanessa-bohns-on-influence/Some of the other things we discuss during the show:Influence by Dr Robert Cialdini - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28815.InfluencePredictably Irrational by Professor Dan Ariely - https://danariely.com/books/predictably-irrational/Restauranteur Danny Meyer at Yale - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN0afaCP-rAThe Game by Neil Strauss - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/900.The_GameFormer US President Jimmy Carter - https://www.cartercenter.org/about/experts/jimmy_carter.htmlTwo articles on poster Prince & his charisma - https://www.forbes.com/sites/ruthblatt/2013/05/28/improve-your-charisma-and-how-prince-did-it/https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/how-princes-charisma-helped-him-7814476Former US President Bill Clinton - https://www.clintonlibrary.gov/The Secret Life of Pronouns by James Pennebaker - https://www.secretlifeofpronouns.com/Thinking Fast & Slow by Professor Daniel Kahneman - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11468377-thinking-fast-and-slowExplanation of Systems One & Two - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,_Fast_and_SlowJonathan Haidt’s Elephant & Rider analogy - https://www.creativehuddle.co.uk/post/the-elephant-and-the-riderZoe’s tweet on why she doesn’t use the Elephant & Rider - https://twitter.com/zoebchance/status/1099743978868654081Jessica Calarco’s research on kids asking for help - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0003122411427177Illusionist Derren Brown - https://derrenbrown.co.uk/A video on the paperclip challenge introduced by Zoe - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEmNmMpBJN0The Luck Factor by Richard Wiseman - https://richardwiseman.wordpress.com/books/Apple CEO Tim Cook - https://www.apple.com/uk/leadership/tim-cook/Former US President Barack Obama - https://barackobama.com/

This episode is the second part of my discussion with Gill Kernick about the Grenfell Tower Disaster and the broader lessons we can draw from it.In the previous episode, Gill and I talked about Grenfell. I recommend listening to that before listening to this one. You'll find it here: https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/gill-kernick-on-the-grenfell-tower-disaster-part-one/Using historical examples like the 17th century Great Fire of London and a fire in the late 1990s at a gas plant in Australia, Gill illustrates that we didn't adequately learn many lessons from those incidents. I wanted to explore Gill's more significant picture thinking - having looked at past examples relevant to Grenfell, what lessons has she learned about human behaviour?Links to subjects we discuss:Gill's website - https://grenfellenquirer.blog/GIll's book - https://grenfellenquirer.blog/catastrophe-systemic-change-the-book/The Great Fire of London - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Fire_of_London