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Surrounded by horses and riders

26/6/2013

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Not surprisingly, most of us act as if we are dealing with logical, rational thinking co-workers, be they colleagues or managers. Yet when we remember that every decision we make is taken at an emotional level first and only then rationalised and supported by logic, it stands to reason that they behave for at least some of the time in an illogical way.
Putting a visual framework on that, it's as if they are each two beings in one. Much as their 'emotionally' driven old-brains are inter-linked in many ways to the higher level cortex (which by its size alone makes us uniquely human), they often act as if they were distinct entities.
I find it helps to imagine people as double-brained beings when I interact with them; a rational thinking part which we all pretend to be and a strangely predictable instinctive part which can bring on emotions as varied as being loving and caring to being spiteful and dishonest.
Try imagining your office colleagues as horses and riders; the horse representing their instinctive older brain and their persona as a rider being the rational 'in-control' part we'd all like to think that we are. It would lead to a crowded office but it might explain some of the daily misunderstandings! More at: http://www.lazyhorses.com/the-horse-and-rider.html

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How to make better decisions

12/6/2013

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Many people believe that they can control the emotional elements involved when making decisions. They cannot. In fact those who are most sure of this 'fact' usually excel at post-decision rationalisation rather than having the ability to totally eliminate emotional impact. Examples abound and one that struck me recently was of the senior exec who declared he would never - for a host of very rational reasons - drive a Mercedes  (he drives a BMW).
This video of highlights from a BBC documentary made back in 2008 is still a good ice-breaker if you want to discuss this subject in your management team. Just 8 minutes long, it highlights different aspects of the decision-making process and features Dr de Martino's work which establishes how decision-making is largely balanced between the frontal lobes and the amygdala, a part of the older, reptilian brain.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/horizon/broadband/tx/decisions/highlights/.
He has now moved on to work on establishing the degree of confidence that people have in their decisions, having studied under Daniel Kahneman as part of a Wellcome post-doctorate fellowship.
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Featured in the video highlights: Dr B Martino from UCL London
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The Art of Telling Stories

8/6/2013

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Richard Turure is a remarkable young man. Growing up as a young Masai boy, he found a way to scare off dangerous lions, which has now been broadly adopted by other local communities.
Admittedly, he was coached well by the folks at TED, but he presents his story with ease and conviction. 
He could have just talked about his discovery, but he tells the story of how it came about and that's what strikes an emotional chord with all of us. In so doing, he is unconciously making sure that his is a story we will never forget.
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How CIO's can change the game

8/6/2013

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In management meetings, people are often backed into a corner to talk about (or defend) their specialised area. One of the tips in this article is to talk more about business. It needs some practice, doesn't always come naturally, but here's a way to get started: Get your head of marketing and your head of IT together and insist that they only talk about the other's area of expertise for the next 10 minutes. Then gradually start mixing agendas. Have fun and profit from the results.
Full article at: http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/06/how_cios_can_change_the_game.html
Don't talk IT. Talk business. As Leni Kaufman noted: "I think often people come into a conference room, they come into a meeting, and then they talk IT. Well, don't talk IT. Talk business. Talk about the goals of the company, the growth plan, the projection it's on, how you're going to improve profitability, talk about what the government is funding, what's happening with sequestration. Be part of that conversation, and then you become part of what is on the CEO's mind. You have to do the job that you're there to do, but really make it much bigger, much broader than that."
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    Author

    James Capon is a founding partner of Lazy Horses. He feels he is rational when he needs to be. But he's probably wrong about that.

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