Have you heard of the Cobra Effect? In Victorian times, at the height of the British Empire, the governors of Colonial India were very worried about the number of cobras in Delhi — no self-respecting bureaucrat has a liking of venomous snakes. The governors came up with a plan. They offered a reward for every […]
Are You in Control?
Simple Birds It was half term last week. I took my children to North Norfolk. We explored sandy beaches, rolling countryside and panoramic skies. It was as beautiful. The highlight was a walk across the salt marshes and the sight of a flock of startled geese scurrying across the sky. How do the birds […]
Are You a Fairy Princess?
Remember my daughter? She is five, all blonde curly hair, giggles and she thinks she is a fairy princess. This weekend she went to a birthday party. A five-year-old girl’s birthday party. It was a fancy dress party with a fairy princess theme — this is called knowing your audience. The local church hall was […]
Bonus Time
It is the best part of the year. You have been performance managed and appraised. Your year-end rating has been cross calibrated / validated / ranked and stacked. You have emerged from the annual death match unscathed. Your rating has been moderated to allow for business results. Senior managers have assessed “the curve” to check it […]
4 Ways to Change Behaviour
There are 4 ways to change people’s behaviour: The first is the stick: Beat people until they do what you want. The stick works, but people hate being controlled, they will rebel — sooner or later. Repression is not a great strategy. The second is the carrot: Provide an incentive. Incentives work beautifully, until you remove […]