Changing my thinking

Published by Tony Quinlan on

I’ve just changed my reading habits.  I’ve had to put down my current night-time reading, Gary Klein’s excellent "Sources of Power: How People Make Decisions", because it’s one of those rare books that sets off fireworks in my head on every page.

It’s a phenomenal book – I’d recommend anyone seeking to influence other people’s behaviours or decisions to read it.  Marketing, change, communications, training and the rest.

It’s the final nail in the coffin for those who think that if they provide more data, it’ll change the decisions.

Built upon real-life decision-making in critical, time-intensive, complex situations – like firemen arriving on the scene of a fire or military leaders in hostile environments – instead of laboratory-designed, right/wrong exercises, it is a fascinating insight into our thinking processes.

It’s also got so many implications for the work we’re doing, I’m not sure where to start.  It’s fabulous to read something that resonates so strongly and reinforces past approaches (although, ironically, it’s good on warning how that can be detrimental) while simultaneously stimulating thinking to re-examine some of what we do.

I’ve resisted blogging on ideas I get from books, as sometimes I get caught up and they may seem less realistic in hindsight.  Time to stop that – watch for ideas and comments in the next couple of weeks.