Verander jou gedrag: Leer by dobbelverslaafdes en vuurpyle

Dan Ariely

Waarom het mense soveel gewoontes wat hulle nie wil hê nie?
Hoekom spandeer ons soms ons tyd op maniere wat ons weet nadelig is vir ons?
Het jy die laaste twee weke minder geoefen of meer geëet as wat jy wou?

Daar is enkele filosifieë wat sin maak:

1. Koste van verloor ("Sunk Cost Fallacy")

Die moontlikheid om iets te verloor weeg swaarder in ons gedagtes as die geleentheid om te wen. Daniel Kahneman het met verskeie studies gewys dat jou onderbewussyn meer daarop toegespits is om te verhoed dat jy iets verloor as om te fokus op wat jy ekstra kan kry. Die beste voorbeeld is van iemand wat dobbel, die emosie om geld te verloor is meer intens as die emosie om geld te wen. Daarom is ons meer geneig om kanse te waag wanneer ons dubbel of meer kan wen in ruil vir die risiko van iets verloor. Het jy al 'n swak boek gelees of film gekyk maar dit steeds klaargemaak? Die rede daarvoor is: Wanneer ons 'n hulpbron belê wil ons dit nie verloor nie, selfs al beteken dit dat ons onsself moet mislei oor die waarde daarvan.

The leadership paradox and the power of the AND

F. Scott Fitzgerald said that the test of first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function. People are pushed to believe that things are either A or B, but not both. The same is true for leadership. A rational view that cannot easily accept paradox, is the idea that "great leaders lead from the front AND the back".

It is the same paradox we find in many other statements such as "you can have change AND stability"; you can be conservative AND bold; you can have low cost AND quality, you can have creative autonomy AND consistency and control; you can invest in the future AND do well in the short term; you can have self-confidence AND put the needs of others in front of your own.

Be a clock builder, not a time teller

In the book of Jim Collins "Built to last - successful habits of visionary companies" he explains that it is more important to be a clock builder than a time teller. This is a useful analogy simply because we all make the same mistake by trying to guess what the next big thing will be or over extending ourselves to develop products. Being a clock builder means to build a system or a structure that allows great things to happen. For example, if your company does not have a leadership programme to develop next generation leaders, it's not busy with clock building.

The company itself is the ultimate creation

The company is not a vehicle for products but the products is a vehicle for the company. Sony Corporation for example was started with a few core values and a clear vision, without even knowing which products they were going to sell.