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So here's the ChangingMinds Blog, from site author, David Straker. This is my more personal ramblings, though mostly about changing minds in some shape or form. Please do add your comments via the archive or the right-hand column below.  -- Dave

 


Friday 09-May-08

How to succeed as an academic

I'm currently reading Herbert Simon's 1976 classic 'Persuasion' in which he cynically describes how academics can succeed as much through trickery than deep research.

  1. Dignify your assemblage of ideas by labelling it a 'theory.' No one knows what a theory is exactly, but everyone agrees it's a good thing.

  2. Frame your 'theory' in ambiguous enough language that you can always explain away potentially disconfirming research findings.

  3. Create the impression that your research hypothesis follows directly from from your theory. Make abundant use of such words as 'thus', 'hence' and 'therefore'.

  4. Selectively review research literature in support of your theory and research hypotheses. If you can find only one source that agrees with you, say 'at least one expert agrees'.

  5. Stretch out the reporting of your research findings. With some skilful writing, one piece of research can be made into two or three research articles.

As in the nature of such lists, it sails close to the bone and there are almost certainly a significant number of academics out there who make good use of these principles. But why? Why do academics work in ways that could bring them into disrepute?

A large portion of the blame must be laid at the doors of the institutions they inhabit. Success for academics is often enshrined in the 'publish or perish' mandate, where the extrinsic motivation of employment and advancement displaces the intrinsic motivation of contributing the the sum of human knowledge. Those who succeed are those who get papers into the refereed journals. More so perhaps even than those who produce sound research that advances human knowledge but takes longer to produce. More also than great lecturers who inspire generations of students.

The same can be said, of course, for people in commercial enterprise, where how they behave is driven more by the way they are rewarded and punished than by any noble or greater purpose.

But then again, for everyone who plays downwards there are people who seek higher things. The question for each of us, perhaps, is which will we choose?


Wednesday 07-May-08

Possibly persuasive emails

Like most people, I get many unsolicited email message every day. Most are very obvious spam but some are sneakily clever in their wording. Emails from genuine companies are equivalent to the bumph through your door and are very different to the mass of spam that seek only to deceive. If you are sending to somebody who

At the very lowest end, there is just a list of hyperlinks which you will hopefully click on. Nothing much persuasive there. At the next level is laughable text, such as this:
 

Greetings!!!
Particular proposal for you Dear Client!!!
At these five days only for our clients unthinkable offer!!!
On all pharma you need!!!

Fill your life with colors of gaiety!!!


The next level is relatively simple, but does use some methods. The following example leans heavily on emphasis, but is still a bit heavy on the exclamations!
 

 Are you tired of Internet Dating? Meet *REAL* people!

Are you tired of Looking at thousands of profiles and NOT finding anyone who meets your standards?

Let us solve your problem! We guarantee to find you a REAL PERFECT match.

Don't delay, your perfect match is only ONE click away!


Another method is chummy chat, as if they were one of your friends:
 

 Whew! 35 hours after the merge begun (with 5 hours of sleep in between), Blog Foo has been fully integrated into Blog Bar.

...(instructions on what to do)...

I would like to thank everyone for their patience - it was a rather complicated task, but I think we pulled it off well.

Ahmed and Jake


Sometimes, they get creative, which is what I love. I am almost tempted to respond when they do things like this, using an assumptive approach that is supposed to make be believe we're actually already in the middle of a conversation:

 

 Thank you so much for your positive response to my last email, sorry I have taken so long to reply...


Of course, all they want you to do is to keep reading, because the more you read, the more you psychologically invest in them and the more likely you are to follow the very kind and inevitable instructions to give them money.


Your comments


What I find particularly interesting is the way that the so-called "stock scam" e-mails are worded. In this case, the scammer is trying not to make you send them money, but to invest in a weak stock that they happen to have a large investment in already.

These e-mails often deliberately appear to be addressed to somebody else - the victim thinks that they've accidentally received somebody else's mail, and so they're tricked into thinking that they're somehow privy to some very secret information.

-- Scatman Dan

Dave replies:
Aye, Dan, it's a good scammer's ploy to make the person think they've stumbled onto a secret money-making machine. The person then becomes the motivator and the scammer merely a servant. It's amazing how greed leads people to give large amounts of their money to complete strangers.


Friday 02-May-08

Be a shade braver

'Be a shade braver' is a rather neat byline in a recent advert for hair dye. It works well in several ways. The basic message is to dye your hair not with a dramatic change, as many might view hair dying, but just a bit. In this way they are targeting a new market of people who would not normally think about dying their hair.

In recognition of the concern such people might feel, they simultaneously advise courage whilst reassuring the person that only a little courage is needed -- after all, the colour change is only small. The word 'shade' is neatly used with a double entendre such that the byline makes sense as a sentence, yet gets the 'just a bit -- go on!' message over.

I would guess that this will be a successful campaign, which begs the question of how valuable these few words are. I hope the copywriter gets paid a big bonus!!


Wednesday 30-April-08

Preying on sympathy

There was a recent case in the UK of a little girl called Shannon who went missing. Her parents appeared tearfully on TV pleading for her return and a massive police hunt was set in motion. In the end, she was rather strangely found in the base of a bed in an uncle's nearby house. Then there began a whose series of arrests of family members, including her mother and step-father. The bottom line seems to be a money-making scam through a 'Find Shannon' fund, something like the highly-publicised Madeleine McCann affair. How they thought they would get away with it heaven knows. In fact all they did was attract significant police attention which uncovered a series of other misdemeanours.

Like most scammers, they had no concern (or, probably, realisation) for the wider impact of their deception. The scenario of a missing child is similar to a brand in the way it automatically evokes strong sympathy for those involved. When confidence tricksters play on these automatic responses they also weaken them. Next time a child goes missing, the public reaction is likely to be more muted. The attention that could help find the child and support the parents may be replaced with suspicion and cynicism. This is the major damage that Shannon's parents have done.

Sadly also the Madeleine McCann case could also contribute, although I've much sympathy for her beleaguered parents. Mud sticks and the Portugese police's suspicions of parental guilt (which have been taken up by some of the media) will make many wonder -- and the Shannon case will only exacerbate this.

A real danger from all this is that future cases of missing children may start with unnecessary, distracting and distressing attention on parents (and who, fearing this may be damagingly reticent). With cynical or bored public attention, vital clues may also be lost.

Cynicism and suspicion are killers of a caring society. Despite what we have seen, we must take each case on its merits and not pre-judge.


Friday 25-April-08

Planes, teens and matriarchal society

Coming back from a break in Italy recently, we had the misfortune of sharing the flight with the noisy company of about 50 boisterous Italian 15-year-old teenagers. It's an age when the hormones are kicking in, with much posturing and confusion, as the freedom of adulthood beckons yet the comforting irresponsibility of youth lingers. The result is what is generally described as bad behaviour as they do what they like without noticing or caring about the effect on others.

The children in the plane thus shouted, laughed, sang and pushed one another around. Whilst it was no doubt all good clean fun for them, it was a significant disturbance for the rest of the passengers. Their teachers seemed pretty useless as they chatted and generally ignored the noise. The cabin crew were no better and seemed at a loss what to do. Eventually, as I was wondering if I should intervene and whether this would help or make things worse, a British woman picked on the noisiest bunch and gave them what might be called 'a piece of her mind', asking them what their mothers would think of their behaviour and telling them they should be ashamed.

Perhaps surprisingly, this outburst had a very significant effect in quietening them all down. But why? They probably didn't understand much of what she said, but I'm sure they got the idea from her tone and demeanour. Apart from the surprise, an important factor may well be that Italian society has a significant matriarchal slant, where the 'mama' is a respected and often feared figure. And to be told off by your mother in public would be a shocking and humiliating embarrassment.

So the brave and angry lady had the ideal effect, quelling the troublesome teens. As we got off the plane a young Italian couple apologised to me. I smiled and felt sorry for them. It wasn't their fault but they felt a kind of collective Italian responsibility. I also felt more hope that the noisy children would grow up into civilised adults like these.


Wednesday 23-April-08

Marathon madness

Every year, towns and cities around the world hold marathons around the streets, in which ordinary people rub shoulders with international runners and nutters in gorilla suits. Some friends recently joined the 30,000-odd dash in London and, interested in their motivation, I asked them why they did it.

For the real running enthusiasts it's about a bigger challenge, stepping up from local events and solitary training. It lets them benchmark themselves against the professionals as well as other enthusiasts.

For those who normally run shorter distances it is also very much a personal challenge, and proving to themselves that they can 'do it.'

For some, it is about raising money for charity. Borrowing the brand of the London Marathon gives them a lever that can winkle more out of their friends' pockets. This also makes them feel good, of course, which is a deep reason for doing it.

For most, however, it is flirting with fame. Where else can you trot alongside professionals, with waving crowds and TV cameras, feeling like you really matter, like for a moment you are important and part of something momentous? And back home and in the office the fame continues as people admire your grit and determination. 'I ran the marathon' gives serious boasting benefits for many years, which can make a few hours of pain seem worthwhile.

I used to run a bit, but looking at marathons, I am not tempted. You can have your fame. I'll find less tiring ways of feeling good. .


Your Comments


I ended up swimming in the BT Swimathon this year. I used to do it every year, but I hadn't swum at all in many years until this Swimathon, when I stepped in at the last minute to take my sister's place (she was ill). It was a completely exhausting experience, and I'm sure I was far more stubborn with myself than should be considered wise for somebody who has done so little swimming of late. But it's easy to get enthused about something - even something so strenuous - when there's a crowd of people watching, and others participating, and in particular what kept me going was that I would have felt that I was failing my sister if I'd dropped out. And afterwards, I'm glad of the exercise... and a little of the fame, I suppose, too.

-- Dan Q
 


Thursday 17-April-08

Service hazards

Is customer service a good thing? Is it a good idea to say thank you for your custom? Maybe not always so. A florist recently sent a 'thank you for your order' note to a man who ordered a dozen red roses. The problem was what he ordered them for his mistress but the thank-you note was sent to his home where his wife opened and read it -- and realized that the flowers were for someone else. The man is now suing the florist, which is not very nice but perhaps unsurprising given his cheating on his wife -- it seems he was more troubled at being found out than remorseful for his deceptive action.

There's a lesson here around customer service and relationship management which suggests a little more thought about potential damage from well-meaning actions. Even calling to say thank you for your custom may be seen as over-doing it.

Another bugbear I have is customer surveys. Whilst I have great sympathy for their potential value, you are often asked to fill them out in the presence of the person being assessed. This will skew the data enormously as there is significant social pressure not to criticize people when they are there. And even if you do it later, it is still more an assessment of their social skills than the real service you received. In practice, the real benefit of such surveys is to encourage the person being assessed to be nice as they know that if they annoy you then you have a weapon in the feedback form.

And this is just the beginning. People are complex beings who often respond in complex ways. They resist being manipulated and may be contrarian just for spite or will respond in unexpected ways.

The bottom line is a caveat to service providers: when seeking to motivate, think hard about the real effects of what you do.


Friday 11-Apr-08

Growing pains

I wrote last year of troubles with my teenage son and have since had several helpful conversations with others with similar experiences. Parenting problem teens is a trial by fire but although it has been far from plain sailing I know that it could always be worse.

So here's a synopsis of the past year.

After dropping out of school (which was after failing a year and being let back on a promise of knuckling down), he announced he was going to live with a friend in London. I felt we needed to stay in touch so helped him move. I got him a job with a friend in IT, but that lasted a little over a week - he quit after being told off about something ('they're all idiots').

The London stay lasted about a month then he came home again, soon to go and live 'permanently' with a bunch of friends in a faraway town. For several months the only contact was when we phoned and when he deigned to pick up. We were careful here to remain positive and keep calls brief. After living on their charity for a while he fell out with them and left, moving to a series of friends with a similar pattern of dependency until Christmas, when he was on the point of being put out onto the streets.

He asked to come back. We said yes, but with a few conditions, like getting a job (and with the motivation of no internet until he had held one down for a month). He also brought a friend who would otherwise have been homeless. The friend had a transferable job and agreed to a nominal rent (which never got paid). When they fell out, we were left to clear up and lever the friend out.

The biggest frustration for a long time has been that he just takes what he wants and gives pretty much nothing back ('I don't do housework'). He also distorts and uses anything you say against you ('You said you wanted me to be happy'). Our frustration at the selfishness has boiled over now and again but with little effect ('Get off my back!'). Largely, though, we've tried being tolerant and patient. Occasionally we see a gently and funny person peeking through and hope that this is the real person.

Several friends who know the whole story have expressed surprise that we haven't kicked him out, but despite all he has (and has not) said and done, we believe there is a fundamentally good person in there waiting to emerge. I think the biggest issue is that he is terrified of growing up and taking responsibility for his life. Like Peter Pan he has been clinging to the safety of childhood, where somebody else provides and he can play in his make-believe world.

Even as I write this, a new chapter may be beginning. He has got a job as a trainee butcher at Tesco's, the UK's leading grocery superstore where he starts today. He hasn't lasted more than a few days in any job yet, so I'll believe what I see, though I've got my fingers tightly crossed.


Your comments


This is what will happen to your son if you continue to enable him: he will eventually find someone and marry them. Then his wife is straddled with his irresponsibility. She marries him because she feels that she "understands" him and can "help him."

Unfortunately he never takes on the responsibility of becoming a responsible husband, homeowner, or citizen. Every time he is in trouble, his parents bail him out. He steals from his wife's bank account, invites unsavory friends over, has trouble with the law, makes his neighbors angry, and can’t take care of basic day-to-day household chores, starts drinking or abusing drugs. Each time his parents bail him out.

His wife leaves in the hopes that he will "hit bottom" and finally realize what he needs to do to have a happy life. Instead his family bails him out again. The ex-wife is left picking up the pieces of her life.

My ex is the son of a successful doctor. His family always enabled him. Their enabling created a menace on society. Please be tough on him or he will never grow up and he will be lost to you forever.

-- Colleen

Dave replies:
Thanks, Colleen. I do take your advice seriously and empathize with your situation. He has said he will be saving up to go and live with a friend, and we'll encourage (but not finance) that. We've also been very deliberate in giving him little whilst he is here -- he has food and shelter but little else. We will continue to withdraw as needed to ensure he stands on his own feet.


It is sometimes difficult to realize that children and others in my life have free will and free choice. With the free will and free choices come consequences such as being homeless (almost) for your son and feeling the inner turmoil of wanting good things for someone who would rather walk their own path for your son\'s parents.

I continue to receive life lessons in relationships from friends and family members. I hear an internal voice which sometimes say, "You do have a problem!" Sometimes to myself and occasionally out loud, when invited to join in the problem.

In my life with age came increased wisdom and I hope it will work that way for your son as you lovingly do what you are willing to do and set reasonable boundaries for yourself..

Good luck!

-- Gene

Dave replies:
Aye, Gene, likewise I know I cannot live my children's lives for them. I have told them both that I just want them to be independent and happy. At the moment, my son is focusing on 'happy' first. One of the sad lessons of life is that food and shelter come first. 


Not that I have had experience raising a son, but I have put a lot of time in being one.

All I can say is that some children admire their parents to the point that they are intimidated by them. At some point, many sons do not think that they can even converse with their father until they have proven themselves an equal.

Unable to achieve the success of their parent in the field of that parent in the short term, they will try to be quickly successful in an endeavour where the parent has not succeeded.

Daughters (I have siblings) may even be worse. If they cannot impress their father with their own achievements they will find a male friend who either impresses or challenges their parent, whether or not they are indeed their own friend.

It may sound simplistic, but all this commotion may be only a prelude to a dialogue?


-- peter

Dave replies:
Fair comment. There's been limited dialogue, not through lack of effort. He's been closed and I'm cautious about pushing him too hard. I've given an occasional trial stronger prod, but he needs (and wants) to drive his own life. I've a great relationship with my daughter (though there were challenges with her too), which is something of a relief -- when you've problems with a child you start to doubt your parenting abilities.


One part of the psyche tells one, "Spare the rod, spoil the boy". But there is always a danger of building a strong and irrational reactance, which seems to already be a part of the case here.

Tactful handling of persons is your forte, and I can give no advice to you on that count, which you are not already aware of. But at some point, I suppose one has to reflect upon the fact that humans are individual creatures, are free, and when they realise that what they are doing is not what they want to do, they rebel.

I convinced someone very close to me to stop smoking, more than a year ago. But because of a ham-handed and authoritative approach later on, I managed to make her extremely defensive, angry, and inclined to do the very thing I had asked her not to, even though she really didn't feel like she needed to do it anymore, even by her own admission.

I suppose the best sort of change is that which comes from within. Our job is just to help that change come. And sometimes, perhaps, accept that we cannot change things.

-- I Vassarion
 

Dave replies:
Agreed. It's a delicate game and easy to trip even after it seems won. It can be a big problem where they think they know what you are thinking, but are completely wrong.


Wednesday 09-April-08

Words of wisdom

Wisdom is in surprisingly short supply in our modern, mixed-up world, and it seems most in need where it should be found the most: in the governments of great nations and in the governance of powerful companies.

Seeking wisdom is an endless journey. It has been said that the wise person does not think him or herself wise. To do would be to declare the journey done. I don't know if there is even a complete description of wisdom, so I'll take the simple description of 'knowing the right thing to say and do', although 'right' itself is a philosophical labyrinth. Wisdom seems to have a lot to do with people and a lot to do with meaning. I think.

Below are three of the most famous and maybe most wise exhortations for living a good life, joined here in parallel so we can look across and seek perhaps some common and even deeper meaning.

Desiderata
-- Max Ehrmann
1922
To Thine Own Self Be True
 -- spoken by Polonius in Hamlet, Act I, Scene III,
-- William Shakespeare
If
-- Rudyard Kipling
Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
 

Yet here, Laertes! Aboard, aboard for shame!
The wind sits in the shoulder of your sail, And you are stay'd for.
There ... my blessing with thee!
And these few precepts in thy memory.
 

Look thou character.
Give thy thoughts no tongue, Nor any unproportion'd thought his act.
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.

Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel;
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
Of each new-hatch'd, unfledg’d comrade.

Beware of entrance to a quarrel but, being in,
Bear't that th' opposed may beware of thee.

Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice;
Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgement.

Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy;
For the apparel oft proclaims the man;
And they in France of the best rank and station
Are of a most select and generous chief in that.

Neither a borrower, nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.

This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.

Farewell; my blessing season this in thee!

 

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

 

What do you take from this? A few common themes that resonate with me include:

  • Be happy in your own skin.
  • Do not burden others.
  • Have integrity.
  • See truth.
  • Persist.
  • Love.
  • Be.

Mmm. Sounds about right.


Your comments


I stumbled upon this...very wise words indeed!

-- April


 I was very happy to find this site. I was researching the word bystander to determine if I wanted to use the word bystander or onlooker in a recent blog post. I found the article on the bystander effect and felt a little better about humanity.

I was recently a first responder to a very bad car accident. I was with my two daughters . I pulled over and immediately ran to the car to assist. I was the only one there for a moment. The car had spun and flipped, but had landed upright. the doors were locked, and I had to get the driver to \"come to\" enough to unlock the door. I had never seen something so terrible. Her head had hit the windshield and she literally looked like Frankenstein. Soon other cars stopped. I was literally jumping up and down, crying for others to help, then began attending to her. I calmed myself enough to keep her calm. I braced her head and neck. I practice Reiki, so I said a quick prayer and let the energy flow. She had broken ribs, broken ankle and a serious head trauma. Not one other person came to help. Not one. I yelled for one to call her husband, and he did. But no one helped me with the difficult stuff.

I couldn't believe it. I really believe in the golden rule. I use it as a guide, and I think the world would be a completely different place if we all took it to heart. So I guess what I experienced was the Bystander Effect.

Thank you for this site. I plan to come here often. Lots of good practical advice. I added it to my list of favorite sites on my blog. kudos!

Gratefully,
Gloria I


Wednesday 02-April-08

Fancy footwork

I recently bought a pair of MBT shoes for walking in London. With a fancy design, including convex soles, they help your posture as you walk and are great for back and knee support. This story is not about the shoes, but when I took the shoes back to the shop as there was a slight discomfort. The manager was horrified to find that I had not been given insoles and offered to give me a full check-out.

I was first asked to step onto electronic sensors, at which a computer screen lit up with a map of the pressure across my feet. The manager mm'd and ah'd and pointed out the uneven profile and started talking about the effects this would have on knees, back and other joints. He made a number of measurements of my feet and tut-tutted at the differences. A.skeletal foot was produced and repeatedly used to show how I was being pulled out of kilter.

But never fear -- there was a solution! Custom-made insoles would, over time, correct the troubles and ward off arthritis and other spectres. It was of course the best thing to do and I'd have to act soon. No price was mentioned, and I was alarmed at talk of 'the right thing' and 'the best approach, really' and asked how much. With further preamble about how wonderful and necessary it all was, he eventually told me the price: €255.

I nearly fell over. £255 for a pair of shoe inserts? Noticing my pallour, he smoothly moved onto a cheaper option - off-the-shelf orthotic inserts, which I could try now. I did and it did feel better, so bought a pair. It seemed like a snip at £55. Even as the guy was taking the money, he was telling me to try these first for a month and then come back for the proper solution.

After I got home and when I was beginning to think that £55 was still very expensive for iinsoles, I looked them up on the web and bought another pair for £25.

Sounds like I was had? Maybe, but there is some mitigation. The insoles from the web are ok, but not as good as the more expensive ones. And the whole walking experience is now much better, with less aches and pains afterwards. But £255 for custom insoles? I think not.


Friday 28-March-08

Management tampering

W. Edwards Deming was the global guru of quality for many years. After the Second world war he was a major teacher and inspiration for Japan's industrial revival and their coveted national prize is named after him. One of his great concerns was the way that managers would reactively change things and in doing so only make things worse. Deming was a statistician and could mathematically prove this.

A simple example is to shoot at a target, aiming for the middle. If the shot goes left, then assume that you are 'pulling left' and so aim more to the right. In fact the real reason may be that you cannot hold the gun still and there will be a natural spread across the target. The shot after the one that went left might naturally have gone right, and adjusting right would make it even more to the right. Making corrections for each shot ihence leads to an *increase in the spread of results, thus making things far worse.

Management tampering acts in the same way. When 'corrections' are instituted without really understanding why things are as they are, then the fix can easily make things worse. A pernicious variant of this is where a fix actually does make things better in the short term but actually makes things worse in the longer term. 'Shifting deckchairs' is another false fix and typically makes things easier in one area simply by shifting the problem elsewhere.

So what should managers do?

The sad answer is that there is no easy solution to hard problems. The best approach is to take the time needed to discover the complex system that is causing the problem and then to attack its root. Managers are busy people, though, and often feel the need to do something quickly, even if it is a short-term fix. Purists generally hate this approach, but it is actually quite practical as long as the manager knows that it is temporary and also instigates further work to ensure an effective and sustainable solution is implemented.


Friday 21-March-08

Do not read this blog

Ok, so why are you reading it then? It's a curious phenomenon but I'd guess more people read this than other blogs, just because of the title.

One reason to read it is that your curiosity was aroused. The 'Pique Technique' deliberately uses this principle, first tweaking interest then giving the real message. Another reason is reactance. When told not to do something our need for a sense of control is assailed and we react against it by proving we are in control by going the other way.

*

You know the way advertisers sometimes put loose flyers into magazines and newspapers such that when you open them they fall out all over the place? Generally this annoys me and I take revenge by gathering them up and putting them in the bin, smug that I have lessened the wasted paper I am carrying.

Recently, however, I actually picked up one of these flyers and read it. On it (both sides, to be sure I'd see it) was the phrase 'DO NOT READ THIS FLYER' in large, pink capital letters on a black background. A high-contrast, unusual combination that grabbed my eye and piqued my interest.

So I picked it up. Above the words in small white text were the words 'Many people would not want you to'. Reacting against those 'many people' I opened the flyer and, having made the investment, read it carefully. It was an appeal from Amnesty International and the 'many people' were dictators, terrorists and so on who would not like me to make a donation to Amnesty. Wonderful stuff. So now if I do not donate, I am in league with a lot of very nasty people. What tremendous persuasive power.

Whilst I was not persuaded further I was very impressed with the package and this blog is the result. Publicity happens in strange ways and who knows, maybe you will read their website and act.


Your comments


Wouldn't the right answer be: by the time we read the title and comprehended its summons it was too late to obey?

-- michael w

Dave replies:
Not sure. Perhaps too late to back out?


Can you quantify the results of your experiment?

-- Dennis

Dave replies:
Good question, as my perception, like one swallow, does not make a summer, although of course I think it certainly brings out the sun ;)

Advertisers who are spending a lot on promotion do often spend reasonable effort in both pre-testing their concepts and assessing the actual return on their ad investment. I wonder what measurement Amnesty made.


Inherent rebellious nature in all of us. Generally people lose interest fairly quickly when it doesn't convey a good message or when it lacks substance.

-- Natasha


Wednesday 19-January-08

Tourist confusion

I work in London and often get stopped by confused tourists, looking for Covent Garden, Parliament or some other landmark. Recently, however, it was me who was confused when a lost-looking laddie in Green Park asked me in the usual stilted-but-credible English, "Excuse me, could you tell me where all the tourist attractions are?"

I paused and went a bit glassy-eyed as I tried to build a quick map with all the attractions. I was so distracted he could have pick-pocketed me in that moment, but thankfully he did not. Instead I turned around and pointed at Buckingham Palace, which was about a hundred yards away.

It's easy to complain about tourists and I certainly mutter when they clog up the pavements and act as if everyone else is invisible, but they contribute a lot to the local economy so I don't bother that much. Indeed, it's a timely reminder to see all that open-mouthed wonder. It's too easy when you work in a marvellous city to become immured to its glories. I also know that tourists pay taxes and that I'm a part of 'Brand London'.

So come on tourists, visit our great city. And come on Londoners, let's see even more of that great British civility and kindness. Together we can make it a nicer place to be.


Friday 14-March-08

Just giving, just getting

I've a couple of friends who are doing sterling stuff in the name of charity. It's an odd sponsorship proposition: 'Give money to charity and I'll put myself through some hardship'. There's an interesting website, JustGiving that helps this process along.

The process by which you get persuaded is interesting too. One friend who had put herself out to help me in the past sent a friendly, but ultimately begging letter asking me to sponsor her. Yes, I must, I thought, then moved on to the next email in the pie. The thought didn't go away, though, sitting guiltily in the back of my mind, so when she sent another friendly letter a few days later, I reacted like a scalded cat, diving for my credit card.

The question then arose about how much to give. Your name goes next to your donation, so there's little chance of a low donation. You could give an anonymous name, but you'd still feel like a rat. When we're not sure what to do we look at what others do, so, in a very British way, I picked a number that seemed reasonably generous without being ostentatious. And so I felt good, which is the real deal here. Give money to charity: feel good in exchange. Fair deal.

The next motivation is that I have now framed myself as a generous chap who helps these sorts of things, so when another friend asks for a similar sponsorship on JustGiving. I happily obliged. Now feeling like a thoroughly nice chap who supports his friends, I continued the Good Work by passing on the link to a network of friends and even put a link to both Hilary's and Andy's pages on my main changingminds.org website.

In studying persuasion, I am my own favourite subject. Rather than stubbornly resist persuasive efforts, I watch with interest how I feel and respond with each technique others used. Of course in the end I do decide if I want to go along or not, but I also sometimes do, especially if I can see a good reason. And I guess that's real persuasion for you..


Your comments


 The only form of charity is the one that springs from our inner need to help others or to share our good fortune with others. It is like a happy man sharing his sense of delight and contentment with others automatically without a plan. Charitable acts that are elicited from us playing upon our sense of guilt for being fortunate do not go a long way. They do end up pooling some money that may be used in a good cause, but this forced charity generally drive people away from it. Therefore, it is imperative that while actuating people on to charitable acts we appeal to their charitable spirit and use images and ideas that reveal the pleasant effects of charity instead of evoking images of disaster and suffering that create a sense of guilt. The suffering imagery is good for the news, but not for real and lasting motivation.

-- Shahzada S


 

Tuesday 11-March-08

A weekend's entertainment

We've had a few weekends recently where we did relatively little, just chilling out or going for a leisurely meander and coffee in a local town. But not last weekend when it was all go!

My wife is a big Oscar Wilde fan and when I saw that The Importance of Being Earnest was on in London, with Penelope Keith playing Lady Bracknell, I decided it was time for a treat. It's important to keep surprise and delight in your marriage and she was indeed very happy with the evening out. I enjoyed it too, but I enjoyed Eleri enjoying it even more.

Then on Saturday, after Wales won the rugby, we had friends to dinner. I wrote a book on innovation with Graham and he was full of ideas for something else. I'm overloaded with other work at the moment but do watch this space!

On Sunday, we got up for a leisurely day, but then my computer beeped at me, telling me that we had another concert on in London! We wondered whether to give it a miss as Eleri was a feeling a bit tired, but we both really liked Clannad and so we went anyway. I was so glad that we did! We had great seats for a splendid performance of all the old favourites and then some. The icing on the cake was Sephira, a very young band with a couple of sisters on fiddles and a chap on keyboard. Sound dull, maybe, but they were sublime, including a powerful female voice and songs that moved Eleri to tears.

Life's too short and you've sometimes got to pack it all in. I think we succeeded there but will need a bit of a rest next week!


Friday 07-March-08

Magical misdirection

I'm just reading Derren Brown's erudite and entertaining book 'Tricks of the Mind'. Brown is a top-class UK entertainer in a modern wrapping of the 'mentalist' guise, using a tricky blend of illusion and psychology to perform wonderful feats and shows.

One of the basic principles he uses is 'misdirection'. A simple example he uses to show this magical tricks is with the 'coin drop'. The basic trick is to drag a coin off a table and, whilst appearing to take it in your hand, you actually drop it into your lap. With practice, you can make this a smooth motion where the drop cannot be detected. You can then blow on your hand and, hey presto, open it to show the coin has disappeared.

What happens next is that your audience mentally backtracks, looking for a point where the coin could have been removed -- and might easily guess what happened. The principle of misdirection is to give them false information that lets them guess wrongly, for example after 'picking up' the coin you might 'pass' it to the other hand. Now the audience may well think it is in the first hand, and will be further confused when they find it is not -- and failure / confusion is not a great place from which to figure out what really happened.

This principle of false information may be used in other forms of persuasion, for example where a salesperson 'lets' you see a memo about impending price rises.

Brown's methods do not stop at switching hands, for example he suggests really picking up a coin beforehand (to plant a false memory) and 'playing' with the non-existent coin in your hand. By the time he has finished, the coin drop is lost in a welter of other activity and misdirection, and he has transformed a simple trick into an accomplished performance.

Of course in persuasion there are ethical concerns about deception but, as the caveat notes, intent is key and much persuasion is relatively harmless. Also, as with all methods described here, there is as least as much value in being able to spot the misdirections being used by others. So, when others point you in one direction, look at what else they might be doing elsewhere!.


Wednesday 05-March-08

Communities and the magic 150

I went to school back in the days when schools were small. My junior school had about 100 pupils and my secondary school about 250. I knew everyone in the first school and many in the secondary school -- I recognised everyone and knew most by reputation or family. The school seemed big after my first school but I got used to it. I didn't realise it at the time, but I was subject to the Law of 150.

Man is historically a tribal animal. Evolution has taught that living in cohesive groups works better than trying to survive alone. Cities are relatively recent inventions -- village-sized communities are the living groups that we've been used, and it's interesting how, even today, neighbourhoods are often a more important component of our identity.

The magic number for 'large' groups turns out to be 150 people. Larger than this and we find it increasingly difficult to know everyone. Consequently, there is less interpersonal loyalty and less overall cohesiveness. And it all goes back to the size of the villages in which we lived for so long. When people did not travel much, they would be lucky even to meet more than a few hundred in their entire lifetime.

The implications for modern business is to avoid large units, fragmenting primary groups into units around this size. An example from my history is in Hewlett Packard, where divisions would spin off.larger developments into new divisions. It is no surprise that, from the days of the monolithic behemoth, HP was a nimble player who rose to the top of the computer industry..


Your comments



Interesting numbers.

The thing that amazes me are the huge bird colonies. How these creatures distinguish between thousands of their fellow creatures who appear visually identical.

Birds of a feather may well flock together, as long as they don't return to the wrong nest! I once read that domestic chickens could recognize up to 30 of their fellows. Must be a conservative estimate.

I also heard (wish I could remember where) that human beings will meet up to 10,000 people in a lifetime, yet consistently with only consider less than a dozen close friends.

Then there is the "Six Degrees of Separation" effect. That is, how many people you know by "networking" -less than six nodes.

Having grown up in in a region with a small population, then move to a large city one is often asked: ".....oh, you are from -----, do you know so and so?....". I would reply, don't be ridiculous, there are hundreds of thousands of people there! Then it would turn out that I actually knew, or knew of, the person.

I would never admit it though!

Petty or not, it is always a small world.


-- peter
 

Dave replies:

They all look the same to us, but I guess to a seagull, that lass over there is strangely attractive...

We do this with out-groups and stereotypes. Long/short-haired kids these days (let along other ethnic groups) do look rather similar. The thing to remember is that we also look similar to them.


 I believe I'm right in saying that 150 is also the number at which most growing churches get stuck, unless they create other methods (typically small groups) to preserve feelings of community. Ironically, the larger the church the more lonely a visitor feels. Small groups provide the route into deeper relationships.

-- Roger


Wednesday 27-Feb-08

Acting memory

Actors use a process called 'active experiencing' to learn their lines quickly by putting themselves into the role of the person involved. This can also be used in more general learning.

To get into character, the actor will break down the script into a series of logically connected 'beats' or intentions. When performing (rehearsing too), rather than thinking about the lines, they feel for the character's intention and through this let the lines come through spontaneously and naturally. Almost like a spiritual medium, the actor is like vessel and channel for the character and their expression. Michael Caine said of this: 'You must be able to stand there not thinking of that line. You take it off the other actor's face.'

Noice et al. did a study where, participants (ages 65 to 82) spent a four week period learning professional acting techniques, followed by rehearsal and performance. Although the training was not specifically targeted at memory, the participants were found to have significantly higher recall and recognition after the experiment.

It thus seems that memory can be improved just by learning to act. There are several keys to acting-as-learning:

  • Get your head into their head. Think as they think. 'Get inside their skin'. Become the person. If you are not learning scripted lines for a play, you can still use this principle by selecting a person who would use what you are remembering, perhaps a lecturer, lawyer, super-salesperson or other.
  • Do it physically. Don't just run things through your head or speak the lines. Get up and move about like the other person. Use their gestures. Use their voice tone. Be the other person throughout.
  • Repeat until you can flow it naturally.

References

Noice, T. & Noice, H. (1997b). Effort and active experiencing as factors in verbatim recall. Discourse Processes, 23, 51-69

Noice, H., Noice, T., Pasqualina, P., Perrig, W. (1999). Improving memory in older adults by instructing them in professional actors' learning strategies. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 13, 4 , pp.315 - 328


For more, see the ChangingMinds Blog! Archive or the Blogs by subject. To comment on any blog, click on the blog either in the archive or in the column to the right.

 

Best wishes,

 

Dave


Click below to view & comment on any blog


May-08


09-May-08: How to succeed as an academic


07-May-08: Possibly persuasive emails


02-May-08: Be a shade braver


Apr-08


30-Apr-08: Preying on sympathy


25-Apr-08: Planes, teens and matriarchal society


23-Apr-08: Marathon madness


17-Apr-08: Service hazards


11-Apr-08: Growing pains


09-Apr-08: Words of wisdom


02-Apr-08: Fancy footwork


Mar-08


28-Mar-08: Management tampering


21-Mar-08: Do not read this blog


19-Mar-08: Tourist confusion


14-Mar-08: Just giving, just getting


11-Mar-08: A weekend's entertainment


07-Mar-08: Magical misdirection


05-Mar-08: Communities and the magic 150


Feb-08


27-Feb-08: Acting memory


15-Feb-08: Buying beds


13-Feb-08: What not to wear


08-Feb-08: Medical priorities


06-Feb-08: Spring and renewal


01-Feb-08: Holiday taxi ads


Jan-08


30-Jan-08: MBWA


25-Jan-08: Coercion, cause and effect


23-Jan-08: Eccentrically light reading


18-Jan-08: Looking for God, extremely


15-Jan-08: Famously fair


11-Jan-08: Retail experiences 2


09-Jan-08: Retail experiences 1


04-Jan-08: Sale talk


02-Jan-08: 2008 and all that brainwashing


Dec-07


25-Dec-07: Christmas nostalgia


18-Dec-07: Intelligence and education


14-Dec-07: Hat trick in Paris


10-Dec-07: The power of love, the punishment of hate


07-Dec-07: Rim lighting and godliness


Nov-07


30-Nov-07: Signage


23-Nov-07: Headline overkill


16-Nov-07: Open all hours


14-Nov-07: Influencing gods


09-Nov-07: Small words, different effect


07-Nov-07: My ideal manager


02-Nov-07: A wow presentation


Sep-07


31-Oct-07: Lonely hearts and house ads


24-Oct-07: Shift happens and minds get changed


19-Oct-07: Word power: England expects and Nelson dies


17-Oct-07: Going back for less


12-Oct-07: Not for sale


10-Oct-07: Marmite: like it or loathe it


05-Oct-07: Who needs a penis?


Sep-07


28-Sep-07: Super-duper nanny


26-Sep-07: Selfish vs. social


21-Sep-07: Persuasion and truth


19-Sep-07: Power, rights and slippery slopes


14-Sep-07: Obsessive Primping Syndrome (OPS)


12-Sep-07: You are what you wear


05-Sep-07: What does it all mean?


Aug-07


31-Aug-07: Why do we worship?


29-Aug-07: The necessity of celebrity


22-Aug-07: Licence fees and criminals


22-Aug-07: Antigrammatical selling


17-Aug-07: Wisdom and war


15-Aug-07: Transformational holidays


Jul-07


25-Jul-07: Holiday reprise


18-Jul-07: Word-Of-Mouth Marketing


16-Jul-07: Pressing reset


13-Jul-07: Anger management


11-Jul-07: Supermarket success


09-Jul-07: Farewell, Joe


06-Jul-07: Wikimania


04-Jul-07: Invisible celebrities


Jun-07


29-Jun-07: The Wrong Trousers and difficult decisions


22-Jun-07: Empty nest and ready to rock!


20-Jun-07: Strange dreams


15-Jun-07: Whittington days


08-Jun-07: Victim thinking


May-07



25-May-07: Bad news, good news, weird news


23-May-07: Bottle-opening, fizz-buzz and friends


18-May-07: The mortgage mystery and global sustainability


16-May-07: Absolutely talking


11-May-07: Change, jobs, doctors and resilience


09-May-07: Patterns of abuse


07-May-07: Oh, Aero!


04-May-07: A hard path


02-May-07: Lucifer in prison


Apr-07


27-Apr-07: You could save on the tube


25-Apr-07: Poetic release


23-Apr-07: Net losses


20-Apr-07: Balancing conviction and openness


18-Apr-07: The falsehood of self-image


13-Apr-07: Seven Rules of Religion


11-Apr-07: Traffic lights, badges and romance


06-Apr-07: Elbow negotiations


4-Apr-07: The power of music


Mar-07


30-Mar-07: All change!


23-Mar-07: Child is mother to the man


19-Mar-07: Terminating people


16-Mar-07: Bidding wars


14-Mar-07: Sigh


07-Mar-07: One hit wonder


05-Mar-07: Reality blindness


02-Mar-07: Wrinkle-free adverts


Feb-07


28-Feb-07: Teaching clothes


23-Feb-07: Morals as social division


21-Feb-07: Advice addiction


13-Feb-07: Shake, Rattle and Squeak


09-Feb-07: Chasing the causal chain


05-Feb-07: Teenage trouble


02-Feb-07: MAAP Publishing and Training


Jan-07


31-Jan-07: Toilet innovation


26-Jan-07: A learning environment


22-Jan-07: The language of love, learning and cold calling


19-Jan-07: Standing out and picking up


17-Jan-07: Stopping shoplifting -- nicely


10-Jan-07: Honesty and eyes


08-Jan-07: Susan's mother says


03-Jan-07: The leader-follower dance


01-Jan-07: New year, same old resolutions?


Dec-06


25-Dec-06: A Christmas blog


20-Dec-06: Good day, bad day


18-Dec-06: Six guys and a lot of champagne


15-Dec-06: An unhappy customer


13-Dec-06: Creating ethical organizations


06-Dec-06: Londoners, Pigeons and Adverts


01-Dec-06: Hugging hoodies, political footballs and practical parenting


Nov-06


27-Nov-06: Risky shift, management and outsourcing


24-Nov-06: PEPI'd and pooped!


17-Nov-06: Birthday girl


15-Nov-06: The cost of persuasion


13-Nov-06: Talking to customers


10-Nov-06: Clever daughter, proud Dad


08-Nov-06: Social violence


06-Nov-06: Doorstep religion


03-Nov-06: Halloween and hazard


Oct-06


25-Oct-06: Culture change -- or not


23-Oct-06: Breaking up


18-Oct-06: Brand suicide


16-Oct-06: Music and age


11-Oct-06: Never accept no


09-Oct-06: Select committees


04-Oct-06: Pimps and prostitutes


02-Oct-06: Cryptic conversation


Sep-06


29-Sep-06: Drinking the brand


27-Sep-06: Carousels, crime and cost


22-Sep-06: Management attention


20-Sep-06: Prima donnas, teenagers and transitions


15-Sep-06: Selling shampoo


11-Sep-06: Starting work


06-Sep-06: Job threat


04-Sep-06: Start of term and other beginnings


Aug-06


30-Aug-06: Showbiz and politics


28-Aug-06: Mom'n'Pop service


23-Aug-06: Promotion and leadership


18-Aug-06: Managing managers


14-Aug-06: Holidays and breaking up time


Jul-06


26-Jul-06: Summer holiday, beginner's mind


24-Jul-06: Romance lives


21-Jul-06: 2-3-4 Training


17-Jul-06: A diamond negotiation


14-Jul-06: Learning from Margie


12-Jul-06: Bush, Blair and brand


10-Jul-06: 30 years on


07-Jul-06: 7/7, one year on


05-Jul-06: Avian Flu


03-Jul-06: The power of coffee


Jun-06


28-Jun-06: Abundance, HP and networking


26-Jun-06: Loyalty traps


23-Jun-06: Missing life


19-Jun-06: Breakfast negotiations


14-Jun-06: Ten minutes of fame


12-Jun-06: Meritocratic benefits


07-Jun-06: Demons and superstitions


05-Jun-06: Secret trial


02-Jun-06: Boyfriends and parents


May-06


30-May-06: Dogs and termination


26-May-06: Canine persuasion


24-May-06: Trying stuff


19-May-06: Practical jokes, schadenfreude and group membership


17-May-06: Techie again


15-May-06: Seeing the doctor


12-May-06: Conflict resolution and the guy at the top


10-May-06: Exams and anchors


05-May-06: Elegant hotels, celebrities and manners


02-May-06: Getting better seats


Apr-06


28-Apr-06: Idea viruses


26-Apr-06: Ostriches


21-Apr-06: Newspaper communism


19-Apr-06: Going to the theatre


14-Apr-06: Fishes and ponds


12-Apr-06: The talking stick


07-Apr-06: Busking


05-Apr-06: Rock climbing and change


03-Apr-06: The job application dilemma


Mar-06


31-Mar-06: Going to the dentist


29-Mar-06: Inspirational Teaching


27-Mar-06: Bad website design


24-Mar-06: Blue funks and cosmic dust


22-Mar-06: Averting gaze on the train


20-Mar-06: Childhood memories


17-Mar-06: A parent's despair


15-Mar-06: Buying boys' toys


13-Mar-06: Job-hopping and careers


10-Mar-06: Discovering Deming


08-Mar-06: Waiting for the train


06-Mar-06: Roadster heaven


01-Mar-06: Selling chocolate


Feb-06


27-Feb-06: Conforming to stereotype


24-Feb-06: Free beer?


22-Feb-06: Leadership and Integrity in Change


20-Feb-06: Who am I?


17-Feb-06: Rude courage and values


10-Feb-06: Listening to teacher


06-Feb-06: Creaks and cures


01-Feb-06: Funny adverts


Jan-06


Dec-05

Nov-05

Oct-05


2007

2006

2005


 

 

 

 


 

  © Syque 2002-2007

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