Every organisation is in the behaviour change business
James is fascinated by human behaviour and wants to use behavioural science to create a world where organisations are designed for humans as we really are, not how the economists and management theorists would like us to be.
He's the founder and Managing Director of The Behaviour Boutique, a behavioural science consultancy practically applying insights from Anthropology, Behavioural Economics, Neuroscience, Psychology, and Sociology to help organisations address their most critical challenges.
James previously co-founded and led Deloitte’s global Behavioural Science offering for five years. He has extensive experience leading behavioural, cultural and technological transformation in global organisations. James has led projects in more than 60 countries on 6 continents in industries including banking, insurance, mining, oil & gas, construction, transportation, government, education, health, human services, and aged care.
James hosts “The B-Word”, a popular podcast featuring leading figures from the social and behavioural sciences exploring what it means to be human and how organisations can better understand and influence behaviour.
He's the author or co-author of three books: "The Future of Change Management", "Adopting AI: A people first approach", and the forthcoming "Human Work: Why work doesn't work for humans and how we can make it better".
Talking Points
Change Management is dead
The world is changing, society is changing, technology is changing. Organisations' ability to successfully handle change has never been more important. Change Management is dead
Yet so much of what know as "Change Management" hasn't changed in decades.
Why do so many organisations rely on outdated and thoroughly debunked approaches, and what should they do instead?
Every organisation is in the behaviour change business. how well does yours do it?
Have you ever made a New Year's Resolution? Have you ever kept one? Every organisation is in the behaviour change business. how well does yours do it?
If you're like most of us, it turns out that making even simple changes to your own behaviour is really hard. But if you can't change your own behaviour, how do you expect to change anyone else's?
If you work in Sales, Marketing, Compliance, CyberSecurity, Human Resources, IT, or in fact in any role that interacts with other humans, that's a problem.
Why is understanding humans and human behaviour THE crucial skill you and your organisation need to succeed? Where do you start?
Adopting AI: How to work with your newest, strangest, smartest colleague
"I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that", said HAL 9000 in the iconic line from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Adopting AI: How to work with your newest, strangest, smartest colleague
Newsflash: it's coming to a workplace near you, very soon.
Artificial Intelligence is the most exciting, most terrifying, most important technological development in human history. Every organisation in every industry needs to grapple with it sooner rather than later.
But where to begin? How on earth do we understand, let alone work with these strange new entities?
You are the weakest link: why humans are the ultimate cybersecurity vulnerability
What do secret Iranian nuclear plants, giant British engineering firms, and your Nan have in common? You are the weakest link: why humans are the ultimate cybersecurity vulnerability
It turns out they're all great targets for a cyber attack. Here's the thing: so am I, so are you, so is everyone else.
Why is human Psychology the ultimate cyber weakness? Why is cyber awareness training almost never effective? And what should your organisation do instead?
The behaviour factory: culture change beyond shared values
Organisational culture... a mysterious, amorphous concept often spoken of in hushed tones. The behaviour factory: culture change beyond shared values
Everyone agrees it's crucially important, and everyone agrees it's almost impossible to define, let alone change.
Into this void stepped a strange concept: "Shared Values". Why did it become fashionable for every organisation in the world to choose a small number of trite, meaningless buzzwords and proudly proclaim them on websites, posters, and screensavers? Does it achieve anything? And if it doesn't, what should you do instead?
