The All Things Risk Podcast
The All Things Risk podcast explores the themes of risk, uncertainty and resilience as applied to sports, the arts, current affairs and just about any other domain. We feature long-form conversations with interesting guests who have loads of fascinating stories, tips and tools.
info_outline
Ep. 216: Alison Taylor: On "Higher Ground" - How Business Can Do the Right Thing in a Turbulent World
04/17/2024
Ep. 216: Alison Taylor: On "Higher Ground" - How Business Can Do the Right Thing in a Turbulent World
Today, I welcome back my friend to the show. Alison is a clinical professor at the NYU Stern School of Business and she is also the Executive Director of . She spent the last two decades consulting with multinationals on anti-corruption, risk, human rights, stakeholder engagement, and ethics and compliance. And she is the author of the fabulous new book, . And one of the reasons why I think it's a fabulous book is because it opens up a long overdue grown-up conversation about business in society. Alison takes on and challenges a number of pithy myths and notions that this stuff is always easy, and that there are always win-wins all over the place. The reality is, it's quite hard. And whether we're talking about employee unrest over racial injustice, justice, supply chains, climate change, or bribery and fraud, some of the things that may seem obvious and easy are actually anything but - doing the right thing can be very confusing, and there are lots of traps associated with it, including balancing interests, what ethics really means, how the concepts of transparency and “zero tolerance” can get in the way, and Alison shares insights on some of these challenges. We also talk about trust, which stakeholders companies should listen to, how the book has been received (and it's been received incredibly well, but as you will hear, you'll be surprised to learn where some of the pushback has come from) and so much more. This is a great conversation! Show notes: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe to All Things Risk wherever great podcasts are found: Learn more about
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/30866583
info_outline
Ep. 215: Paula Reid - On Cycling Across Ukraine
04/02/2024
Ep. 215: Paula Reid - On Cycling Across Ukraine
Today, I welcome back to the show. Paula is known as the “Adventure Psychologist” because of her expertise in adventure psychology, which is all about surviving, coping, and thriving during challenge and uncertainty. So obviously, there are huge parallels to decision-making under or uncertainty and to many of my show's themes. And we talk a little bit about that at the outset of this episode. However, beyond that, this one is focused particularly around Paula's adventure cycling across the Ukraine from Odesa in the south to Chornobyl in the north, about 400 miles or 600 kilometres. She did so to raise money for Siobhan's Trust, a charity involved in delivering humanitarian aid to Ukrainians. This one covers an awful lot of ground, from adventure psychology to the origins of Paula's work in Ukraine, to the insight on trauma and mental health. Paula is actually in Ukraine as this goes out. Video version: Show notes: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe to All Things Risk wherever great podcasts are found: Learn more about
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/30651663
info_outline
Ep. 214: Laura Fox - On "Canary Risk"
03/15/2024
Ep. 214: Laura Fox - On "Canary Risk"
Today, I'm delighted to welcome to the show. Laura is a risk management professional and the founder of , a firm that helps clients with outsourced risk management and to navigate uncertainty. Canary Risk is a relatively new firm, and Laura took her own personal and professional risks to set it up, so we obviously talk about that. We also cover the state of the risk profession, hiring, cognitive diversity, values, and so much more. Laura's enthusiasm, her curiosity, courage, and authenticity come through so well in this conversation, and my favourite part is towards the end when she talks about her own decision-making approach in deciding to set up Canary Risk. And I won't say too much here because I want you to listen to it, other than to say that it's a powerful reminder that in order to make quality decisions, we need to have clarity about what's It's important to us. And that's different for each one of us. One-size-fits-all, never fits. Show notes: _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe to All Things Risk wherever great podcasts are found: Learn more about
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/30392148
info_outline
Ep. 213: Colin Pereira - Decision-Making in International Journalism in High-Risk Environments
03/01/2024
Ep. 213: Colin Pereira - Decision-Making in International Journalism in High-Risk Environments
Today, we discuss decision-making in international journalism, particularly when it comes to high-risk environments like conflict zones and natural disasters. My guest is who was the Deputy Head of High Risk Security at the BBC and later Head of High Risk Security at ITN. Now he is a Director of the security consultancy HP Risk Management and a co-founder of Risk Pal, a risk assessment platform. Colin knows all about decision-making and risk to journalists in places like Ukraine and Gaza. He talks about that and the result is a fascinating conversation. We cover how decisions to deploy journalists are made, insights into covering the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, the future of international journalism including misinformation, as well as Colin's own decision-making as a start-up founder. Show notes: _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe to All Things Risk wherever great podcasts are found: Learn more about
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/30186708
info_outline
Ep. 212: Daniel Wagner - On The China Epiphany
02/13/2024
Ep. 212: Daniel Wagner - On The China Epiphany
This is part 2 of 2 with on focuses on his fourth and latest book about China: . Show notes: _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe to All Things Risk wherever great podcasts are found: Learn more about
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/29937003
info_outline
Ep. 211: Daniel Wagner - Living in China Under Zero Covid
02/11/2024
Ep. 211: Daniel Wagner - Living in China Under Zero Covid
This episode was recorded in June, 2022. My guest is , my co-author of Decision-Making in the Polycrisis Era. Daniel had just spent 15 months living and working in China with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). This coincided with China’s “zero covid” policy. This is a fascinating conversation that covers: · Quarantine in China · Life in Beijing as an expat (and under zero covid) · Working at the AIIB · Geopolitics · Much more Show notes: _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe to All Things Risk wherever great podcasts are found: Learn more about
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/29895073
info_outline
Ep. 210: Garry Honey - On Leadership and Navigating Uncertainty
02/04/2024
Ep. 210: Garry Honey - On Leadership and Navigating Uncertainty
My latest guest is . Garry trains boards, non-executive directors, and business leaders on strategy, governance, risk, and communication. He is the founder of the consultancy and runs leadership courses for various business schools. In this conversation, we cover reputation, strategic risk, leadership, and decision-making in a crisis, why so few organizations try to map out a purpose, and a vision for their futures, uncertainty in the limits of knowledge, human factors, the problem with ESG, and so much more. If you are a leader in an organization, or if you're interested in some of the challenges with leadership in large organizations, you will want to listen to this. It's fascinating stuff. Show notes: by Mervyn King and John Kay by Margaret Heffernan _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe to All Things Risk wherever great podcasts are found: Learn more about
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/29788273
info_outline
Ep. 209: Ben Cattaneo and Daniel Wagner: Decision-Making in the Poycrisis Era
01/29/2024
Ep. 209: Ben Cattaneo and Daniel Wagner: Decision-Making in the Poycrisis Era
This episode is a rather special one because it is about a book I have co-written entitled and I am joined by my co-author . We are dealing with a range of overlapping and acute crises – from climate change to geopolitical upheaval and societal polarisation. At the same time, the tools and the mindset to approach decision-making are no longer fit-for-purpose. Daniel and I discuss the polycrisis era and various aspects of it. We also cover a bit more at the end on decision-making, as we felt it was worth adding to the initial conversation. Daniel has been on the podcast previously. He is an accomplished author, country risk expert, and has recently been in Beijing and Abu Dhabi (the latter for the COP28 climate conference). Show notes: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe to All Things Risk wherever great podcasts are found: Learn more about
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/29700638
info_outline
Ep. 208: Constance Dierickx - The 'Decision Doctor®' on 'Meta Leadership'
01/19/2024
Ep. 208: Constance Dierickx - The 'Decision Doctor®' on 'Meta Leadership'
In this episode, I welcome to the show. She is known as the “Decision Doctor®” and advises leaders on high-stakes decisions (think mergers, divestments, strategic changes, crises, and so on). She has a PhD in Clinical Psychology and is the author of three books, the latest of which is called . We talk about that in this episode and more including the role of physical states in decision-making, deconstructing success, the veneration of leaders, high-stakes decisions and much more. Show notes: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe to All Things Risk wherever great podcasts are found: Learn more about
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/29563898
info_outline
Ep. 207: Merlin Tuttle - On Misguided Fear of Bats and Their Conservation
12/28/2023
Ep. 207: Merlin Tuttle - On Misguided Fear of Bats and Their Conservation
I was also going to release this one over Halloween, but I think that for the reasons that you will hear, it's far, far more appropriate to release it now. My guest is , and today we talk about the conservation of bats. Merlin is a well-known American conservationist. He is the founder of Merlin Tuttle's Bat Conservation. He has studied and photographed bats for over 60 years, and in so doing, he has changed the perception of bats, from that of bats being an animal to be feared to one of them being valuable, safe, even cute, and likable. Bats also play an important role in protecting plant species, controlling deadly mosquito populations, and reducing the reliance on pesticides. However, there is a lot more work to do because forest habitats of bats are disappearing, and bat populations are vulnerable. And as you will hear, the fear of bats is still a huge factor in all of this. This is also a conversation about fear. And we discuss that. Merlin shares his background, how and why he developed the , bats and contagious diseases (and the myths around that). We also talk about Merlin's work protecting the bat colony of the , and so much more. Show notes: - here you can find articles, citations, infographics for sharing all about bats and disease. All about Austin's bats, About MTBC field trips: Videos: Of Agaves and Bats film, More videos for all bat values, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe to All Things Risk wherever great podcasts are found: Learn more about
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/29262103
info_outline
Ep. 206: Roger Miles - On Culture, Leadership, Performative Risk Management and more
12/18/2023
Ep. 206: Roger Miles - On Culture, Leadership, Performative Risk Management and more
Today's episode is a wonderful look at organizational culture, performative risk management, that is risk management theatre, ways to quickly assess a healthy culture, and much more. My guest is the brilliant . For those of you who don't know him, Roger researches and engages with many kinds of organisations about how people perceive risk and make decisions under uncertainty. He has worked on, studied, and advised organizations about ethics, culture, psychology, and risk, decision-making under stress, and many more areas. He is the author of . Conduct risk simply means the risk of people behaving badly. He's also the lead author of And this conversation came about, because of an interaction I had with Roger about performative risk management – that is, stuff that happens only for show, not because it's actually helpful. And we talk about that, and it turns out that there is a long history of it. However, there is so much more in this wonderful episode, which covers everything from authoritarianism, unethical contracts, abstracts, codes of practice, AI, cognitive diversity, and a lot more. Show notes: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe to All Things Risk wherever great podcasts are found: Learn more about Drop us a note:
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/29129173
info_outline
Ep. 205: Derek Leatherdale: On Demystifying Geopolitical Risk
11/23/2023
Ep. 205: Derek Leatherdale: On Demystifying Geopolitical Risk
Today, we talk geopolitical risk, an area that, if recent surveys are to be believed, keeps CEOs up at night more than anything else. My guest is . Derek is the founder and managing director of , which helps companies thrive in a volatile world. He does that by helping them think through and respond to geopolitical risk. Prior to that, Derek set up and ran the Geopolitical Risk Function at HSBC, helping integrate expert geopolitical risk insight into the way in which the bank manages risk. And prior to that, Derek worked in national security and intelligence roles for the UK government. He works with boards and senior leaders on issues related to geopolitics. This one is a great conversation, not just because we talk about a fascinating area of risk, but also because it provides insights into the complexities of decision-making at large organisations. And even if you don't work in a large corporate, I think you'll find this one very interesting. The world is indeed complex and uncertain and getting more so, and it's interesting to consider how to make sense of that complexity and to make practical decisions around it, and I think that Derek's insights help us do that. Show notes: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe to All Things Risk wherever great podcasts are found: Learn more about Drop us a note:
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/28774873
info_outline
Ep. 204: Sabrina Segal - On Tolerable Risk in the Humanitarian and International Development 'Third' Sectors
11/08/2023
Ep. 204: Sabrina Segal - On Tolerable Risk in the Humanitarian and International Development 'Third' Sectors
Today, I speak to about managing risk in the so -called “third sector”, which is the charity and non-profit sector.
Sabrina is an international development and humanitarian assistance professional.
She has worked on the ground during many humanitarian crises and international development roles in the likes of the Middle East and North Africa, Sub -Saharan Africa, and South Asia. She is an attorney by training, but for the past few years has been involved in risk management and decision making in the third sector. And she hosts a podcast called , which provides insights on these topics. And we get into all of that in this conversation. And I always find insights about risk and decision making from other contexts to be fascinating because there are always a number of transferable things.
The third sector deals with high stakes issues, use, complex relationships, and resource constraints.
You will hear that that context is incredibly important when it comes to managing risk.
You will also hear that ‘traditional risk management’ simply doesn't work in this context.
And we talk a lot about that. And what I find very impressive and inspirational about what Sabrina does is that she is setting out to change that, and you will certainly hear more about that too. Show notes: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe to All Things Risk wherever great podcasts are found: Learn more about Drop us a note:
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/28553342
info_outline
Decision Reactions Ep. 2 - Take the Money and Run
11/01/2023
Decision Reactions Ep. 2 - Take the Money and Run
Our second in a thing called "Decision Reactions" Show notes: NPR piece: Original Al Jazeera piece: Follow The Decision-Making Studio and get our copy of the FOCUS framework primer -
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/28487189
info_outline
Ep. 203: Rupert Evill - On Bootstrapping Ethics, Making Risk Relevant, and the Dark Arts of Investigation
10/24/2023
Ep. 203: Rupert Evill - On Bootstrapping Ethics, Making Risk Relevant, and the Dark Arts of Investigation
Today on the show, I am delighted to bring you my conversation with . Rupert is the founder of , a firm that helps organisations make risk relevant and implement risk, ethics and compliance programmes quickly. Rupert has 22 years of experience managing risks and crises in a variety of different environments and worked on roles focused on investigations, political risk, compliance, crisis response, and counterintelligence and counter-terrorism. He has worked in over 50 countries, including in Asia for over 12 years. He has recently written a book entitled to help limited resources navigate risk and ethical challenges. Rupert is a bit of a kindred spirit in that like me, he as an aversion to “performative” risk management, ethics, and compliance activities. Many of these things are dogma and don’t work in the types of complex environments in which Rupert’s investigative expertise is incredibly helpful. We talk about all these things and more, including: Why ‘zero tolerance’ stances on ethical issues backfire; How bribery and corruption actually work in challenging environments – including some interesting anecdotes; The ‘dark arts’ investigations; Much more! Show notes: by Emily and Laurence Alison _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe to All Things Risk wherever great podcasts are found: Learn more about Drop us a note:
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/28406312
info_outline
Decision Reactions - Ep. 1: An Unfair Game
10/19/2023
Decision Reactions - Ep. 1: An Unfair Game
This is the first in a potential series from called "Decision Reactions" in which we look at quality decision-making practice. In this episode, we tee up our FOCUS decision-making framework and apply it to a great scene from the film Moneyball, starring Brad Pitt. _ _ _ _ _ _ Get a copy of our short primer on the FOCUS framework by going to and signing up for updates.
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/28366607
info_outline
Ep. 202: Bryce Hoffman - On Red Team Thinking
10/10/2023
Ep. 202: Bryce Hoffman - On Red Team Thinking
In this episode of the All Things Risk podcast, we have the pleasure of speaking with , the founding partner and president of . Bryce is our first guest since launching the (and we will be producing episodes more frequently) and I cannot think of a more appropriate guest. Bryce Hoffman is best-selling author and an expert in the field of ‘red teaming,’ a practice that challenges strategies and enhances decision-making through the incorporation of contrarian perspectives. He brings a unique perspective to his work, having been the first civilian graduate of the US Army's Red Team University. We begin our conversation by discussing leadership (and why Bryce views Elon Musk and Jack Welch as poor examples of leadership). Bryce then explains what red teaming is – it involves stress testing strategies, uncovering blind spots, and examining assumptions to improve decision-making. It's a method used by both military and corporate organizations to identify vulnerabilities and produce robust plans. As we delve deeper, Bryce shares how red teaming can be particularly valuable in leadership roles. By embracing diverse perspectives and fostering a culture of open dialogue, leaders can prevent groupthink and make better-informed decisions. He stresses the importance of challenging assumptions and valuing dissenting opinions, ultimately creating stronger organizations and resilient teams. Throughout our discussion, Bryce provides lots of practical examples and actionable advice for implementing red team thinking in different contexts. We touch on the power of scenario planning, the benefits of actively seeking out devil's advocates, and the necessity of constantly reassessing strategies. We wrap up our conversation by exploring the future of decision-making and the role that red teaming will play in an increasingly complex and uncertain world. Bryce's insights leave us with a renewed appreciation for the value of critical thinking and the power of embracing opposing perspectives. Show notes: Book: Bryce’s Book Peter Senge’s by Laura Bohannan by Dietrich Dörner by Malcolm Gladwell _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe to All Things Risk wherever great podcasts are found: Learn more about Drop us a note:
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/28275449
info_outline
Ep. 201: Chris Hess - On Expertise, Battle Scars, Business, and More
09/21/2023
Ep. 201: Chris Hess - On Expertise, Battle Scars, Business, and More
This episode’s guest is . Chris happens to be a friend of mine from way back in my high school days. He, like me, has created an international career. And he is also based in the UK. I invited him to be a guest on the show because his professional experience and expertise is very interesting, and right up the street of this show's themes. Chris is a partner with , a boutique consultancy focused on the insurance and wealth management sectors. He helps clients to address changing marketplaces, to digitize their businesses, and to build resilience. Prior to this, Chris has been an entrepreneur and a senior executive. This has included stints doing business in both Russia and China, and obviously we talk about that. We also talk about taking risk, about decision-making, about startups. We talk about last year's UK mini-budget crisis, as Chris worked with many pension funds and had a unique view of the event. And if you aren't based in the UK, this was the crisis that almost took down the British economy and ended up taking down, the government of Liz Truss. We also talk about planning, the use of experts, and a lot more. Show notes: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: Subscribe on Stitcher: Subscribe on Soundcloud: Follow the podcast on Twitter: Drop us a note:
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/28102883
info_outline
Ep. 200: Gareth Lock - Decision-Making and Human Factors in Deep Sea Diving
08/27/2023
Ep. 200: Gareth Lock - Decision-Making and Human Factors in Deep Sea Diving
In this episode, we look at decision-making in the world of deep sea diving, a topic that provides us with so many transferable lessons to other domains. It is also a very fun conversation. My guest is . Gareth is the founder of , an organisation that improves the effectiveness of diving skills through specific human factors training. Gareth has had a long career as a diver, starting out his career in the Royal Air Force where he spent 25 years. Over the years he realised that one thing the military does very well is teamwork – which, of course makes sense because poor decisions, bad behaviour and a lack of situational awareness can cost lives. Gareth found that the world of diving focused heavily on technical expertise – obviously important – but emphasised human behaviours and decision-making less than it should. As a result, he brings these approaches to the diving profession. Gareth has led many complex dives all over the world. He has also taken a huge amount of amazing underwater photos which you can see on his website. This conversation is filled with wonderful insights about decision-making, working in teams, planning, the importance of constructive dissent, psychological safety, a just culture, making change happen, systems thinking and much more. Show notes: , Gareth’s website Gareth’s book by Atul Gawande by Tina Rosenberg _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: Subscribe on Stitcher: Subscribe on Soundcloud: Follow the podcast on Twitter: Drop us a note:
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/27858942
info_outline
Inbetweenisode 19 - When Do you Cross the Rubicon? A Useful Technique for Framing Decisions
08/04/2023
Inbetweenisode 19 - When Do you Cross the Rubicon? A Useful Technique for Framing Decisions
The Inbetweenisode makes a return! This one is based on this article - Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: Subscribe on Stitcher: Subscribe on Soundcloud: Follow the podcast on Twitter: Drop us a note: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/27665202
info_outline
Ep. 199: Grant Purdy - On Deciding and Why We Need to Drop 'Risk Management'
07/19/2023
Ep. 199: Grant Purdy - On Deciding and Why We Need to Drop 'Risk Management'
In this episode, I have the honour of welcoming to the show. Grant, for those of you who may not have heard of him, has a 40+ year career in helping decision-makers make great decisions. This has involved enabling great conversations, and providing sufficient certainty to decision-makers in the achievement of their intended outcomes. Grant is also considered one of the ‘founders’ of the thing commonly referred to as ‘risk management’, having co-wrote the world’s first risk management standard in the 1990s and later, ISO 31000, the best-known risk management standard. As you will hear however, the practice of traditional risk management has turned into something that has nothing to do with decision-making. It has become, according to Grant, a ‘’ around the necks of organisations and something akin to a religious belief system together with sacred artefacts and evangelists. It’s something we need to drop, he says. If you work professionally in risk management, I urge you to listen and reflect on this. If you don’t work in traditional risk management, you are still a decision-maker. Therefore, you are the person for whom Grant and his co-author, the late Roger Estall wrote . Grant provides us with a number of insights from the book. Sadly, Roger passed away the day before we recorded this episode. Grant opens with a lovely tribute to Roger who perhaps saved more lives than any other New Zealander through his work. Deepest condolences go out to Rogers’s family, friends, and everyone who knew and worked with him. Show notes: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: Subscribe on Stitcher: Subscribe on Soundcloud: Follow the podcast on Twitter: Drop us a note:
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/27514815
info_outline
Ep. 198: Roger Spitz - How to Thrive on Disruption
07/10/2023
Ep. 198: Roger Spitz - How to Thrive on Disruption
Today, we talk about thriving on disruption. My guest is . Roger is the President of , an organisation focused on climate and foresight strategy which works with the leadership teams of some of the world’s most prominent organisations. He is also the Chair of the , and education platform that teaches us how we can thrive on disruption. He spent two decades working in the world of venture capital and investment banking, advising founders and CEOs. For the purposes of this conversation, Roger is the co-author of . The guide is premised on the fact that disruption is a constant in our lives, and is expanding fast. It is comprehensive and very practical, with tools and techniques aimed at helping readers be more resilient and seize opportunities. It involves ‘casting aside assumptions, throwing out old playbooks, rewiring our mindset, embracing the unknown and taking agency of our own futures.’ This is a nutrient-dense conversation that covers everything from Zen Buddhism to AI. Show notes: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: Subscribe on Stitcher: Subscribe on Soundcloud: Follow the podcast on Twitter: Drop us a note: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Our free course module “” from our upcoming course How to Make Decisions With Calm and Confidence
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/27420471
info_outline
Ep. 197: Christian Hunt - On Humanising Rules
06/23/2023
Ep. 197: Christian Hunt - On Humanising Rules
Today, we have a fabulous conversation with Christian Hunt who is making his third appearance on the show. This time he joins me to talk about his excellent new book . The book is all about using practical techniques ‘that work with – rather than against – the grain of natural human decision-making’ in designing and implementing rules. In the book and in this episode, Christian challenges widely-held assumptions about managing the risks posed by people and their relationship with rules. As Christian so often aptly puts it rule-makers need to not just think about how ‘ they’d like people to behave, but how likely people are to behave.’ If you’ve not come across Christian before, he is the founder of , a consultancy that brings behavioural science to ethics and compliance. He is also the host and producer of his own show, . He is always engaging and challenges our thinking. After listening to this, no matter if you are a rule-maker, rule-taker or rule-breaker (and at times, we are all of those things), you won’t ever think about rules in quite the same way again. Show notes: _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: Subscribe on Stitcher: Subscribe on Soundcloud: Follow the podcast on Twitter: Drop us a note: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Our free course module “” from our upcoming course How to Make Decisions With Calm and Confidence
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/27245838
info_outline
Ep. 196: Jen Clinehens - On Choice Hacking
05/31/2023
Ep. 196: Jen Clinehens - On Choice Hacking
Today, we spend some time in the world of marketing talking about how people make choices – and how behavioural science and AI can help us make better choices. My guest is . Jen is all about making business more human and is the founder of a consultancy that approaches customer experiences with a combination of behavioural science and psychology as well as cutting-edge AI tools. Jen has a very interesting background and worldview – she spent time as a musician and in the creative industries before working in business and later founding Choice Hacking. We spend time talking about that, about how consumers make choices and what we can learn from that, the differences between marketing and manipulation, AI, and much more. Show notes: _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: Subscribe on Stitcher: Subscribe on Soundcloud: Follow the podcast on Twitter: Drop us a note: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Our free course module “” from our upcoming course How to Make Decisions With Calm and Confidence
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/27002310
info_outline
Ep. 195: Bent Flyvbjerg - On How Big Things Get Done
05/15/2023
Ep. 195: Bent Flyvbjerg - On How Big Things Get Done
Today, we talk about how big things get done. A ‘big thing’ can mean a large infrastructure project, an IT project at work, or something in your personal life like a home renovation, a big adventure, or an event you’re organising. The sad truth is, the vast majority – in fact, almost – big projects end up over budget, delayed, and they don’t provide the planned benefits. This is something well-researched and backed up by data. It is the ‘Iron Law of Mega Projects’ as you will hear. That’s the bad news. The good news is that joining us on this episode of the podcast is who is the world’s leading megaproject expert. Prof. Flyvbjerg teaches at the University of Oxford and the IT University of Copenhagen. He has consulted on over 100 megaprojects costing $1 billion or more and has been knighted by the Queen of Denmark. He is the co-author of the fantastic new book Bent joins in what I think is a fabulous conversation in which he shares: · The Iron Law of Mega Projects; · Why projects ‘don’t go wrong, they start wrong’; · Why projects are not goals in and of themselves and what we can learn from legendary architect Frank Gehry; · What the Tour de France teaches up about risk; · What lego has to do with all this; · Much more! Show notes: _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: Subscribe on Stitcher: Subscribe on Soundcloud: Follow the podcast on Twitter: Drop us a note: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Our free course module “” from our upcoming course How to Make Decisions With Calm and Confidence
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/26841483
info_outline
Ep. 194: Carlo Gallo - On Russia-Ukraine and What We Can Learn From Geopolitical Risk Analysis
04/18/2023
Ep. 194: Carlo Gallo - On Russia-Ukraine and What We Can Learn From Geopolitical Risk Analysis
In this episode, we dive into the world of geopolitical risk analysis – and in so doing, we also look at Russia and its conflict with Ukraine. On top of this, in looking at geopolitical risk, we are also be default considering decision-making under circumstances of extreme uncertainty and ambiguity. So, this is a conversation that offers numerous useful lessons applicable to all types of decisions. My guest is Carlo is the founder and director of , a geopolitical risk consultancy that provides analysis on geopolitics using a number of rigorous methods to help clients make better investment decisions. Carlo is an expert on Russia and the former Soviet Union. He has a doctorate in Russian politics from the London School of Economics and applies his expertise in helping clients address political, integrity and security risks. This is a fabulous conversation that covers both the methodology behind great political risk analysis and how this relates to decision-making as well as the current Russia-Ukraine conflict. Carlo shares insights on Russian society, why the Russian population, for the most part, is supportive of Vladimir Putin, and some considerations for the conflict with Ukraine may end. Show notes: _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: Subscribe on Stitcher: Subscribe on Soundcloud: Follow the podcast on Twitter: Drop us a note: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Our free course module “” from our upcoming course How to Make Decisions With Calm and Confidence
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/26577576
info_outline
Ep. 193: Paul McVeigh - What Elite Footballers Can Teach Us About High Performance
03/19/2023
Ep. 193: Paul McVeigh - What Elite Footballers Can Teach Us About High Performance
Today, I am delighted to bring you my conversation with former Premier League footballer and now performance psychologist . Paul played professionally for the likes of Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspur and internationally for Northern Ireland. He competed with some of the sport’s best players and has taken this experience and developed his own methodology to performance psychology which he applies in his work with leaders and teams. He is also an author, having written which discusses how football at an elite level is played every bit as much with the mind as it is on the pitch. You certainly don’t need to be interested in football to get a lot out of this episode, but if you are, you will find it even more fascinating. Paul shares more about all this in this episode, including: · The day he began his professional career at Tottenham which also happened to coincide with the first day of World Cup-winning colleague Jurgen Klinsmann; · How he started to apply psychology as a professional footballer at a time when sports psychology wasn’t something very common; · What he learned from being on the same pitch as Cristiano Ronaldo; · What former Chelsea great Gianfranco Zola told him about Diego Maradona; · The decision to retire as a footballer to do what he does now; · The differences and similarities between elite footballers and high-performance leaders · Much more Show notes: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: Subscribe on Stitcher: Subscribe on Soundcloud: Follow the podcast on Twitter: Drop us a note: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Our free course module “” from our upcoming course How to Make Decisions With Calm and Confidence
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/26270715
info_outline
Ep. 192: Sander Van Der Linden - Why Misinformation is a Virus, and How to Build Immunity
03/15/2023
Ep. 192: Sander Van Der Linden - Why Misinformation is a Virus, and How to Build Immunity
This episode is all about misinformation, which seems like it is everywhere – it’s almost like a virus. In fact, as you will hear in this fascinating conversation, that’s exactly how misinformation behaves. My guest is who is a Professor of Social Psychology in Society and Director of the Social Decision-Making Lab at the University of Cambridge. He has been described as Cambridge’s professor of ‘defence against the dark arts’. Sander is the author of the fantastic new book . I don’t think that after you listen to him that you will look at misinformation and social media in the same way again. This conversation is also a great reminder that we are all susceptible to misinformation. We spend time covering Sander’s background and the origins of the book, why our brains are susceptible to misinformation – which necessarily covers conspiracy theories, how misinformation spreads and the role of social media in that, and finally, how to create a vaccine against it. Sander also shares his experiences working with big tech on this problem. Show notes: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: Subscribe on Stitcher: Subscribe on Soundcloud: Follow the podcast on Twitter: Drop us a note: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Our free course module “” from our upcoming course How to Make Decisions With Calm and Confidence
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/26237964
info_outline
Ep. 191: Sarah Waylett - On Burnout and Breaking the Stress Cycle
02/24/2023
Ep. 191: Sarah Waylett - On Burnout and Breaking the Stress Cycle
Today, we discuss some risks to ourselves – more specifically, stress and burnout. My guest is . Sarah is a self-described recovering perfectionist and over-achiever. She spent many years in the world of high-performance management consulting. This eventually took a toll on her both physically and mentally. Ultimately, she decided to understand her perfectionist tendencies. This led her to found her own consultancy called because she saw in others the same tendencies and the same results – overwork and burnout. She developed her own method to deal with burnout using human-centred design thinking, the same techniques she used to facilitate business problem-solving. She found that this approach worked. We get into that and a lot of other great stuff here that is highly relevant to clear thinking and decision-making. If you lead teams or want to better understand, prevent and/or recover from burnout there is a lot of great stuff in this conversation. Sarah explains her definition of burnout, its impacts on the body and on decision-making, the importance of mindfulness practices, the stress cycle, and ways to prevent and combat burnout. Show notes: by Emily and Amelia Nagoski _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: Subscribe on Stitcher: Subscribe on Soundcloud: Follow the podcast on Twitter: Drop us a note: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Our free course module “” from our upcoming course How to Make Decisions With Calm and Confidence
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/26036853
info_outline
Ep. 190: Sarah Davis - Paddling the Nile, Part 2 of 2
01/28/2023
Ep. 190: Sarah Davis - Paddling the Nile, Part 2 of 2
This is Part 2 of 2 of our conversation with , the first woman to have paddled the Nile from its source in Rwanda to the sea off the coast of Egypt, a 6,500+ km journey that took six months. If you have not done so, we encourage you to listen to or wherever you get your podcasts. In Part 2, Sarah covers the second half of her journey which includes traveling through Sudan and Egypt. She also shares a number of wonderful lessons that are applicable to any ambitious endeavour. Show notes: Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: Subscribe on Stitcher: Subscribe on Soundcloud: Follow the podcast on Twitter: Drop us a note: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Our free course module “” from our upcoming course How to Make Decisions With Calm and Confidence
/episode/index/show/allthingsrisk/id/25757268