The Decision Education Podcast

Why do people sometimes become more entrenched in their beliefs when they are challenged? In this episode, David McRaney, science journalist and creator of the You Are Not So Smart podcast, book, and blog, joins us as we dive into the psychology of persuasion and explore how and why people change their minds. Together, we investigate the psychological need for connection and how, under certain circumstances, that need can lead people to gravitate toward extremist communities. We also consider ways to protect ourselves and others from such polarized thinking and practice active open mindedness. David discusses the challenges inherent in conversing with people who do not share our beliefs and why these discussions often don’t go as planned. We also share a powerful technique to change someone’s mind, including your own.

Can giving advice actually be more valuable than receiving it? In this episode, Dr. Adam Grant, organizational psychologist and world-renowned author, joins host Annie Duke, co-founder of the Alliance for Decision Education, to rethink the ways we work and learn. Adam discusses which type of people excel the most in the workplace: givers, takers, or matchers. Adam and Annie delve into how establishing “personal policies” can help us with decision-making in the workplace and how we can make workplaces more equitable. Adam explores why he believes the hallmark of true intelligence is the ability to rethink, unlearn, and be open to changing our minds when we encounter new information. He also provides a glimpse into the secrets of his Junior Olympic diving success, as featured in his latest book, Hidden Potential. Finally, Adam shares the surprising similarity between academic writing and performing magic tricks!

Is more choice always better? Join us in conversation with Dr. Sheena Iyengar, a professor at Columbia Business School and an expert on choice, as we examine the complexities of choice overload, and discover why having less can sometimes lead to more. We'll explore the intricate psychology of decision-making, from understanding the reasons behind why we procrastinate making important choices to uncovering why we struggle to handle more than seven options when making a decision. In this episode, we'll also take a look at a powerful strategy that effectively reduces gender bias in hiring, and how our cultural backgrounds significantly influence our approach to decision-making. Dr. Iyengar also reveals her six-step process for fostering innovation, demonstrating that we don't always have to wait for the perfect option to arise – we can actively shape the options we desire. Finally, we'll discuss the pitfalls of brainstorming and uncover the surprising truth about the usefulness of those 'brilliant' thoughts that come to us in the shower. 

Do judges impose harsher sentences on Friday afternoons? In this episode, Dr. Cass Sunstein, law professor, former administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, and co-author of Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness, joins host Annie Duke, co-founder of the Alliance for Decision Education. They discuss the concept of noise, inconsistencies in human judgment that can arise even when people are presented with the same information. Annie and Cass talk about how we are more likely to believe things we hear repeatedly, even when they’re not true, and how “nudges” can positively influence our choices without us realizing it. Cass also sheds light on the surprising impact group polarization has on everyday decision-making, including the tendency of juries to impose harsher sentences collectively than any individual jurors would choose alone. This has big implications for the group decisions we make every day at work, at home, and in our families!

Why do projects often take so much longer than expected? Join us in conversation with Dr. Woo-kyoung Ahn, Professor of Psychology at Yale and the author of Thinking 101: How to Reason Better to Live Better, to explore the thinking errors we make every day and discover powerful tools to mitigate them. Together, we delve into the reasons why job interviews can be misleading, why we tend to procrastinate, and more. Woo-kyoung offers valuable insights on how to improve our thinking, giving us practical ideas that we can apply in our daily lives, including some fun tips on how to make sure confirmation bias isn’t on the menu the next time we visit a restaurant.

Do our brains trick us into thinking things are worse than they are? In this episode, Dr. Steven Pinker, experimental psychologist and world-renowned author, joins host Annie Duke, co-founder of the Alliance for Decision Education, to explore why we make irrational decisions and to share some useful tools to help improve our judgment. They discuss how our brains are wired for nostalgia and why we erroneously think that the world is getting worse. Steven also explains how expected value can be a useful decision-making tool. And finally, Steven and Annie discuss game theory and negative externalities, revealing what hockey players wearing helmets have in common with ordinary citizens trying to save the planet!

How can we build an identity that withstands life’s curveballs? In this episode, Dr. Maya Shankar, Senior Director of Behavioral Economics at Google, joins host Annie Duke, co-founder of the Alliance for Decision Education, to explore the art of building resilience. Together, they share valuable insights on adapting to change and making tough decisions—from knowing when to pivot in your career to finding new sources of meaning and purpose in the face of injury or other obstacles. Maya reveals insights from her time as a senior advisor at the White House, explains why sometimes the messenger is just as important as the message, and recounts the heart-stopping tale of a diver’s heroic rescue mission in Thailand. This episode is full of lessons that we can apply to our own decision-making!

Season 4 of The Decision Education Podcast unveils decision-making tips from experts in behavioral science, cognitive biases, choice overload, and making decisions in the workplace. Host Annie Duke engages our guests in fruitful discussions where they unpack their decision toolkits and share how the world might look different if we practiced decision-making skills from a younger age.

What drives bad financial decisions when a crisis hits? Morgan Housel, award-winning author and expert on the psychology of financial decision-making, joins your host, Dr. Joe Sweeney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Decision Education, to talk about the common flaw of only saving for situations we can imagine, why we should be wary of financial advice in the media, and the danger of expecting history to map the future. Morgan also shares a strategy to help us focus more on the things that matter most to us.

How can celebrating failure make us more successful? Tenured Harvard Professor and former Chief Decision Scientist in the U.S. Navy, Dr. Jennifer Lerner, joins your host, Executive Director of the Alliance for Decision Education, Dr. Joe Sweeney, to discuss why most organizations reward leaders who continue investing time and money into projects that are underperforming and how to break this pattern. She also shares how leaders can terminate an initiative while maintaining the confidence of their team, and how throwing “failure parties” may be the key to success. Jenn also shares a surprising insight about how feeling angry can make us unrealistically optimistic.

How can we get better at receiving negative feedback? Mellody Hobson, Co-CEO and President at Ariel Investments and Chair of the Board of Starbucks, joins your host, Dr. Joe Sweeney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Decision Education, to talk about her journey to becoming one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People,” and a nationally recognized voice on financial literacy. Mellody and Joe discuss how to be courageous and patient in our investments and our careers, how organizations can put people first without compromising on profit, and how great leaders adapt when facing high-stake challenges and great uncertainty. Mellody shares insights from the COVID-19 pandemic when she advised Starbucks on supporting 440,000 employees across 83 countries, and worked with Chicago-based non-profit After School Matters to provide teens with urgently needed food and essentials. Mellody also shares a much-needed update to the idea that our children can “do anything.”

What can we learn from ancient civilizations that can help us make better decisions today? Ryan Holiday, bestselling author and host of The Daily Stoic Podcast, joins your host, Dr. Joe Sweeney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Decision Education, to talk about how Stoic philosophy can help us become more strategic decision-makers. Ryan and Joe discuss the critical role composure played in the Cuban Missile Crisis, how adopting an outside view can help navigate public relations disasters, and, how although we don’t control what happens to us, we can control how we respond. Ryan also explains how even mighty emperors struggled to get out of bed in the morning. Then he shares motivating insights to help us stop hitting the snooze button and take on the day ahead.

How do the world’s most influential technology companies think about decision-making? Google’s Chief Decision Scientist, Cassie Kozyrkov, joins your host, Dr. Joe Sweeney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Decision Education, to talk about the science of decision-making in data-driven organizations, the pitfalls and possibilities for incorporating AI into the decision-making process, and how computer programming is like a cross between LEGOs and magic spells. Cassie and Joe discuss her journey from logging gemstones in Microsoft Excel as a child to founding the field of decision intelligence at Google, and the profound impact that Decision Education will have on our children's futures. Cassie also shares critical advice about asking ourselves the right question, in order to make the most rational decision.

How can we make our unintentional habits work in our favor? Charles Duhigg, Pulitzer prize-winning reporter, and New York Times best-selling author, joins your host, Dr. Joe Sweeney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Decision Education, to talk about the power of looking beyond binary choices, evaluating our own thinking, understanding our own “habit loops,” and building the most powerful habits of all - the ones that help us think more deeply. Charles also shares revealing insights into the most common mistakes we all make - it’s not the ill-advised actions that cost us most dearly, but the missed opportunities that we fail to even see.

How can we beat procrastination by doing more of the things we love? Dr. Katy Milkman, Professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, celebrated author, host of the Choiceology podcast, and Alliance Advisory Council Member, joins your host, Dr. Joe Sweeney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Decision Education, to talk about the power of nudges, the distorting lens of the present bias, and how she used a behavioral science hack to get herself to crave trips to the gym. Katy and Joe discuss the peculiarities of mental accounting, how she trains her students to critically examine scientific claims, and the power of rituals to help us unwind. Katy also shares a surprisingly easy strategy to guarantee that you'll choose the healthy option at a restaurant, not the unhealthy one you crave!

Season 3 of The Decision Education Podcast unveils decision-making tips from experts in habits, Stoicism, decision intelligence, and behavior change. Dr. Joe Sweeney, your host, engages our guests in fruitful discussions where they unpack their decision toolkits and share how the world might look different if we practiced decision-making  skills from a younger age. Tune in to listen!

How does embracing decision science lead to domination in the NBA? Daryl Morey, President of Basketball Operations for the Philadelphia 76ers and Co-founder of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, joins our guest host Annie Duke, to talk about his unique basketball mindset and key decision-making insights learned from working at the very top of the professional game. Daryl and Annie discuss the hidden Math of the basketball court, why teams should test radical strategies in every game, why so many teams overlooked the value of the 3-point shot for so long, and how rapidly adapting to rule changes is critical to gaining a competitive edge. Daryl also talks about what to do when facing an opponent that’s better than you, and reveals the surprising strategies which give you the best chance of still winning.

What can we learn from individuals who make life-and-death decisions in the most dangerous environments on the planet? Dr. Ken Kamler, Expedition Climber, Microsurgeon, and Extreme Medicine Doctor, joins our guest host Annie Duke, to talk about decision-making insights discovered on his perilous expeditions on Mount Everest, and to share his powerful account of the notorious 1996 Mount Everest Disaster. Ken and Annie discuss the importance of sticking to turnaround times on an ascent to save yourself from flawed in-the-moment decision-making, the mental challenge of turning back so close to the summit, and why Olympic bronze medalists are surprisingly often happier than silver medalists. Ken also reveals what the true goal on Everest is—hint: it's not to get to the top—and how getting the time horizons of our goals wrong can have devastating consequences for all of us.

What do the NFL’s most legendary general managers do when making tough decisions at the highest level? Michael Lombardi, former NFL general manager and three-time Super Bowl winner, joins our guest host Annie Duke, to talk about decision-making insights learned from 3 decades in the game, working alongside coaching and general manager legends Bill Walsh of the San Francisco 49ers, Al Davis of the Oakland Raiders, and Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots, among others. Michael and Annie discuss how popular narratives have the power to derail good decision-making, why it’s important to get comfortable being uncomfortable, the value of curiosity on our personal life journeys, why offensive coordinators need to think like defensive coordinators, why true loyalty involves sharing unpopular perspectives, and Michael’s vision for “change departments” in all organizations in the NFL and beyond.

Does Rich Eisen’s suit slow him down in the 40 yard dash? Rich Eisen, NFL Network and The Rich Eisen Show Host, and Les Snead, General Manager of the Los Angeles Rams, talk with our guest host, Annie Duke about how to balance using analytics with intuition and past experience to make fast in-game decisions, how an NFL franchise can best work together and pool their judgments and information, and the influence of emotions on gut feelings. You’ll also hear about resulting bias and how many fans feel about analytics-based decisions that result in bad outcomes.

How can we have better conversations with people who have different beliefs from us? Andrew Berry, General Manager of the Cleveland Browns and Alliance Board Member, joins our guest host Annie Duke, to talk about how decision-makers can benefit from getting comfortable with uncertainty, how the pandemic highlighted overconfidence and the illusion of control, what it means for general managers to have one foot in the present and one in the future, as well as three strategies to reduce bias. You’ll also hear about how the world might look different if we taught kids how to think instead of what to think.

How do we decide when to play it safe, and when to take the risk? Award-winning author, journalist, and professional poker player, Dr. Maria Konnikova, talks with our guest host, Annie Duke, about how poker parallels uncertainty in life, the hidden downside of avoiding risks, how to decide what to do next professionally, and how her fascinating career trajectory resembles a constellation more so than a straight line. She also reveals what you often need besides smarts and hard work to get where you want to go.

Join us for Season 2 of the Decision Education Podcast, launching in  Summer 2021! In this season, our guest host is Alliance co-founder,  best-selling author, and celebrated speaker, Annie Duke,  and we’re turning our attention to decision-making in the world of  high-performance sports.  These conversations with high-stakes sports  figures, discussing the biggest decisions of their careers, reveal  powerful and practical insights about the science of decision-making at  the highest level, for us all to use in our own lives.

How do we balance the tradeoff between spending more time on a decision and achieving more certainty about it? Best-selling author and decision strategist, Annie Duke, joins your host, Executive Director of the Alliance for Decision Education, Dr. Joe Sweeney, for a Bonus Episode of The Decision Education Podcast, recorded in May 2020. In this episode from our archives, Annie and Joe discuss things that fall inside and outside of our control in life, the ways in which we veer from rationality, the value of humbly holding our beliefs, parenting tips for the pandemic, how we can use mental time travel to help us cope with the present, and the illusion of uncertainty. You’ll also hear about why quitting can be a good thing.

What can decision-making on the chessboard teach us about decision-making in the game of life? World Chess Champion and human rights activist Garry Kasparov, joins your host, Executive Director of the Alliance for Decision Education, Dr. Joe Sweeney, to discuss Garry’s hunger for chess and analyzing his games, his experience facing fierce competition, the importance of making your decisions in the right environment, and why today’s youth should recover the spirit of exploration, despite potential risks. You’ll also hear about the motto hung above Garry's bed as a teenager: “If not you, who else?" and why “working like a machine” may no longer be a compliment in today’s age of technology.

Can we count on our feelings to guide our decisions? Dr. Paul Slovic, Professor of Psychology at the University of Oregon, joins your host, Dr. Joe Sweeney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Decision Education, to discuss the three pillars of the arithmetic of compassion, how our feelings change as we consider one vs. dozens of people in danger, and how flawed thinking could have impacted decisions about the use of nuclear weapons during the Cold War. You’ll also learn about the "warm glow of satisfaction" we get from helping people, why it shines brighter in some situations than others, and why, in certain contexts, we might not help someone in need, even if we can.

How does our mood affect how cooperatively we act in a situation? Dr. Barbara Mellers, I. George Heyman University Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, joins your host, Executive Director of the Alliance for Decision Education Dr. Joe Sweeney, to talk about the difference between judgments and decisions, studies on what happens when our desires and our sense of fairness are in conflict, and research on how a positive mood might make you act more cooperatively. You’ll also hear about the differences between how we should make decisions, how we actually make decisions, and what we can do to improve our decision-making.

How can we draw the line between what is inside and what is outside the scope of our decisions? Eyas Raddad, Research Fellow and Decision Scientist at Eli Lilly and Company, joins your host, Executive Director of the Alliance for Decision Education, Dr. Joe Sweeney, to talk about the importance of building the right frames for our decisions, the common attributes of the very best decision scientists in the field, and the decision skills that you can bring to the table at work to support your team’s decision-making. Finally, Eyas leaves us with a valuable lesson on how to distinguish advice from our friends that simply feels good to us, from advice that truly helps us.

Making predictions is part of everyday life, but how can we guard against being overly confident in our predictions? Ted Seides, host of the Capital Allocators podcast and author of a number of successful books on asset management, joins your host, Executive Director of the Alliance for Decision Education Dr. Joe Sweeney, to talk about the uncanny power of premortems, the grave danger of overconfidence in the financial world, and qualities to look for when constructing an effective decision group. Ted also explains how paying close attention to your emotional state can dramatically increase the odds of making a good decision.

Can people with different values sit around a table and make good decisions together? Lee Failing, Partner, Engineer and Decision Analyst at Compass Resource Management, believes that they can. Lee is an expert in group decision-making and works with government agencies and community groups brought together to face controversial complex social and environmental dilemmas. She joins your host, Executive Director of the Alliance for Decision Education Dr. Joe Sweeney, to discuss turning conflict into creative solutions, how our values and beliefs can change more than we think, and her excitement about seeing decision skills catch on in the classroom. You’ll also learn why difficult conversations about our values are essential, if we are serious about crafting solutions that work for everyone.

How might our decision-making improve if we ask ourselves, “What happened when other people were in this situation before?” Michael Mauboussin, Head of Consilient Research at Counterpoint Global, joins your host Dr. Joe Sweeney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Decision Education, to discuss the importance of considering base rates and reference classes when making tough choices, the undervalued impact of keeping a decision journal, and the overlooked role of luck in the outcomes we observe. And when it comes to the choice between exploring and exploiting our resources, you’ll learn what ants and bees can teach us about decision-making. Welcome to Season 1 - Episode 1.

Season 1 of The Decision Education Podcast unveils decision-making tips from experts in finance, natural resource management, drug development, psychology, and chess. Dr. Joe Sweeney, your host, engages our guests in fruitful discussions where they unpack their decision toolkits and share how the world might look different if we practiced decision-making skills from a younger age. Tune in to listen!