Behavioral Science Archives

Reducing friction: the small secret to bigger mission success

by Kevin Smith

Reducing friction: the small secret to bigger mission success

by Kevin Smith

Thinking back to my childhood, the grocery store looms large. When you’re a kid in a supermarket, time stands still. My mother’s review of the weekly circular and clipped coupons sentenced me to an eternity of shelf scanning and pointless coveting of things she’d never be talked into. (Capri-Sun, a staple in every cool kid’s […]

We Have More in Common

by Kevin Smith

We Have More in Common

by Kevin Smith

How listening reveals common ground in divided times. When a teacher asked me if I was an only child, I took it as no compliment. In my case, the answer was yes. And the assumptions that came with acquiring that moniker stung. The implication was that you were accustomed to being the center of attention. […]

Three signs your messaging strategy needs help

by Kevin Smith

Three signs your messaging strategy needs help

by Kevin Smith

I’m not handy. I wish it were different, but no amount of renovation-based television programming or YouTube videos seems to change things. I can be stymied by the simplest of repairs, so much so that I’ve found it less awkward to hire someone at the outset rather than engage them after I’ve botched things up […]

Present casting: a better way to inspire action

by Kevin Smith

Present casting: a better way to inspire action

by Kevin Smith

Our most serious issues have one big thing in common — their consequences usually aren’t immediate. The impact of our behavior, be it individual or collective, usually has a long time horizon. We can eat poorly for decades before developing heart disease. And despite increasingly dangerous weather patterns, climate change remains a burden for future […]

Stop telling people what to do.

by Kevin Smith

Stop telling people what to do.

by Kevin Smith

If we want people to change, we must be willing to change the way we ask. I wouldn’t have made it in corporate America. While I emulate the discipline, steadiness and structure, it just wouldn’t have been the right fit for me. What drew me to social impact communications was the constant carousel of issues: […]

Less telling, more listening

by Kevin Smith

Less telling, more listening

by Kevin Smith

The art of shared understanding in donor, beneficiary and staff communications. My studio is my sanctuary. There’s no better day than one spent mixing color and painting. But as comfortable as the studio is, I have to venture out occasionally to try and up my game a bit. This involves traveling to workshops, where usually […]

Behavioral Science

Reducing friction: the small secret to bigger mission success

You believe in the goodness of human beings

The moment we decide

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Featured Posts

Reducing friction: the small secret to bigger mission success

Reducing friction: the small secret to bigger mission success

We Have More in Common

We Have More in Common

Three signs your messaging strategy needs help

Three signs your messaging strategy needs help

Present casting: a better way to inspire action

Present casting: a better way to inspire action

Stop telling people what to do.

Stop telling people what to do.

Less telling, more listening

Less telling, more listening

categories

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