93: How Behavioral Psychology Makes You a Better Manager with Matt Wallaert

Behavioral psychology has typically been used to help therapists provide effective counseling and designers build better products. But we all can benefit from insights about how our brains work. When we apply these lessons to our own work, we can positively impact our teams and our organizations.  Matt Wallaert is a behavioral scientist working at the intersection of technology and human behavior. A multi-exit entrepreneur and product expert, he is passionate about focusing on behavior as the outcome of everything we build. He is the author of Start at the End: How to build products that create change and no matter where he is, Matt will be in cowboy boots and gesturing wildly.  Matt and I talk about behavioral psychology and what happens when you think about management as a service, how to use promoting and inhibiting pressures to guide behavior and create an ideal environment, how to set objectives and run pilots to measure process and outcomes, and gather learnings and so much more.    Read the related blog article: Try These Behavioral Science Strategies For Managing Team Behavior.   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) win 1 of 5 copies of Start At The End: How to build products that create change. You must be a member by April 14, 2020 to be eligible.  If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at [email protected] for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Help me write my new book! I’m researching what makes a manager great to work for. Share your story and experience at www.managerialgreatness.com Help spread the word, too! Share the link with friends and colleagues.  I want to work directly with you! Learn more about my one-on-one coaching services or complete this intake form to see if coaching is the right next step for you. (www.mamieks.com/coaching)   KEY TAKEAWAYS It’s difficult to manage people if you haven’t articulated what behaviors are desired and why. Promoting pressures make something easier and more likely, while inhibiting pressures make something harder and less likely. As a manager, you can influence behavior by designing promoting and inhibiting pressures. Develop yourself and others to have both deep expertise and broad interests. Spend time learning in your area of specialty and learning in a wide variety of topics even if they&rs