Mixed Emotions Podcast

🌟 Are you really expressing your feelings, or are you just stating opinions disguised as emotions? When we say things like, “I feel like you don’t care” or “I feel that this doesn’t matter to you,” we aren’t truly communicating feelings. These statements are actually opinions, judgments, or even accusations in disguise. 🎯 True feelings are expressed with emotion words—like frustrated, sad, overwhelmed, or worried. When we fail to name our feelings, we risk putting others on the defensive instead of fostering understanding. Catch the whole episode with Carole Robin, Ph.D. Link in the comments.

People are motivated by autonomy & accountability When basic needs like income, food, & sufficiency are universally solved, something happens: We shift to purpose-driven lives, unlocking potential. This leads us to two paths for the future: 1️⃣ Idiocracy: A future where abundance leads to stagnation. 2️⃣ Star Trek: A future where abundance drives exploration, innovation, & growth. Which direction we take would depend on how we structure opportunities for purpose. Here’s why autonomy matters: When survival is no longer a struggle, people focus on goals that matter—curiosity, contribution, & collaboration. This is where people create, build, & explore. 🚀 ✅ Accountability systems: #Autonomy is strengthened with clear structures. ✅ Purpose-focused culture: Encourage discovery, learning, & exploration. Was a pleasure speaking to Matt Wallaert on the Mixed Emotions Podcast Watch the whole episode. Link in the comments.

A business can be viewed through the lenses of a business model, a behavioral model, and an operational model. Behavioral science plays a crucial role in fulfilling predetermined wishes by modifying behaviors within a target audience. Market research, which resides in the business model, identifies these behaviors and target audiences as attractive. An example with Spotify illustrates this concept: if users listened to one more podcast episode, potential advertising revenue could increase by 8 million dollars. It's critical to distinguish the decision-makers from those who execute these changes. Check out the episode link, in the comments below. Had a crazy good conversation with Matt Wallaert & Mihir Oka on the Mixed Emotions Podcast

The amount of time spent online by employees is irrelevant as long as they achieve their accountable outcomes. There's a distinction made between different work environments, such as a flexible work setup versus a call center, where the latter requires employees to be seated and ready for calls during specific hours. The key takeaway is the importance of understanding and clearly communicating the expectations and outcomes specific to each group of employees, balancing accountability with autonomy.

The integration of behavioral science into business, behavioral, and operational models to achieve desired outcomes. Look at it as Aladdin's genie to explain how, after conducting market research, behavioral science takes over to realize goals such as widespread product adoption or increased podcast listenership. #psychology #mixedemotions

A shift in perception when approaching problem-solving could lead to exploring alternative solutions. The importance of recognizing the behavior as the primary focus of any company's actions, followed by employing a scientific approach to achieve desired outcomes, is what should be the company's ultimate driving point. Catch the whole episode at link in the comments.

In the context of effectiveness and success metrics, academia may deem a 0.5 chance as extremely poor, advocating for cessation of efforts. Conversely, the business world considers a 50% success rate potentially sufficient, warranting continued efforts and interventions. While academic standards are stringent, business approaches allow for greater flexibility, often employing methods like growth hacking and #JUGAAD to innovate and optimize outcomes despite perceived low probabilities of #success. What Would you do? Also, check out the full episode: Link in Comments.

The reliance on broad, seemingly aspirational terms like productive, collaborative, and inclusive, which, while appealing, often lack concrete definitions within specific workplace contexts. The ambiguity serves as both a shield and a trap. It shields organizations from accountability when goals aren’t met ("we said to be collaborative, but that means different things to different people"), and it traps employees in uncertainty, unsure of what success looks like in their roles. For example, is collaboration about contributing to a meeting, sharing ideas, or something deeper, like proactively building bridges across teams? Without clear expectations, the answer is all of the above—or none. The emphasis on defining specific behaviors is a call to operationalize these values at an actionable level. It’s about asking questions like: ⭐ What does being productive look like in this role? Is it tied to measurable outcomes, efficiency, or creativity? ⭐ How do we define collaboration in a team with remote, hybrid, and in-office employees? Does it mean synchronous meetings, or does asynchronous work count, too? ⭐ What does inclusivity mean in daily practice? Is it about ensuring diverse voices are heard, redesigning workflows to avoid bias, or fostering psychological safety? ⭐ Feedback plays a critical role here. Feedback isn’t just a tool for performance improvement; it’s a mechanism for reinforcing clarity and purpose. Instead of saying, “We need you to be more collaborative,” actionable feedback would say, “We’d like you to seek input from at least two colleagues before finalizing project drafts to ensure cross-functional alignment.” Establishing this clarity requires structural and cultural alignment. Organizations must embed these expectations into processes, job descriptions, and even how they measure performance. It’s creating shared language and frameworks. Creating behavioral charters for teams that translate abstract values into everyday practices. Structured feedback loops that reinforce these expectations regularly. Performance metrics tied to these behaviors, ensuring they’re recognized and rewarded. Organizations & their cultures should be about moving from abstraction to action, from values on a wall to behaviors that shape the organization’s daily operations & rhythm. We need to be defining what behaviours we mean, and what they look like in motion. ⭐ Could this approach create a more aligned, empowered workforce? ⭐ Would it eliminate—or at least mitigate—the confusion? Or does the act of definition risk losing the flexibility these terms were designed to preserve? What do you guys think? Matt Wallaert & I sit down on the Mixed Emotions Podcast and talk about all things Behavioural Economics around #nudge & #Influence , #startups, #businesses and a lot more! Check it out, - link in the comments.

The need to incentivize people to create content rather than just consume it on platforms like Facebook. The argument is that without user-generated content, there would be nothing new for others to engage with. Matt suggests companies should encourage offline experiences for users, which lead to more content creation online, in case of social media companies in the least. This acknowledges the ethical implications of a purely consumption-driven model and the necessity for companies to pivot their strategies to promote a healthier balance between online and offline activities. It also acknowledges the fact that if you did what was considered fun, all the time. It would stop being fun! The fun only exists when there is moderation. [Content Creation, Having fun, Pivot, Human Behavior] #instagram #content #research #fypシ #mixedemotions #social

On the Mixed Emotions Podcast, among many many many things, we also speak on the concept of 'Jugaad,'. Jugaaad is a hindi word and a term for ingenious solutions or workarounds, and its negative impact on economic systems. This conversation points out that while Jugaad can solve immediate problems, it often disrupts broader systems, preventing collective progress. Matt contrasts this with China, where severe penalties deter destructive Jugaad practices, thus maintaining system integrity. A bearish outlook on economies overwhelmed by Jugaad because such systems lack long-term sustainability. #jugaad #startup #business #podcast