The People Geek

The Efficiency Trap: Why Everything Your MBA Taught You About Efficiency Is Killing Innovation In the interest of providing multiple means of engaging with this blog, below is the podcast style conversation, using our AI friends Johnny and Joanne who go into each blog post at a deeper level.

In transformation or change management programmes, what do we mean by efficiency? Could we be chasing the wrong pot of gold at an illusionary rainbow?

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The Three-Body Problem: Why Your Best People Interventions Keep Failing Sarah was the perfect candidate.

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I've written about what 19th century astronomy teaches us about 21st century people management, why prediction has inherent limits in complex systems and what we can do about

The lessons from physics suggest we might need to fundamentally rethink how we approach behavioral change in organisations.

Workplace behaviour emerges from the interaction of three components: Someone (the person), Somewhere (the environment), and Something (the task). When these three elements interact, the system becomes complex in ways that resist traditional cause-and-effect thinking.

Tiny changes in starting conditions lead to completely different outcomes over time.

What does this have to do with people management?

In the 1890s, Henri Poincaré proved that when three celestial bodies are gravitationally attracted to each other, their motion becomes fundamentally unpredictable. Not because we lack data or computing power, but because three-body problems inherently resist prediction.

This story from my recruitment days was jogged whilst reading Alicia Juarrero “Context Changes Everything”. Her introduction to 19th century physics has profound implications for how we approach workplace behaviour.

The only change? Her office was now next to the executive floor instead of embedded within her team.

Six months later, she was struggling. Not dramatically failing, just... different. Less innovative, more cautious, increasingly frustrated.

Sarah was the perfect candidate. Brilliant analytical mind, stellar track record, glowing references. She'd thrived in similar roles at two previous companies……

Butterflies, Jazz Bands, and Golf Balls: Why the Traditional HR Measurement Is Missing the Point How do we better measure human behaviour in HR & Psychology?

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The UEL final has become the PL relegation playoff…

The Europa League final has effectively turned into a Premier League relegation playoff?

It makes no logical sense how a body part that cannot be scored with, that has no bearing on the goal gives him an advantage?

Beyond the Control Room in your Head What Pixar's 'Inside Out' Gets Wrong About How We Think and Lead

I appreciate questioning the cognitive science behind Pixar’s Inside Out may not make me popular.

But what if the major cognitive science assumption the film makes is wrong?

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Are we stretching the truth on Stretch Goals? An evidence-informed discussion on goal setting and performance management for HR, Managers and Leaders

Stretch goals. Are they consistently stretched too far?

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Nice to hear Matt. Keep up the physio and over recover as you get back the mileage. I killed my LCL not willing to pull out of Brighton Marathon.

Active Inference at Work: The Science Behind Professional Intuition Understanding the Embodied Workplace Hunch. Distinguishing the Science of Professional Intuition from Biases

What is the science behind hunches?

#hr #cognitivescience #neuroscience

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Is Nketiah the right profile (assuming he’s the successor)? Much of JPs success is his physicality in penetrating space whilst holding off defenders? Or can we adapt to Nketiah’s strengths?

Will take a look at Hayden Hackney….

All I can think is succession planning for JP and Wharton. Why can’t I just enjoy today….?

Thanks Steve!

IRL Hungry Hippo’s?

Playable? Yes or no?

#grassroots #lido #routeone

Defining the context outside of the “professions” is key. The same way warfighting, firefighting, surgery, policing etc. are all perceptual-action scenarios.

We can talk differential learning, tactical periodisation, ecological dynamics, cognitive maps, inverting full backs and overloads in the channels. But often a coaches job comes down to simply clearing dead rats off a pitch.

#grassroots #nevertoobigforyourboots #coaching #football

Agreed, what is the fitness to the environment and task is nearly always missed when using Psychometrics.

Yes, that seems to be why people find MBTI more “engaging”. It’s more positive in its psychological descriptors.

Hi Baptiste, yes I can see that view. What do you mean by judgemental in this context?

Also makes taking kids to matches impossible. No wonder the women’s game is growing as a family friendly football environment.