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Executive Education
    Harvard Business School Right arrow Executive Education Right arrow Participant Stories Right arrow Overcoming Bias in Decision-Making
    ... Right arrow Harvard Business School Right arrow Executive Education Right arrow Participant Stories Right arrow Overcoming Bias in Decision-Making

    Overcoming Bias in Decision-Making

    Discover how behavioral economics can transform employee development.
    Overcoming Bias in Decision-Making
    Discover how behavioral economics can transform employee development.
    Download Brochure
    Featured Program
    Behavioral Economics: Understanding and Shaping Customer and Employ...
    Date

    17-22 OCT 2021

    Format

    In-Person

    Location

    HBS Campus

    Create more value by shaping the conditions that can alter customer and employee decision-making in powerful and often surprising ways.
    Program Details
    Need Help? Contact Us:
    Program Advising team
    Email: executive_education@hbs.edu
    Program Finder
    Featured Program
    Behavioral Economics: Understanding and Shaping Customer and Employ...
    Date

    17-22 OCT 2021

    Format

    In-Person

    Location

    HBS Campus

    Create more value by shaping the conditions that can alter customer and employee decision-making in powerful and often surprising ways.
    Program Details
    Download Brochure
    Program Finder

    Kate Talty, a senior HR executive at Lixil Americas (makers of American Standard Brands) was looking for a way to enhance her capacity for strategic and operational leadership while exploring new ways to strengthen her decision-making skills. She found what she was seeking in the Behavioral Economics: Understanding and Shaping Customer and Employee Behavior program at Harvard Business School (HBS) Executive Education. In this interview, she discusses the benefits of the program's curriculum, environment, and people.

    Why did you decide to attend the program?

    I thought this program would be very relevant and applicable to the corporate world. Most of our work as HR professionals directly impacts employees, which means we are in an ideal position to drive change and help employees make better decisions. I wanted to attend the program so that I could share and apply behavioral economics tools and techniques with my HR colleagues.

    Did you experience any "aha!" moments during the program?

    As a change-management professional, I've been accustomed to using training as an important tactic to increase employee engagement and influence change. In change management, we almost always have to assume that employees don't know what they should already know. However, merely training employees is hardly an effective approach in behavioral economics, where you generally assume that individuals already do know what they should know. To more effectively drive change, I learned to incorporate these tactics and to intervene in certain situations rather than rely solely on training.

    What are your thoughts about the case study method of teaching?

    The case study method was beneficial in preparing participants for classroom discussion. It gave us an opportunity to broaden our perspectives and test our ideas prior to class. Also, as an introvert, I found it very helpful–and good practice–to discuss my thoughts with a smaller group first.

    What were your biggest takeaways, and how can you apply them to your work?

    My main takeaways were to be more cognizant of the biases that come into play in the decision-making process and focus on those biases when designing interventions and solutions. I'm currently summarizing everything I learned in class so I can offer a behavioral economics info session for my HR colleagues. I plan to ultimately offer the info session to our broader organization in collaboration with our Learning and Organizational Effectiveness department. I’ve also shared with my colleagues the findings and solutions that my behavioral economics task force produced. While the problem of how to increase employee commitment to learning and development is not unique in the world of HR, it is a persistent challenge.

    What surprised you most about the on-campus experience?

    I was very pleasantly surprised by how accommodating, approachable, and inspiring all the professors were. I also found everything on campus to be well designed and accessible. And it was comforting to know that concierge help was available through the evening. All of these benefits made it easier for me to fully focus on the class assignments and activities. Overall, it was an ideal setting for learning.

    How do you think others in similar roles or industries would benefit from this program?

    This program expanded my perspective and helped refine my thought process in understanding and influencing human behavior in a positive way. The truth is that everyone could benefit from this program, regardless of their field or industry. There's an inherent altruistic aspect to the program, in that it is primarily designed to help individuals, teams, and organizations make better decisions. Today, behavioral economics is more relevant than ever as organizations try to be more "human" and incorporate more compassion in the workplace. And the techniques I learned can also be applied outside of work.

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    More Admissions Information
    Download Brochure
    Featured Program
    Behavioral Economics: Understanding and Shaping Customer and Employ...
    Date

    17-22 OCT 2021

    Format

    In-Person

    Location

    HBS Campus

    Create more value by shaping the conditions that can alter customer and employee decision-making in powerful and often surprising ways.
    Program Details
    Need Help? Contact Us:
    Program Advising team
    Email: executive_education@hbs.edu
    Program Finder
    Featured Program
    Behavioral Economics: Understanding and Shaping Customer and Employ...
    Date

    17-22 OCT 2021

    Format

    In-Person

    Location

    HBS Campus

    Create more value by shaping the conditions that can alter customer and employee decision-making in powerful and often surprising ways.
    Program Details
    Download Brochure
    Program Finder

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