At work too, nudges can help us take action

Nudge literally means “boost” in English, which could be translated as “encouragement.” The theory of Nudge, developed by behavioral science, shows how simple incentives help us get from good intentions to action.

These studies recently culminated in the work of Cass Sustein and Richard Thaler, the 2017 Nobel Prize in Economics, authors of “Nudge - The Soft Way to Inspire Good Decision.”

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Even motivated, we are all paralyzed when it comes to taking action...

What is the relationship with our professional life? The desire to develop ourselves is omnipresent (acquire new skills, implement this great training we have followed, expand our network, change paths...). The problem is not our motivation: it is fluctuating, of course, but always there.

We also have no shortage of resources: thanks to the countless theories, training courses and other tutorials, we know exactly what to do and how to achieve these goals. In many cases, all we need to do is take action. And that's where it gets stuck. Lack of time or energy, laziness, forgetfulness: we are constantly facing multiple obstacles that prevent us from simply turning this decision to act into action.

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It's normal: we are biased!

We all have this paralysis of the first step. The reason is very simple: we are human. THEHomo economicus does not exist: we are not capable of cold analysis and consistent actions under all circumstances. And being absolutely not rational, knowing that a behavior is beneficial is not enough for us to do it.

The cause? We are constantly influenced by cognitive biases: those little voices that remind us of negative experiences first and foremost, that make us overestimate the views of others...

Originally, these biases emerged to help us: they simplify our environment to allow us to adapt to it as best as possible, for example by helping us to ignore the superfluous in order to make faster decisions. But in a world where we have to constantly reinvent ourselves, unlearn and relearn, they sometimes become obstacles. And here we are caught between the hammer of the permanent need to develop, and the anvil of our inertia.

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Nudge: a tool that helps us use our biases to our advantage

Fortunately, behavioral science, which studies how our brains make decisions, helps us understand these biases and exploit them.

To better understand the strength of Nudges, let's take the example of their application on the British organ donation policy. In countries requiring explicit consent, i.e. where individuals must give their consent prior to any collection, the consent rate is very low: in 2003, in Great Britain, only 17% of people consented to the donation, 4% in Denmark... compared to 100% in Austria. The British government then called on its Nudge Unit, a Prime Minister's department dedicated to using behavioral economics to improve public policies. The nudge unit, after testing various approaches, suggests simply asking citizens the question “If you needed a transplant, would you ask for it?” If yes, become a donor.” Result? Membership increases by 100,000 more donors each year, while maintaining explicit and voluntary consent. And that thanks to a nudge, simple and effective.

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Ideal in a context of professional training, in the field

If the Nudges started out in the public domain, they are gradually being adopted in the professional world. In particular, they represent a great opportunity to tackle the challenge of professional development, by integrating it into our daily lives. Past the e-learnings, seminars or face-to-face training, the good Nudges, at the right time, allow us to put all these beautiful principles into practice. And so put one foot on the other side of the door, then another, and another, until that goal that we are really motivated to achieve.

The next articles in this column will decipher different situations in your daily professional life for you to help you draw the contours of biases — and put in place the right ones. Nudges to unblock the situation!