Negotiations can be difficult; it’s not a perfect science. But there are some things we can do to make them run more smoothly. In this conversation with negotiations & mediation guru Elise Margow we discuss: * Common negotiating mistakes that novice negotiators make, and those made by more experienced negotiators. * Myths about negotiations that can get in the way, such as that negotiations need to be a compromise, as well as unhelpful assumptions about how happy each party should feel after the negotiation. * Tips for building trust, using anchors, managing reciprocity and dealing with difficult situations & difficult negotiators (whether they be table-thumping aggressive-types who storm out of the room, or quiet introverts who are reluctant to express themselves).

Theoretically, investment committees (ICs) perform an important governance function. But sometimes they misfire. What can go wrong? And what can be done to ensure that they function as intended? In this podcast I discuss a few of Raewyn Williams' observations from her work with ICs. I also throw in some of my reflections from the psychological research about group decision-making, and from my work with professional investment teams. We cover some of the problems with the way chairs manage meetings, the different roles IC members play compared with their day jobs, the need for clarity around the purpose of each meeting, and the pro's and con's of different types of investment-related jargon. The recording is directly relevant for anyone who’s currently part of an IC, or who presents to one. More generally, it should also be useful for anyone who comes together in teams to make investment-related decisions.

In this conversation with Andrew Rutter we discuss a handful of retirement-related issues that are drawn from the intersection of his and my books on the topic. We cover: * Ways to “reframe” retirement. Why thinking about it as one of a series of life transitions can help. * Retirement mindsets. Do we need to wait ‘til retirement to enjoy life? How should we think about trade-offs with our time & happiness? * Leaving a legacy. Should we be concerned about what goes on our tombstone, or just let it go? * Some challenges. What if you want to pass on your wisdom, but nobody wants to listen? For whose benefit is this wisdom transfer? * The role of planning. How detailed and specific should a plan be, versus flexible and vague? Should it be short or long-term? * Understanding motivation. Do I really need to know why I like watching the waves crash on the beach, or feel satisfaction from climbing a mountain? The conversation is relevant for super funds, financial advisers and people thinking about their own future retirement.

Whether we like it or not, we’re all in the business of predictions. It’s not just economists who predict future interest rates, or pollsters who predict election outcomes, or investments analysts that predict a company’s EPS. We know these types of predictions are difficult and can be unreliable, but as much as some people would claim otherwise, we can’t avoid making predictions. To manage risk, companies need to make predictions about what events could take place, super funds need to make predictions about what investment strategies will succeed, and financial advisers need to make predictions about how clients will respond to different service offerings. We’re also making predictions about ourselves, such the age at which we might want to retire and how long we might live. We will inevitably get these things wrong. But how can we predict better? How can we make predictions that are more useful? In this session, Stephen Huppert and I discuss: 1. How different types of thinking about the future suit different scenarios. 2. The tricks and traps of scenario analyses. 3. How and when to assign probabilities. 4. Whether Bill Gates is right about predicting the future. 5. What we can learn about prediction from the Bladerunner movie.

In this conversation with Conor Wynn we discuss how people often ignore the behavioural element when thinking about corporate change, how people are influenced by cues from the physical structure of their workplace, and the behavioural barriers that exist to people sharing diverse views and opinions at meetings. Also discussed: when do you need to be present for team meetings? Are we all now putting on a performance? Will technology result in us contracting for outputs? Is working from home, by ignoring the impact on others, a selfish choice?

In this conversation with communications guru Amber Daines we discuss tips and traps for Powerpoint presentations, charts, videos, emails, web sites and more. In Amber's view a 5-minute video is probably 3 minutes too long and a Powerpoint slide deck should ideally be devoid of bullet points.The focus of the discussion is examples that are relevant for superannuation funds, financial advice and other financial services providers.

Mike van de Graaf and I discuss lessons from real life and from recent Hollywood movies about how to communicate risk in a way that engages key stakeholders. Mike is a seasoned risk professional who is currently General Manager for Risk & Performance Management at Treasury Corp of Victoria. He is also the Melbourne Co-director of the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP). In the discussion we cover questions like what are the biggest challenges in communicating risk effectively? How to communicate low-probability events? How best to establish credibility? When to be specific versus stay at a high level? How best to get cut-through? The discussion is relevant for risk managers, as well as for professional investors and corporate decision-makers.

In this conversation with Conor Wynn we discuss his PhD research related to cultural change at a large engineering firm. The discussion covers the role of incentives versus personality & identity; the use of simple decision-making heuristics versus detailed analysis; the need to follow procedures versus being creative and open to change; and the role of social influence and stress. The discussion is relevant for anyone who has a business problem for which cultural change is required.

In this conversation with Nick Hilton we discuss the lessons he learned from developing a successful set of digital advice tools for a major super fund. We discuss how to present retirement projections, how to allow members to understand risk, and how to encourage them to execute and implement the advice they receive. As it turns out, changing the name of a button can make a big difference. This conversation is relevant for businesses which have cohorts of relatively unadvised clients: super funds, wealth management, banks and insurers.

In this conversation with Kim Payne from 9rok we discuss the roles of language, of personalisation, of price and of effort in communicating the value of professional services. Expensive wine tastes better, in part, because it's expensive. The drawers from Ikea seem more valuable because of the effort you put into constructing them. We discuss how financial advisers, super funds, real estate executives and others can apply these principles in the way they communicate with their clients and members.

In this conversation with Jared Norris we discuss the reasons why a disconnect can occur between ESG investments and client & member expectations; the challenges financial advisers and super funds face when engaging and educating clients about complex ESG issues; why the assessment of governance-related issues presents the biggest opportunity for improvement; and how technology, surveys and triage tools can help overcome some of these problems.

Trust in the workplace has been identified as being particularly important during the work-from-home pandemic. But what does 'trust' really mean? And what about the related concept of 'psychological safety'? How can these things impact team decision-making? And what should leaders be doing to improve trust - both in their own actions and in the processes they use across their organisations? Workplace Wellbeing Educator, Anna Glynn, and I explore these questions in our conversation.

I discuss the new Members Best Financial Interest obligations with Jonathan Steffanoni from QMV Legal. Under these new rules, will super funds be able to spend money on improving their web sites, on running campaigns to select cohorts of members about their insurance or investment selections, or on developing new lifecycle products? Does it matter if that expenditure is reflected in employee salaries, or is paid to contractors or third party service providers? What evidence will funds need to provide to justify these expenditures?

In this behavioural finance conversation with Andrew Varlamos, CEO of OpenInvest, we discuss how investment managers and platforms can facilitate SMSF trustees making collaborative decisions and how, when combined with ongoing reassurance, this can lead to better financial outcomes, greater financial wellbeing and even better marital relations!

In this discussion David Reckenberg (Managing Partner, QMV Legal), Leigh Johnston, Consulting Practice Lead at QMV, and I speak about the new Product Design & Distribution Obligations in the context of major super funds. What are the potential blindspots and gaps? What questions should trustees be asking? We cover product governance, operational issues & behavioural insights.

Here is the second part of my behavioural finance conversation with Stephen Huppert. In this 13 minute recording we discuss problems we have seen with various forms of super fund member engagement - letters, emails, web sites - and how they can be better aligned with behavioural research. More specifically, we discuss the benefits of super funds providing short bursts of member engagement that are delivered just-in-time, with personal relevance, and that are linked with an identifiable and easy action for members to take. We cover the use of data & technology, checklists and decision-trees, the fact that people don't like think of themselves as average (even if they are), and how people who have already retired aren't interested in learning how to prepare for retirement! The conversation is relevant for super funds primarily, but also financial advisers.

We live in extreme times! But will things revert to 'normal'? In this behavioural finance conversation with Julian Morrison from Allan Gray we speak about the frequently mentioned but often misunderstood concept of mean reversion. We discus when it typically works (think energy stocks & profit margins) and when it doesn't (think Woolworths & gross sales). We discuss the underlying causal and statistical mechanisms, how you can use mean version to diagnose a problem with capitalism, why even sophisticated investors don't think about mean reversion enough, and why tall parents might appear to under-feed their children. This 13 minute recording is relevant for investors and advisers.

In this behavioural finance conversation with Andrew Varlamos, CEO of OpenInvest, we discuss how SMSF investors collaborate with each other (or fail to) and how they incorporate other decision-makers' views into their investment decisions. We cover the need for SMSF trustees to make their hidden thoughts and opinions explicit, and to receive good feedback. And Andrew warns that if your wife raises her eyebrow, trouble might be on the horizon.

I recorded a behavioural finance conversation with Stephen Huppert about super fund member engagement. We discussed how behaviourally naive attempts at member engagement can backfire, whether technology is an enabler or an excuse, and how appropriately engaging with members can be difficult when we "put fences around fences around fences".

I recorded a behavioural finance conversation with Peter Bell from Bellmont Securities about how some risks are more salient than others, and the potential benefits of accepting the salient risks that everyone else fears. We discussed the Amazon effect, the corona virus and, when it comes to financial forecasting at least, why Bill Gates is probably wrong. The recording is relevant for financial advisers and investors.

I recorded a conversation with Julian Morrison from Allan Gray about the impact of social influence on investors and markets. We discussed the best way to get out of a room with a suitcase filled with cash, how to avoid the "winner's curse" and the need for "second order thinking". The recording is relevant for financial advisers and investors.

I recorded a short conversation with Daniel Grioli about how investors, advisers and super funds can use framing techniques. Topics covered include a) why being an institutional investor creates some framing problems that other investors can avoid, and b) the ways clients' decisions can be reframed to help them make better decisions.

Catherine Birchall from Money101 recorded a 12-minute interview with me on why many traditional approaches to financial education don't work, and how super funds can use behavioural insights to enhance their financial literacy campaigns. Among other things, we discussed approaches to overcome the problem of knowledge decay (ie that people forget stuff quickly) and how to help members join the dots from knowledge to action and outcomes. The interview is relevant super funds, but also for other people who seek to provide financial education their clients, members or employees.