Ending Communication Defaults

We all have what the Harvard Business Review calls “default behavior,” moments when we let our visceral automatic pilot usurp reason. These default reactions can lead to impulsive decisions. A study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that highly experienced parole judges reasoned more carefully at the start of each workday and after meal breaks, when on average they granted parole to 65 percent of applicants. But as their sessions wore on, favorable parole judgments fell to an astonishing 0% prior to each food break.

Whatever drives us toward default—be it hunger, fatigue, or a certain type of person who “rubs us the wrong way”—is not serving us. One big reason, in our opinion, is that during default moments we are listening less and cutting off the flow of new information. Lee Newman, Dean of Innovation and Behavior at Madrid’s IE Business School suggests three steps for overriding your automatic pilot response:

1)   Know your default triggers.
2)   Anticipate and mentally rehearse your overrides.
3)   Design your days to minimize triggers at high-stress times.

We want to hear: What drives you into “default” mode and what are you doing to regain control? Are you doing anything to modify your behavior?  Join the conversation and click "comments" on our Community of Practice Forum.