A Load of BS on Sport: The Behavioural Science Podcast with Daniel Ross and Liam Botham

This week, we are joined by Caspar Berry. Caspar started out in acting aged 16 actor in BBC show Byker Grove with “Ant and Dec”. At Cambridge he had commercial success directing award-winning short films and TV commercials, then went on to write two feature films which were produced by Film Four and Columbia Tri Star before he had graduated. Aged 26, he decided to take a risk and move to Las Vegas with his life savings in his pocket, and for next few years, became a professional poker player. Caspar later returned to the UK to set up 21st Century Media which he later sold to Bob Geldof's Ten Alps plc. He now gives talks and mentors around the world on all his disparate experiences.Show Notes:How Caspar’s early life decisions, driven by comfort with risk, led to diverse experiencesPoker as a metaphor for decision-making processes in life and businessThe complexity of assigning probabilities to actions and the challenges posed by unpredictabilityDifferences in risk-taking between individual and team sportsThe concept of 'negative metrics': sometimes the pursuit of certain performance metrics (e.g. home runs in baseball) might lead to higher failure rates (strikeouts)Please leave a review if you like the podcast; and share with friends. Your support makes us very happy!Get the podcast in your inbox every week by subscribing hereAccess our exclusive speaker events by subscribing hereFollow Daniel on TwitterPodcast music: Tamsin Waley-Cohen's Mendelssohn's violin concerto

This week, we are joined by esteemed sports psychologist Andrea Furst. With a career that spans continents and disciplines, Andrea is an extremely well respected, established figure in the realm of sports psychology, known for her work with elite athletes across a wide spectrum of sports—from golf and sailing to tennis, hockey, rugby, cricket and beyond. Indeed, among other, she is currently the sports psychologist at current county cricket champions Surrey.She is also the founder of Mental Notes, where she leads a team of sport psychologists dedicated to elevating elite performance. Her extensive experience here includes supporting multiple Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games teams.Show notesHow psychological principles are applied to enhance athlete performance and mental well-beingTechniques and strategies used by Andrea to help athletes manage downtime and focus during competitionsAdapting sports psychology practices to different cultural contexts and individual athlete needsThe importance of addressing mental health as an integral part of sports psychologyImpacts of her psychological interventions: maximising walking time in golfPlease leave a review if you like the podcast; and share with friends. Your support makes us very happy!Get the podcast in your inbox every week by subscribing hereAccess our exclusive speaker events by subscribing hereFollow Daniel on TwitterPodcast music: Tamsin Waley-Cohen's Mendelssohn's violin concerto

This week, we are joined by former England international cricketer Nick Compton. Nick is the grandson of the great Dennis, but a very fine 1st class cricketer in his own right playing for Middlesex, Somerset and 16 tests for England scoring 2 centuries in that time.Nick wrote his memoir 'Legacy' just last year and it is a moving, poignant, searingly honest, at times harrowing story of someone who was supremely talented at his craft, but for whom it became too all consuming and challenged Nick's mental health to the edge of his survival. Nick's psychological journey is the subject of this conversation.Show notes:Nick's journey of self-discoveryThe mental marathon of performanceThe realities of life as a professional athlete, beyond the glamour and accoladesThe legacy and weight of familyThe complexities of team dynamics and personal sacrificeHanging out with Virat Kohli’s girlfriendA Load of BS EventsLiam and I are hosting our inaugural business of sport and entertainment event on June 17th early evening in London.We will be joined for discussion and drinks by Lord Ian Botham, Sir Andrew Strauss and Mo Bobat at the fabulous Patrick Mavros atelier on the Fulham Road.If you’d like to join us…We have a handful of seats available to podcast listeners. If you’d like to come, please email danielsjross@gmail.com with subject line: ‘A Load of BS Events RSVP’Please leave a review if you like the podcast; and share with friends. Your support makes us very happy!Please leave a review if you like the podcast; and share with friends. Your support makes us very happy!Get the podcast in your inbox every week by subscribing hereAccess our exclusive speaker events by subscribing hereFollow Daniel on TwitterPodcast music: Tamsin Waley-Cohen's Mendelssohn's violin concerto

This week, we are joined by Ben Stookesberry, legendary white water expedition kayaker whose death defying exploits on some of the most extreme rapids in the world are nothing short of awe inspiring.“In the last 4 years alone I’ve made dozens of first descents on six continents from the tropics to the Arctic with long time kayaking partners Chris Korbulic and Pedro Oliva,” says Ben. “In total I have over 130 first descents and counting.”SEE BEN IN ACTION!Show notes:Facing fear and adversity: what it feels like close to drowningPreparation and mental strength to tackle extreme kayakingThe impact of tragedy: losing a friend to a crocodile attackThe thrill of exploring untouched environmentsA philosophy on risk and mortalityBen’s commitment to personal growthPlease leave a review if you like the podcast; and share with friends. Your support makes us very happy!Get the podcast in your inbox every week by subscribing hereAccess our exclusive speaker events by subscribing hereFollow Daniel on TwitterPodcast music: Tamsin Waley-Cohen's Mendelssohn's violin concerto

This week, we are joined by former professional footballer, now broadcaster and author Pat Nevin. Pat had a long and successful career on the pitch, but his hinterland is arguably richer.He was a darting winger for Chelsea, Everton, Tranmere Rovers and Scotland, but also chairman of the Professional Footballers Association, player/CEO at Motherwell, an ardent anti-racism campaigner as well as lover of music and the arts. He has a deep understanding and appreciation for the psychology of sport, as you'll find out by listening!Show notes:The pure joy of playing footballPlaying without nervesPat's perspective on embracing individuality and challenging normsHow to eliminate cheatingPersonal growth, reflection and writingThe great managers who understood psychology bestPlease leave a review if you like the podcast; and share with friends. Your support makes us very happy!Get the podcast in your inbox every week by subscribing hereAccess our exclusive speaker events by subscribing hereFollow Daniel on TwitterPodcast music: Tamsin Waley-Cohen's Mendelssohn's violin concerto

This week, we are joined by Mo Bobat, until recently Performance Director at the English Cricket Board, now fulfilling the same role with IPL team the Royal Challengers Bangalore. We discuss how elite athletes and teams harness mental strength and innovative strategies to achieve greatness. From the art of managing maverick talents to the science behind creating cohesive, high-performing teams, Mo shares his insights, experiences, and the cutting-edge techniques that make him a sought-after expert in the sports industry. Show notes:The psychology behind elite performanceCultivating a high-performance mindsetManaging talents and team dynamicsStrategies for mental strength and resilienceThe impact of leadership on team performanceMo 's own sporting journey Please leave a review if you like the podcast; and share with friends. Your support makes us very happy!Get the podcast in your inbox every week by subscribing hereAccess our exclusive speaker events by subscribing hereFollow Daniel on TwitterPodcast music: Tamsin Waley-Cohen's Mendelssohn's violin concerto

In this first in a new series, we talk to former England international, Kent and Middlesex cricketer Ed Smith. Ed is also a prolific writer and broadcaster, past England national selector and now founder of the Institute of Sports Humanities which teaches a unique degree in sports leadership.We talk about:What sport and cricket mean to EdWhat the study of history has taught Ed about sportThe problem with team talksEmotionally intelligent coachesTeam selection and risk takingHow to make good decisionsSport as artHosted by Daniel Ross and Liam BothamPlease leave a review if you like the podcast; and share with friends. Your support makes us very happy!Get the podcast in your inbox every week by subscribing hereAccess our exclusive speaker events by subscribing hereFollow Daniel on TwitterPodcast music: Tamsin Waley-Cohen's Mendelssohn's violin concerto

Dr Grace Lordan is an Associate Professor at the London School of Economics in the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science. She is also Founding Director there of The Inclusion Initiative which focuses on bringing together teaching, research and practice to build more inclusive work environments.She has also written a book which I personally took huge value from, 'Think Big: Take Small Steps and Build the Career You Want', which uses behavioural science to give really practical advice about, amongst other, how to ask for pay rises, get promoted and change careers.Show notesAbout Grace’s book ‘Think Big: Take Small Steps and Build the Career You Want’When is it a good time to ask for a pay rise?And how to get your narrative rightWho is Me+, your future self?How dating experiences are different for girls and boysHow to escape the evils of your phoneThe Inclusion Initiative at LSE: improving company leadership and cultureIs the pipeline problem a myth or reality?Covid’s mass resignation; and its great regretFighting for greater workplace gender equalityPlease leave a review if you like the podcast; and share with friends. Your support makes us very happy!Get the podcast in your inbox every week by subscribing hereAccess our exclusive speaker events by subscribing hereFollow Daniel on TwitterPodcast music: Tamsin Waley-Cohen's Mendelssohn's violin concerto

I welcome this week the behavioural scientist Patrick Fagan, described by comedian David Mitchell as a "Mother Superior in nipple tassels".He's also a former Cambridge Analytica man, if your minds can take you back to that scandal and time in history. Patrick is the author of Hooked whose by-line is 'Why cute sells and other marketing magic we just can't resist.And by the way, he is soon to publish a new book Free Your Mind: The New World of Manipulation and How to Resist It in collaboration with Laura Dodsworth.You’ll pick up some old references in this conversation to our former PM (which one you may reasonably ask?!) Boris Johnson here as this episode was recorded before he toppled. That aside, all the chat is super relevant.Show notesMagic and creativityPioneering work as lead psychologist at Cambridge AnalyticaWhat factors influence political preference?Status quo bias and fear of changePatrick’s book: the 10 psychological principles for crafting effective communications in 3 categoriesGrab attentionGet people to think about your messageInfluence behaviourWhy do we get dressed?Unintended consequencesWhy we need to take care with nudgesPlease leave a review if you like the podcast; and share with friends. Your support makes us very happy!Get the podcast in your inbox every week by subscribing hereAccess our exclusive speaker events by subscribing hereFollow Daniel on TwitterPodcast music: Tamsin Waley-Cohen's Mendelssohn's violin concerto

We're back and firing with the final part in my mini-series with the wonderful Dave Blakely, Executive VP at venture builder Mach49, talking innovation, design and creativity in organisations. In this episode, we talk about risk taking, storytelling, how we live in partnership with AI and the invention of Scrabble. And plenty more.Show notesDo corporations take enough risk?What do we mean by acceptable failure?How Alfred Butts invented ScrabbleTS Elliot’s answer to the problem with processWhy Dave admires Mark Zuckerberg and Elon MuskThe wonders of good storytelling as told by Dave TrottAI and creativity: impacts on how we work, live and playHow we live in partnership with AIOur constant state of distractionPlease leave a review if you like the podcast; and share with friends. Your support makes us very happy!Get the podcast in your inbox every week by subscribing hereAccess our exclusive speaker events by subscribing hereFollow Daniel on TwitterPodcast music: Tamsin Waley-Cohen's Mendelssohn's violin concerto

Today is the second in my A Load of BS on Best Behaviour with Dave Blakely, Executive VP at venture builder and super growth builder Mach49, who I continue to be delighted to collaborate with on this mini-series of conversations on innovation, design and creativity in organisations; answering questions on how we move leaders and teams to change their behaviour, to lose their conservatism and scepticism and experiment wisely.Today Dave and I talk about discipline. We argue that leaders should have the right to beat up their employees when things go wrong. No, we don't do that really. But we do consider the value of letting a little chaos into the firm to let great ideas germinate safely.Show notesDiscipline: a punishment for disobedience or letting some chaos in?The BS of imposing discipline on CEOsWhy Google is brilliantWho Dave has stolen from and made it his ownWhy generalists connect the dots better and are masters at lateral innovationApplying SV in Paris, Bangkok and NairobiPlaying mind games with clientsGoogle Save and turning round violent extremists in Nazi US hate groupsErrors of conservatism, scepticism and pessimismPlease leave a review if you like the podcast; and share with friends. Your support makes us very happy!Get the podcast in your inbox every week by subscribing hereAccess our exclusive speaker events by subscribing hereFollow Daniel on TwitterPodcast music: Tamsin Waley-Cohen's Mendelssohn's violin concerto

Today is the first in a 3-part series with Dave Blakely, an extraordinarily talented, sharp-witted and humble man whom I’m so happy to be collaborating with and indeed his company Mach49 where he is Executive Vice President. We talk innovation, creativity, design and the vagaries of the human condition.Check out some of the amazing work Mach49 does driving growth and building new ventures with some of the greatest brands around.Dave was a leader at design agency IDEO for many years and has advised organisations on innovation and design thinking as wide ranging as NASA, Google and Eli Lilly over a decades long career. He has sailed the Silicon Valley seas, studying engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, working in a Hewlett Packard spin off as well as teaching at Stanford's renowned d.school.Show notesLoving building new thingsDesigning the robot armLearning and leading at IDEOVets accidentally jabbing themselves with cattle needlesWhat Mach49 does better than IDEOTranslating research ideas into big ideas at Stanford’s d.schoolRory Sutherland’s ‘Make it Pink’ boardroom strategyWhen did Dave last stand up and fart in front of clients?Unusual rituals, violent extremists, unique food packaging in the Philippines and getting in and out of a space suitAndy Grove’s innovation cliché at IntelPredictions for the MetaverseHow does Dave remain sufficiently illogical?Please leave a review if you like the podcast; and share with friends. Your support makes us very happy!Get the podcast in your inbox every week by subscribing hereAccess our exclusive speaker events by subscribing hereFollow Daniel on TwitterPodcast music: Tamsin Waley-Cohen's Mendelssohn's violin concerto

Please leave a review if you like the podcast; and share with friends. Your support makes us very happy!Get the podcast in your inbox every week by subscribing hereAccess our exclusive speaker events by subscribing hereFollow Daniel on TwitterPodcast music: Tamsin Waley-Cohen's Mendelssohn's violin concerto

I welcome Nate Barr and Shannon O’Malley to wrap up my series with the BEworks team. We share our highlights of the series and what the future holds for BS and BEworks. Show notesSurprises and learning: what does it really mean to be a behavioural scientist practitioner?Issues at the centre of our zeitgeist: our money, healthcare, sustainabilityMeeting the drop in the bucket challengeUnderstanding the Anthropocene: our human epoch and disruptions to earth’s systemsLanguage affects the experience and outcomePandemic induced fractured nature of our health systemsHow to board a bus in Santiago, Chile; making payment easyWhat are the big human challenges before us which would benefit from behavioural solutions?Why don’t more businesses apply psychology to daily life?Challenging the predominance of nudge theoryPlease leave a review if you like the podcast; and share with friends. Your support makes us very happy!Get the podcast in your inbox every week by subscribing hereAccess our exclusive speaker events by subscribing hereFollow Daniel on TwitterPodcast music: Tamsin Waley-Cohen's Mendelssohn's violin concerto

I welcome David Thomson, VP and Head of the Sustainability Practice at BEworks. Dave is a cognitive experimental psychologist working with large multinational corporations and governments on behaviour change challenges such as electricity consumption reduction, adoption of energy efficient technology and food waste reduction; all of which we touch on in the podcast.Show notesHow do we bridge the values-action gap in sustainability?Who’s responsibility is it – companies’ or consumers’?The Tesla status symbolGiving immediate benefits to solve a long-term problemHow prevalent is corporate greenwashing?How to help people reduce domestic electricity consumptionMoving from small, isolated experiments to impact at scaleWhat makes great experimental design?What mistakes has Dave made?Please leave a review if you like the podcast; and share with friends. Your support makes us very happy!Get the podcast in your inbox every week by subscribing hereAccess our exclusive speaker events by subscribing hereFollow Daniel on TwitterPodcast music: Tamsin Waley-Cohen's Mendelssohn's violin concerto

Alex is Head of Behavioural Risk at NatWest Group  where she and her team develop innovative data-led ways to reduce the risk of poor outcomes for the bank, and customers, resulting from behavioural root causes.She has also just regained her student card; as of September she started a part-time PhD at The London School of Economics!She is also the author of the highly acclaimed ‘Poles Apart: Why People Turn Against Each Other, and How to Bring Them Together’, clearly a book for our times.Show notesAlex’s interest in tribalism, partisanship and a polarised, divided societyPre-empting poor outcomes – prevention is better than cureSocial identity in the bank: what is driving behaviours and mindsets?How are targets and goals designed?How information is presented to customers (e.g. payment journeys) influences how they make decisionsNegative outcomes, fundamental attribution errors, complex systems and unintended harmCustomer behaviour online vs bricks and mortarPerceptions of Alex’s team in the bankPromoting shared goals and identity to get buy-inHow do we use behavioural science to create better customer experiences?Designing better workplaces and customer journey environments so that behavioural change happens naturally Please leave a review if you like the podcast; and share with friends. Your support makes us very happy!Get the podcast in your inbox every week by subscribing hereAccess our exclusive speaker events by subscribing hereFollow Daniel on TwitterPodcast music: Tamsin Waley-Cohen's Mendelssohn's violin concerto

Name one thing that we all think about or discuss every single day… money. We carry so many unconscious biases when it comes to looking after our finances. You probably think you’re the exception…Michelle Hilscher leads the financial services practice at BEworks and, armed with a PhD in cognitive psychology from the University of Toronto, is particularly interested in applying behavioural science to bring about improvements in financial decision-making and financial well-being.Show notesConnecting the dots between cognitive psychology and financial servicesBelief biasWhy is there so much interest in the BS of our finances?Is the sector ahead of the game?Pros and cons of mental accounting biasesWindfall spending patterns post-COVID‘Save More Tomorrow’: keeping people’s savings on track for the long-termResolving fraud: putting customers in controlEnforced boundaries and self-regulationFAFSA: psychological barriers to filling out the US college financial aid application form; neat solutions to improving educational outcomesPlease leave a review if you like the podcast; and share with friends. Your support makes us very happy!Get the podcast in your inbox every week by subscribing hereAccess our exclusive speaker events by subscribing hereFollow Daniel on TwitterPodcast music: Tamsin Waley-Cohen's Mendelssohn's violin concerto

Preeti KS set up and leads the BS team at Grab in Singapore. Grab is the super app which provides users with transportation, food delivery and digital payments. Think the Uber of SE Asia, approximately! It is Southeast Asia's first decacorn and the biggest technology startup in the region.Show notesGrab’s motivation for getting into behavioural scienceHow Preeti set up a BS practice from scratch and what were the objectivesHow Preeti built credibility and convinced colleagues to take behavioural science seriously?Early experiments: understanding why customers hate surge pricing. Not as obvious as you might imagineHow Grab thinks about pricing by country, city and district – different cultures, norms and economiesExperiments in making drivers feel respectedWhy companies are typically sceptical about behavioural scienceHow cultural context influences how we think. Different driver motivations within SE Asia regionPlease leave a review if you like the podcast; and share with friends. Your support makes us very happy!Get the podcast in your inbox every week by subscribing hereAccess our exclusive speaker events by subscribing hereFollow Daniel on TwitterPodcast music: Tamsin Waley-Cohen's Mendelssohn's violin concerto

This week we’re diving into healthcare; what could be more critical? To help me understand how behavioural science is impacting this field, I’m joined by Dr. Ada Le, healthcare expert at BEworks and Dr. Mousumi Sannigrahi, newly installed as Head of Commercial for Innovative Medicines at Fosun Pharma US, having spent the last 8 years at Novartis Pharma.Show notesWhat’s happening at the intersection of behavioural science and the pharma industry?How behavioural science plays out at Fosun vs. NovartisThe next frontier for healthcare and behavioural scienceWhat needs to happen to move to a more human-centric approach to healthcare?The goal of the 1% Steps for Health Care Reform ProjectWhat are easy wins that the pharma industry can enact now?Psychological barriers for patients with autoimmune disease Rosy retrospection bias and failure to prescribe the right treatmentDavid Robson and expectation effects: how mindset can alter our livesDan Ariely’s end of life theories and researchThe scientific method of problem solving vs. more subtle placebo effectsHopes for healthcare in the next yearPlease leave a review if you like the podcast; and share with friends. Your support makes us very happy!Get the podcast in your inbox every week by subscribing hereAccess our exclusive speaker events by subscribing hereFollow Daniel on TwitterPodcast music: Tamsin Waley-Cohen's Mendelssohn's violin concerto

Introducing Zeina Afif, Renos Vakis and Ana Maria Muñoz BoudetI’m privileged to welcome to A Load of BS the core team at eMBeD, the Mind, Development and Behaviour Unit at the World Bank. Zeina, Ana Maria and Renos are working on the front lines, alongside governments and policy makers, challenging standard policy design and trying to change behaviour in complex, unpredictable environments and solving the thorniest of problems in gender, inequality and poverty among other.They have worked in over 70 countries, supporting the World Bank by diagnosing, designing, and evaluating behaviourally informed interventions. Show notesHow music and magic contribute to behavioural scienceeMBeD’s role and purposeManaging policy makers in complex environmentsUsing local, cultural and political context to construct behavioural science interventionsCan the skillsets doing BS at eMBeD take you anywhere?Being grittyDisaster risk management in Haiti identifying barriers to act on hurricane early response systems encouraging people to go to their sheltersFocusing on solutions that work vs. the best solution Sustainability: projects are not a one-night standWork on vaccine hesitancyEnsuring diversity in the World BankWhat excites and scares the eMBeD team for the future?Please leave a review if you like the podcast; and share with friends. Your support makes us very happy!Get the podcast in your inbox every week by subscribing hereAccess our exclusive speaker events by subscribing hereFollow Daniel on TwitterPodcast music: Tamsin Waley-Cohen's Mendelssohn's violin concerto