Dr. Kahneman won the Nobel prize for his work on behavioral economics. He was able to show how our minds think and how we do not always make decisions in our own best interest (The Rational model). He shows how we are susceptible to influence through how arguments are framed or anchored. His book “Thinking Fast and Slow” meticulously laid out his research. This book has had a profound impact on my own thinking about gifts. It has convinced me that giving a diplomatic or business gift can have the ability to shift the mood of the recipient and create a “safe” space for conversation. A gift which celebrates culture or history can be a place for interesting and illuminating conversation, separate from the business at hand. This time spent can give the participants time to get to know each other more fully and therefore effect a more positive outcome.
Why is this important? Because leaders set the tone, create space for an opportunity which management can then execute upon.
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