by david allan van nostrand | Aug 2, 2021 | Conformity, Human Behavior, Psychology
Monkey see, monkey do is an American English idiom that says children learn by imitating what they see others do. Some etymologists trace the origin to an old African folk tale about a traveling hat salesman who took a nap under a tree. While he was sleeping, his...
by david allan van nostrand | Apr 5, 2021 | Conformity, Misinformation traps, Psychology
Goldilocks went for a walk in the forest. She came upon a house and knocked on the door. When no one answered, she walked right in and saw three bowls of porridge. Hungry, she tasted the porridge from the first bowl. “This porridge is too hot!” she said,...
by david allan van nostrand | Nov 30, 2020 | Conformity, Fads, Misinformation traps
When the clerk at my grocery store asked if I found everything I was looking for, I said yes and she said “Awesome!” In the time it took her to scan my dozen items and take my payment, she said awesome seven more times. I don’t know about you, but I believe awesome...
by david allan van nostrand | Mar 11, 2019 | Conformity, Customer Satisfaction
Ask around and most people will tell you McDonald’s did. They are wrong. McDonald’s saw no reason to have a drive-thru (the spelling favored by the industry because it’s a shorter word and saves money on signs) until 1975, the same year Burger King decided...
by david allan van nostrand | Aug 27, 2018 | Conformity, Leadership, Organizational Behavior
Most of us know groupthink is the situation where people in meetings are pressured to agree with the stance championed by the most senior executive. We know it occurs when consensus is considered more valuable than asking questions, challenging the status quo,...
by david allan van nostrand | Apr 30, 2018 | Conformity, Leadership, Organizational Behavior
Begin by ignoring the principles of good decision-making and problem-solving. This is easiest if you don’t bother to learn what they are. Announce at the beginning of every meeting the course of action you’ve already decided upon. This way, your group needn’t bother...
