We all get stuck. In relationships, in jobs or in creative endeavors. It’s a universal experience, yet most people feel incredibly lonely when they’re stuck. By shedding light on the latest research, bestselling author Adam Alter expertly unravels the psychological and practical steps you need to get unstuck.
Adam Alter PhD is a professor of Marketing at New York University's Stern School of Business with an affiliate appointment in the Psychology Department. Adam has spent the past two decades studying how people become stuck and how they free themselves to thrive. He is the author of bestsellers Drunk Tank Pink and Irresistible but we talk with him on this episode about his latest book, Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most.
As someone who has kept decades of notes on interesting observations from his life, Adam peppers all his work with relatable personal stories. One of the trends of Adam’s observations from over the years is that music has provided a stream of interesting anecdotes. So it will come as no surprise to regular listeners of the Behavioral Grooves, that Tim thoroughly enjoyed talking about how music has influenced Adam’s life, research and writing!
We hope you enjoy listening to our light hearted discussion with Adam and if you would like to support the work of Behavioral Grooves, you can become a Patreon member of the show: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves.
Topics
(3:30) Welcome and speed round questions.
(4:31) Creativity is a result of productivity not insight.
(6:38) Where do people get stuck in their lives?
(7:42) Narrow bracketing - how to get rid of the messy middle.
(9:55) Why is it so hard to get unstuck?
(12:08) How to reframe difficulties as challenges.
(15:52) In hierarchical organizations, the personality of leaders matters.
(18:30) How to fail well.
(23:07) Are constraints liberating?
(26:34) The 3 part process of a friction audit?
(29:29) What is hardship inoculation?
(34:06) Finding the people who magically unstick your team.
(38:48) What makes a great band?
(42:46) How Universal Basic Income (UBI) can harness creative breakthroughs.
(45:28) Why music is a huge part of Adam’s book.
(48:10) How the economy actually dictates our musical choices.
(53:39) The music that Adam listens to.
(57:37) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on getting unstuck.
© 2023 Behavioral Grooves
Links
Adam Alter’s book “Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most”: https://amzn.to/3NHkQ6z
Episode 276, How To Stay Motivated So You Exceed Your Goals with Ayelet Fishbach PhD: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/motivation-to-exceed-your-goals/
Episode 307, Groove Track - Mind Over Milkshakes: Why Expectations Matter A Lot: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/mind-over-milkshakes-groove-track/
Michael Lewis “Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game”: https://amzn.to/46dqbJV
Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, “The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure”: https://amzn.to/3NSRItb
Episode 64, Danny Oppenheimer: Governance and Helicopter Parenting: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/danny-oppenheimer-governance-and-helicopter-parenting/
Behavioral Grooves Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves
Musical Links
EDM, trance music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xptn9MHiAdo
Alice in Chains “Man In The Box”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAqZb52sgpU
Bob Dylan “Like A Rolling Stone”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwOfCgkyEj0
Matt Johnson & Prince Ghuman on Mid-Liminal Marketing and the Ethics of Applied Neuroscience
Annie Duke on How to Decide
Andy Luttrell: Pro’s and Con’s of Persuasion When Issues are Moralized
Secrets to a Successful Marriage with Eli Finkel
Grooving: Colleges and the Coronavirus
How to Talk to Your Friends About Their Conspiracy Theories with Eric Oliver
Self Control, Belonging, and Why Your Most Dedicated Employees Are the Ones To Watch Out For with Roy Baumeister
Seven Questions to Assess the Psychological Safety of Your Teams with Susan Hunt Stevens
Eugen Dimant, PhD: What To Do About Bad Apples
Working through the Stages of Grief, Pandemics and the Psychology of Protests with Nicole Fisher
How Babies’ Faces on Shop Doors Can Reduce Crime: With Tara Austin
Elspeth Kirkman: Best Models for Identifying a Problem
Shlomi Ron: Visual Storying Telling In a Time of Crisis
Steve Wendel, PhD: Designing for Behavior Change
Robert Cialdini, PhD: Littering, Egoism and Aretha Franklin
Grooving: On the Principle of Scarcity
Katy Milkman, PhD: Using Behavior Change for Good
Grooving: On Goals and Goal Setting
Covid-19 Crisis: Caroline Webb, Senior Advisor at McKinsey, on The Value of Where We Place Our Attention and Amplifying Certainty
Covid-19 Crisis: Margaret Robinson Rutherford, PhD on Perfectly Hidden Depression
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