Best selling author and social psychologist Heidi Grant Halvorson discusses motivational styles and how we can ensure people understand who we truly are. It’s a particularly actionable episode, where the listener can learn strategies aimed at effective communication, habit formation and making better motivational decisions.

In this episode you will hear about:

• Why our identities often differ from how others perceive us
• How most of our people-perception happens unconsciously
• Some of the agendas/lenses we use during people-perception
• How introverts and shy people get misunderstood more often and what they can do about it
• How we form a concept of our self identity reflectively (via the eyes of others)
• The “If I didn’t know you better, I’d think you were ___” exercise
• Two phases of thinking
• How our minds are miserly and like to jump to conclusions
• How we tend to speak when we want to appear warm vs. intelligent
• Promotion vs. prevention motivational styles
• Defensive pessimism
• How willpower is not a good approach to habit change
• Forming new habits and circumventing temptations

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Resources: 

• Heidi’s book: No One Understands You and What to Do About It
• Heidi’s book: Focus
• Heidi’s website
• Heidi’s article: What Successful People Do Differently
• Ted talk – Carol Dweck on growth mindsets
• Dan Gilbert’s book: Stumbling on Happiness
• About the brothers Emanuel

“Heidi Grant Halvorson, PhD, is a social psychologist and Associate Director of the Motivation Science Center at Columbia Business School. She is the author of four bestselling books, including Nine Things Successful People Do Differently, as well as a regular contributor to leading publications, including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, WSJ.com, and Psychology Today. Through her books, articles, and her blogs, she hopes to help people understand that ANYONE can reach their goals, and give them the scientifically-tested strategies they need to succeed.” –Blurb taken from Amazon.com