The Change Maker's Book Club: Nudge

Nudge:

Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness

This book by Richard Thaler (winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics) and Cass Sunstein (winner of the Holberg Prize) examines how we makes choices and what influences or "nudges" affect those choices. Sunstein and Thaler use dozens of examples to show that all choices are inherently influenced by how that choice is presented. They then demonstrate how "we can use sensible 'choice architecture' to nudge people toward the best decisions for ourselves, our families, and our society, without restricting freedom of choice."

As change managers we are inherently trying to influence our stakeholders to make choices that lead to the success of the change. Join us for this engaging discussion as we consider the place of behavioral economics in change management and how we can use nudges in our own work. 

Your Facilitator: Dr. Kristen Wright has a PhD in English and taught English, rhetoric and communications at the Catholic University of America and the United States Naval Academy to both undergraduate and graduate students. Interested in more directly applying the theory and concepts that she had been teaching, Kristen made the switch to consulting. There, her background and interest in rhetoric then drew her naturally to change management and how we can more effectively persuade people to embrace new ideas and activities. She currently works in the Health Sector of Guidehouse Consulting where she is a change management SME and trainer. In addition to her consulting work, Kristen currently serves on the board of the ACMP Washington D.C. chapter as the Communications Director.

As always, if you don't have time to read the whole book, then please feel free to join us for the conversation anyway. For more information on the book and for some other resources on Nudge and how nudges are used, see the links below:

• Nudge can be found in most book stores (including here on Amazon) and your local library
• Video of Richard Thaler providing an overview of Nudge during a talk at the RSA (18min)
• TED Radio Hour on nudges

Registration for ACMP DC members is $10, for Non-members and friends is $15. 

Directions/Parking at https://www.politics-prose.com/hours-directions