Conversation Agent - Valeria Maltoni

How to Help People Make New Choices

Reframing is a powerful tool in business. A small change of posture can make a big difference. The circumstances of our lives may matter less than how we see them, says adman Rory Sutherland. The global pandemic does provide a context of unprecedented scale (at least in my lifetime) to take a look at how we make decisions. Coronavirus didn't create many of the issues we're confronting today, it accelerated them. Companies were wrestling with change for a range of issues before—from hiring, working from home (WFH) and open office, to digital transformation, sustainable business models and innovation. As individuals,... Read more →

8 Books for When you're in the Mood to Explore Possible Futures

I don't know about you, but after a day of work, some of which includes some level of worry, I'm often not in the mood for reading complex stuff. That's why I've been embracing mystery novels. But, I also believe there's a place for smart, well-thought-out arguments about things that could impact the future. In my recent email to a growing list of subscribers who are curious about thinking and sensemaking, I shared a list of biographies. Right now, we're learning a lot from the lives of others... at least I'm learning a lot more about life than a grim... Read more →

Stop Chasing Your Tail, Make New Sense of What's Happening

How do you make change happen? I'm not talking about setting out for the big transformative change or the stuff of revolutions. That's also important. But, in the here and now of your life, how do you keep things moving forward? Another way of asking the same question: how do you get unstuck? Out from autopilot and into creative thinking. Or, facing a crisis, how do you keep anxiety at bay to do what you need to do to keep calm and stay safe? There's a simple tool you can use to get more of what you want. It can... Read more →

The Coronavirus Shows Why, if They are to Stay Healthy, Companies Need to Rethink Practices

It was obvious before the pandemic. Companies spent less and less time and effort at the micro level, trying to sort out what's desirable for people. I've heard it from strategists and from qualitative researchers: a mandate to figure how to capture and manage attention quickly. Understanding, like relationships, take time and commitment to build. But technology moves at a faster pace, enveloping everyone into its speed and growth potential. Hence the widening gap between the things we must choose to do and those we leave on the cutting floor. It's taken a global pandemic to realize that we don't... Read more →

Ten Books to Gain Perspective

People have asked more questions in the last few weeks than in the last ten years. They all start with what's the future of—work, cities, travel, faith, science, education, government bodies. Every day brings in new questions, few answers. But this is not for lack of trying. The questions are just too complex to work out individually. Networks started forming around each of these questions, scientists, academics, researchers are pooling their thinking and experience to make it more difficult for the virus to spread and improve humanity's odds. People connect on similarities—like language, body of knowledge—yet benefit from differences—such as... Read more →