‘The more successful you are the more vulnerable you are to bias’ says Nuala Walsh, Bruce’s guest on this episode of The Art of Deciding.
In her book Tune In: How to Make Smarter Decisions in a Noisy World she explores how biases cloud judgment and why even smart, successful people make bad decisions. Drawing from her 30-year career in the corporate world and her behavioural science expertise, Nuala and Bruce discuss her groundbreaking Perimeters Framework—a practical tool to help individuals and organizations mitigate decision risk.
They also talk about high-stakes decision-making, emotional regulation, the illusion of speed, and how to cultivate pause and perspective in an increasingly complex world.
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Nuala on decisions
Quotes:
“The biggest risk we face isn’t economic, political, or even climate-related. It’s decision risk.”
“The opposite of every good idea is another good idea”
“True power means knowing what to pay attention to.”
“Every second of reflection improves your judgment.” – Mary Budd Rowe, quoted by Nuala Walsh
“Boards can be complacent. More of them should be asking: What if the opposite is true?”
Key Takeaways
- Decision Risk is Ubiquitous: Smart people are not immune—success can often increase susceptibility to bias.
- The Perimeters Framework: A practical model to identify and mitigate 10 key traps across domains like power, ego, emotion, and identity.
- Tune In, Tune Out: Strategic listening is essential. Knowing what to ignore is just as important as knowing what to hear.
- Speed ≠ Quality: Fast decision-makers may rise through the ranks, but reflection is where wisdom lies.
- Use Decision Friction: Pausing, challenging assumptions, and having a “decision buddy” can prevent costly errors.
- Emotion & Fear: Using tools like the “probability test” helps decatastrophize fear-based decisions.
- Regret as a Teacher: While painful, regret can shape better decisions—if we tune into its lessons.
Resources & Mentions
- Book: Tune In: How to Make Smarter Decisions in a Noisy World by Nuala Walsh
- Framework: The Perimeters Framework – 10 decision traps based on over 200 cognitive biases
- Referenced Thought Leaders:
- Noah Yuval Harari – “True power means knowing what to ignore.”
- Morgan Housel – Same as Ever, focusing on what doesn’t change
- Mary Budd Rowe – Research on reflection improving judgment
- Adam Grant – Challenger Networks for diverse thinking
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The Art of Deciding has been featured in The Guardian Podcast Newsletter, Podnews, The List, and the Podbible newsletter, amongst others.
The Art of Deciding is produced by Podcart – https://www.podcart.co.uk/
Series Producer: Jayne Morgan
Bruce Whitfield is an award winning journalist, best-selling author and speaker
