Nir Eyal writes, consults, and teaches about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. He is the author of two bestselling books, Hooked and Indistractable, selling more than a million copies and translated in over 30 languages. He is the author of the new book, Beyond Belief: The Science-Backed Way to Stop Limiting Yourself and Achieve Breakthrough Results (Amazon, Bookshop)*.

Most of us recognize that a huge part of what motivates us – or not – is our own thinking. In this conversation, Nir and I explore where our beliefs get in the way and how we can align them just a bit to help us move forward.

• A sentence starting with “I am…” can be among the most dangerous in any language. Often, our beliefs limit us.
• Belief is the foundation of the motivation triangle that includes benefit and behavior. Yet, we often overlook beliefs.
• Curt Richter’s study of rats in the 1950s shows how an animal’s belief system can massively influence its behavior.
• The real question isn’t “Is this belief true?” but rather, “Does this belief serve me?”
• You can choose beliefs based on usefulness, not certainty.
• Difficulty may mean we are not cut out for something, but it might also be evidence of growth. Too often, we quit too soon.
• Progress comes from consistent action, not perfect plans.

• Beyond Belief: The Science-Backed Way to Stop Limiting Yourself and Achieve Breakthrough Results (Amazon, Bookshop)* by Nir Eyal.

Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

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Rebecca Hinds is a leading expert on organizational behavior and the future of work. She founded and led the Work Innovation Lab at Asana and the Work AI Institute at Glean, where she partners with leading experts to help organizations transform their work with AI. She is the author of Your Best Meeting Ever: 7 Principles for Designing Meetings That Get Things Done (Amazon, Bookshop)*.

Considering the amount of time we all spend in meetings, it’s odd that most organizations do so little to measure meeting results. If that’s sounding familiar, this conversation between Rebecca and me will show you exactly how to get started.

• Metrics that only measure the costs of meetings (dollars and time) can be useful, but rarely capture the full picture.
• Use Return on Time Invested (ROTI) anonymously to survey attendees to determine if a meeting was a good use of time. Also ask, “What would it take for you to improve your rating by one point?”
• Survey sparingly to avoid survey fatigue. Bringing in a survey 10% of the time is a benchmark to start from.
• If the amount of time in meetings vastly exceeds 10 hours a week, there’s likely an opportunity to scale back or redefine the work before or after meetings to use time better.
• Equal speaking time in meetings is a key indicator of team performance. Be transparent with employees about any technology you use to capture data.
• Punctuality and attendance rate are indicators of how valued meetings are for people.

• Your Best Meeting Ever: 7 Principles for Designing Meetings That Get Things Done by Rebecca Hinds (Amazon, Bookshop)*

Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

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Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.