Looking Outside Words: Jessica Southard, Senior Insights Leader Mars Inc

In Episode 8 of Looking Outside we explore the power held by words with wordsmith, curious human and Senior Insights Leader at Mars Inc, Jessica Southard.

Jess and Jo explore how words can be magical, can empower and motivate, but also how they can be destructive and divisive. To do that, Jess shares her personal experience of communication in her Army intelligence days leading soldiers, the transition to the complex world of business, and how she treats words with responsibility raising her three children.

As well as a little bit of the science, and what happens to the human brain when we read, see, or hear messages.

Jo and Jess also discuss the importance of critical thinking in a world lacking empathy and not lacking conflict. A world where we seek comfortable predictability (and fluency), and the impact artfully and carefully used words, messages and communication can have for positive change.

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To look beyond the familiar, Jess reads a lot, usually three books at a time. With books she leverages human psychology, behavioral science and history to make sense of the world. Jess also works at diversifying her perspective via what she is exposed to. For example her news feed includes broad global sources (Washington Post, New York Times, Fox, CNN, Al Jazeera, local Australian news, BBC).

Check out Jess’ book recommendations:

• Amy Herman: Visual Intelligence, sharpen perception change
• Mauro F. Guillen: 2030, How today's biggest trends will collide and reshape the future of everything
• Mary Reckmeyer Ph.D.: Strength's based parenting, developing your children's innate talents
• George Friedman: The Storm before the Calm, America's Discord, the coming crisis of the 2020s, and the Triumph beyond.

You can dive further into language with the two Ted talks mentioned on the show:

Amy Cuddy: Your body language may shape who you are

Lera Boroditsky: How language shapes the way we think

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Jessica Southard is a Senior Insights Leader at Mars, Incorporated currently managing their Strategic Foresight and Innovation programs globally. She has a combined 19 years of CPG “insights” and military “intelligence” experience with numerous roles both local and global across P&G and Mars. She is an extreme learner with a strong bias for action and is most known at Mars for her passion and success in applying behavioral and cognitive science to marketing, business, and driving change within an organization. She’s fascinated with the human brain and the...