Eric Pliner: Difficult Decisions

Eric Pliner: Difficult Decisions

Author: Helen and Dave Edwards August 14, 2022 Duration: 59:20

We all want decision-making to be easier. We want simple tools and frameworks that provide a process for no-regrets decisions. But it just isn’t that easy. Despite how much we understand about the science of decision-making, the act of making decisions is frequently quite difficult. And the quantity of data we can now access to support decision-making doesn’t make decisions easier, it actually makes them more complex.

So what to do? In his book, Difficult Decisions: How Leaders Make the Right Call with Insight, Integrity, and Empathy, Eric Pliner argues that the best way to approach complex, subjective decisions is to first understand your own subjectivity, morals, and ethics.

In this episode, we talk with Eric about his book, how he advises leaders to make decisions, the importance of aligning intent with impact in the world, and how to think about the role of data in decision-making.

In addition to being an author, Eric is CEO of YSC Consulting where he works with leaders and organizations on leadership development, organizational culture, and strategic diversity and inclusion initiatives.

As frequent listeners know, we spend a lot of time working with people on how to make better decisions and it was a true pleasure to talk with Eric about how he approaches this topic and how he helps leaders tackle difficult decisions.

About Artficiality from Helen & Dave Edwards:

Artificiality is a research and services business founded in 2019 to help people make sense of artificial intelligence and complex change. Our weekly publication provides thought-provoking ideas, science reviews, and market research and our monthly research releases provides leaders with actionable intelligence and insights for applying AI in their organizations. We provide research-based and expert-led AI strategy and complex change management services to organizations around the world.

We are artificial philosophers and meta-researchers who aim to make the philosophical more practical and the practical more philosophical. We believe that understanding AI requires synthesizing research across disciplines: behavioral economics, cognitive science, complexity science, computer science, decision science, design, neuroscience, philosophy, and psychology. We are dedicated to unraveling the profound impact of AI on our society, communities, workplaces, and personal lives. 

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Hosted by Helen and Dave Edwards, Stay Human, from the Artificiality Institute is a conversation that lives in the messy, human space between our tools and our selves. Each episode digs into the subtle ways artificial intelligence is reshaping our daily decisions, our creative impulses, and even our sense of identity. This isn't a technical manual or a series of futuristic predictions; it's a grounded exploration of how we maintain our agency in a world increasingly mediated by algorithms. The podcast operates from a core belief: that our engagement with AI should be about more than just safety or efficiency-it needs to be meaningful and worthwhile. You'll hear discussions rooted in story-based research, where complex ideas about cognition and ethics are unpacked through relatable narratives and real-world examples. The goal is to provide a framework for thoughtful choice, helping each of us consciously design the relationship we want with the machines in our lives. Tuning in offers a chance to step back from the hype and consider how we can actively remain the authors of our own minds, preserving what makes us uniquely human even as the technology evolves. It's an essential listen for anyone curious about the personal and philosophical dimensions of our digital age.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Stay Human, from the Artificiality Institute
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