1,5 Minutes on How to Influence Choice and Behaviour
in Negotiation and Happiness.
Happy 1,5 Minutes on Influence!
Here is your weekly dose of applying the psychology of influence
to positively impact choices and behaviours.
Looking forward to sharing insights with you!
Warm regards,
Tom
1 MINUTE:
INSIGHT OF THE WEEK
How Job-to-be-Done Thinking
Led to a Historic Peace Deal
On September 17, 1978, something incredible happened at Camp David.
President Sadat of Egypt and Prime Minister Begin of Israel
signed a peace deal that changed the Middle East.
This wasn’t just any agreement—
it was the result of thinking differently about a tough situation.
For a long time, the talks were stuck.
Egypt wanted the Sinai Desert back,
which Israel had controlled since 1967,
but Israel was worried about its security
and didn’t want to give it up.
The breakthrough came when an American negotiator
asked a new kind of question:
“What do you really want beyond the land?”
It turned out Egypt wanted to be recognized as its own boss—sovereignty.
Israel, on the other hand, wanted to feel safe from threats.
Once everyone understood these deeper needs,
they found a creative solution.
Egypt would get the Sinai Desert back,
but it would be a demilitarized zone.
This way, both countries got what they needed,
and they could tell their people they won.
The big lesson here is simple:
When you’re stuck, try to see what the other person really needs.
It’s not just about the thing you’re fighting over,
like a piece of land or a car.
It’s about understanding
what’s behind that need and finding a way to meet it.
This is how thinking differently
can turn a dead-end into a success story.
Want to take a deeper dive into this?
More on the Camp David negotiations
Download the Job-to-be-Done Cheat Sheet
Our courses: Master the Psychology of Influence
0,5 MINUTE:
NOT TO BE MISSED THIS WEEK
Carefully design your social context
In the book “Thinking in Bets”,
world class poker player Annie Duke once wrote
“You are the average of the five people you hang around with the most“.
It’s such a simple and powerful idea.
Our behaviour is heavily shaped by the context we operate in.
Bad people trigger the worst in us.
Great people inspire us to become better.
In a summary of 20 wisdoms by Naval Ravikant,
an investor and philosopher you have to discover, he wrote:
“Choose The Right Partners.
Never partner with cynics and pessimists.
Their beliefs are self-fulfilling failures.
Instead, align yourself with optimistic rationalists.
Have a few deep connections over many shallow ones”.
Source:
Navals famous 38 thoughts on How to get Rich (without getting lucky)
Our blog: Six Rules for Designing Your Happiness
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https://suebehaviouraldesign.com/influence-negotiation-happiness/
Until next week,
Tom De Bruyne
Co-Founder of SUE | Behavioural Design Academy
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