When Pandora opened her box of miseries the one she managed to trap was hope. Our expectations can be a source of great motivation for change and set us up for disappointment. 

In this episode, we look at the place of expectations in shaping how we change. We will look at research on mindset and how our perception of opportunities and limitations can shape our performance. We'll also hear about how those expectations can translate into real physiological benefits by looking at placebos and their role in change-making.

We go through research, practice, and tips to help you set expectations and deliver on promises a little better.

That and much more on the latest episode of Censemaking: The Innovation Podcast.

Episode notes:

Farnam Street has a great primer on Carol Dweck's work on Mindsets for those who want to learn more https://bit.ly/3FTrVdz

The original study on motel works and the placebo effect is available for free from Harvard University http://bit.ly/AliaLanger2007

Paul "Bear" Bryant clip: https://youtu.be/EQ-MefyeHxc

Friday Night Lights clip: https://youtu.be/fQPe4RigYmg

For more on change-making and innovation, visit: https://www.censemaking.com

Confidence can mean a matter of life and death -- literally. Having the confidence to pursue something is at the heart of change-making and innovation. It's not natural to be confident about things we've never done before so building it and using it can mean a lot. In this episode, we look at what confidence means, how we can nurture it, and take in some lessons from history about when confidence serves us and when it doesn't. We continue with our first season look at the foundations of change-making and innovation. 

For more information visit: www.censemaking.com. 

Knowledge is the bedrock of change, but it is often not enough to take us from one place to another by itself. In this episode, we look at the idea of knowledge and what it means for making change and innovation happen. We will look at three types of knowledge every innovator needs why too much knowledge can be a bad thing, and why knowing what you don’t know can be a way to knowing more about what you do (know). Coffee’s on, let’s talk innovation. For more information and visit us anytime at www.censemaking.com .