Thursday, February 13
Thought Leader Speaker
Nicco Mele, Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and resident futurist, EchoDitto
What’s Trending:The Evolution of Social Media in Politics
Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube, Mobile, Blogs – These are the new tools for a political campaign. Social media has created a direct line between people and politicians by building communities and giving those communities a voice. Nicco Mele examines social media and provides insight into the way it is changing the political landscape, and how the democratization of technology has forever changed the game.
Friday, February 14
9:30 – 11:00 am
General Session Speaker
Dan Heath, Senior Fellow at Duke University’s CASE Center, and best-selling author
Research in psychology has revealed that our decisions are disrupted by an array of biases and irrationalities: We’re overconfident. We seek out information that supports us and downplay information that doesn’t. We get distracted by short-term emotions. When it comes to making choices, it seems, our brains are flawed instruments. Unfortunately, merely being aware of these shortcomings doesn’t fix the problem, any more than knowing that we are near sighted helps us to see. The real question is: How can we do better?
In this session, Heath will introduce a four-step process designed to counteract these biases—a process based on an exhaustive study of the decision making literature. Along the way, Heath will share an array of fascinating stories, from a rock star’s ingenious decision-making trick to a CEO’s career-ending acquisition to a single question that can often resolve thorny personal decisions.
Heath will share the answers to critical questions like these: How can we stop the cycle of agonizing over our decisions? How can we make group decisions without destructive politics? And how can we ensure that we don’t overlook precious opportunities to change our course?
Audience members will walk away with fresh strategies and practical tools enabling them to make better choices. Because the right decision, at the right moment, can make all the difference.
