AHFE Conference Publication

I’m pleased to share that my paper from the AHFE Conference, “Efficient by Design: Using Behavioral Nudges to Eliminate Errors and Unlock High-Performance Operations,” is now available as open access!

The full paper is freely available here: https://openaccess.cms-conferences.org/publications/book/978-1-964867-91-5/article/978-1-964867-91-5_39

After years of working inside operations and watching good teams struggle with recurring mistakes, I became convinced that most performance issues aren’t people problems — they’re design problems. We tend to respond with more training or accountability, when what’s really needed is a better understanding of how the work environment itself shapes behavior.

This paper introduces a practical framework I’ve been developing and applying with clients. It combines behavioral science with operational reality to help leaders diagnose where systems invite errors and then redesign decision points, so the right action becomes the easiest one.

The approach is grounded in real case studies from service operations, process redesign, and technology implementations, including one where a simple change in defaults and feedback reduced ticket misrouting from 35% to under 2%.

My goal with this work (and with the book I’m finishing) is to give managers and transformation leaders concrete tools they can use without needing a PhD in behavioral economics.

I welcome thoughts from others working on operational improvement and change — especially those trying to move beyond training as the default solution.