Prof. Kimberly Houser
Assistant Professor at Oklahoma University
General Counsel Railyard, Inc and HCP Advisors, Inc.
Figure out your primary motivation and look at it every time you are trying to make a decision. Do not go with your gut unless it is a life or death situation. Because of all the research I have done on unconscious biases I tend to spend a lot of time trying to figure out why I want to do something. For example, I have learned that novelty is a prime motivator for me. I like to experience new things. I have friends who have never moved far from where we grew up and express amazement at how often I move across country or many weeks in the summer I spend abroad. This is what makes me happy. Others would not like this type of life – but the trick is to find out what drives you.
With respect to decision-making, knowing my primary drive forces me to examine if I want to do this because I have never done it before or because it really is the best choice. Due to this preference for novelty, I need to really examine why I am trying to change something.
If you want to know more about Prof. Houser, please read here an interview with her in our KNOWCO Magazine.
