17/06/2026
If your team only performs to standard when you are physically watching them, you do not have an influence strategy; you have a surveillance strategy.
In Episode 18 of the Ethical Persuasion Unlocked podcast, I sat down with fellow Cialdini Institute Licensed Trainer Andrei Bob to discuss the intersection of Lean Management and the science of human behaviour.
We unpacked a trap that leaders across every industry fall into: trying to manage people purely through external force. They rely on the job description, strict KPIs, and financial bonuses to drive performance.
But as Andrei points out, managing by financial motivation alone is incredibly expensive and unsustainable. If you constantly rely on bonuses to motivate your staff, you accidentally build a transactional culture. The moment you need them to step up for a new project, their first internal question is, "What will I earn extra?"
When the financial incentive or the managerial pressure is removedโwhen the cat is away, the mice stop playing.
True ethical influence is about shifting your team's motivation from external pressure to internal drive. It is about using behavioural science, so the decision to act comes from within them.
๐ง Want to learn how to build a team that operates at peak performance even when you are on holiday? Listen to Episode 18 via the link in the comments below.
