September 25 2023
By: Shawn M. Galloway
Every day, our behavior is nudged by internal and external forces. Psychologists call these antecedents. Some are obvious prompts, such as speed limit or danger signs. Others are subliminal stimuli, prompting us to act without realizing we are being prompted.
Advertisers have been using subliminal prompting since James Vicary added the words "Eat Popcorn" and "Drink Coca-Cola" into a single frame within a 1957 movie. It occurred so quickly viewers were impacted only subconsciously, allegedly increased Coke sales by 18.1% and popcorn sales by 57.8%.
In 2009, the Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein book Nudge was published. It is full of examples of situations and environments that have been designed to "nudge us in beneficial directions without restricting freedom of choice."
Shortly after reading it, and now hypersensitive to what might be prompting me, one morning I was preparing to lead a workshop for a client. I was working to reduce the amount of soda in my diet at the time, but the room had yet to be catered for the event. So, I inquired about the location of a vending machine. 
I was given simple directions and set off. As I turned the corner, entering the break room with my wallet in hand, I froze. Between the soda and snack vending machines sat a weight scale. I put my wallet back into my pocket and returned to the room to wait for water to be provided.
I later learned the company had a health campaign underway, and that was one of the many prompts devised. It worked.
Today, pay attention to what's nudging you and share this concept with your team. Ask, "Ethically, how can we use this concept to prompt the behavior necessary for our success?"
"A nudge, as we will use the term, is any aspect of the choice architecture that alters people's behavior in a predictable way without forbidding any options or significantly changing their economic incentives." — Thaler and Sunstein
"Any one war seems rooted in its antecedents." — T.H. White
"Whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion will one day become a reality." — Earl Nightingale
Shawn Galloway, CEO of ProAct Safety, is an expert in safety excellence. With almost thirty years of experience, he is a highly sought-after advisor, keynote speaker, and expert witness. Shawn has become a trusted partner to leading organizations across various industries worldwide. He ranks in the top 1% of the most prolific writers in his field, having authored over 500 articles and several bestselling books. He also launched the world's first safety podcast, Safety Culture Excellence©. As a recognized authority in safety, Shawn has received awards such as being named among the Top 50 People Who Most Influence EHS and a Top 10 Speaker, among others.
He is a regular guest on Bloomberg, Fox News, The Daily Mail, Dubai One, U.S. News & World Report, Sirius Business Radio, Wharton Business Daily, and leading safety magazines and podcasts. Shawn also serves as a member of the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, Forbes Business Council, and Fast Company Executive Board, enabling his influence to shape safety thinking and strategy at the executive level.
