What Is Behavioural Science? Angela Bliss on Her Career at NAB
In this episode, Dr Luella Forbes talks to Angela Bliss, Head of Behavioural Science at NAB, about a career that's moved through art history, gallery direction, web design and freelance consulting before landing in a discipline built on one idea: it's easier to change someone's environment than to change their behaviour. They cover why personality predicts behaviour better than demographics, the very ordinary origin of her career (she wanted to be a police officer at eight), and the hardest lesson of her career - learning that being right isn't the same as being heard.
Ever gone from being the outside expert everyone wanted in the room to being the person who actually has to live with the decision - and noticed people stopped listening to the exact same advice?
"I was telling them that their baby was ugly and that's the last thing they wanted to hear." Angela Bliss
In this episode:
00:00 - Introducing Angela Bliss, Head of Behavioural Science at NAB.
00:47 - What behavioural science actually means, and the ATM story that explains it best.
06:15 - Why personality traits predict behaviour better than demographics.
08:29 - Studying behavioural science at the London School of Economics.
13:25 - Childhood ambition: wanting to join the Queensland police at age eight, and the winding path through Japan, London and art gallery direction that followed.
19:35 - Reimagining a NAB bank branch as a design studio.
22:01 - Leaving NAB, going freelance, and being invited back to work on romance scams.
25:04 - The hardest period of her career: moving from consultant to insider, and why the same advice landed differently once she was "inside."
29:23 - Wellbeing, upbringing, and how both shaped her approach to career.
31:11 - Quick-fire round and the best career advice she's ever received.
Resources & links:
Angela Bliss on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/angela-bliss-behavioural-design
Take the Big Five personality test: openpsychometrics.org/tests/IPIP-BFFM
All opinions are the guest's own.
New episodes on a Wednesday, with interviews with leaders or experts every week and a monthly discussion on what we've heard in the last week of the month.
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Career Stories is hosted by Dr Luella Forbes, who works with organisations on leadership, change and storytelling. To find out how she can support your leaders and teams, visit luellaforbes.com/services
More about the podcast: luellaforbes.com/career-stories
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Creators and Guests
Host
Dr Luella Forbes
Dr Luella Forbes is a consultant specialising in Organisational Change and founder of The Career Library and it's podcast, Career Stories.
