Dr. Maya Shankar

I aligned these incentives.

Number two is that I decided I need to get some quick wins on the board.

Number two is that I decided I need to get some quick wins on the board.

I think one trap folks can fall into is that they spend so much time writing beautiful prose about what this team could be in the future, what these insights could translate into in the future, rather than actually just getting your feet wet and getting some wins on the board.

I think one trap folks can fall into is that they spend so much time writing beautiful prose about what this team could be in the future, what these insights could translate into in the future, rather than actually just getting your feet wet and getting some wins on the board.

Because I realized like, yes, I can draft these 15 page elaborate policy proposals with the hope that one day someone important might sign the dotted line.

Because I realized like, yes, I can draft these 15 page elaborate policy proposals with the hope that one day someone important might sign the dotted line.

But that's not going to be the way that you actually ignite people's imagination and creativity and excitement for the work.

But that's not going to be the way that you actually ignite people's imagination and creativity and excitement for the work.

So I ended up organizing a meeting fairly early on in my tenure at the White House where

So I ended up organizing a meeting fairly early on in my tenure at the White House where

I created an admissions ticket to the meeting.

I created an admissions ticket to the meeting.

So I invited all these luminaries like Daniel Kahneman and Richard Thaler, who are Nobel Prize winners in the field of economics and also government luminaries.

So I invited all these luminaries like Daniel Kahneman and Richard Thaler, who are Nobel Prize winners in the field of economics and also government luminaries.

And I said, you can only come to the meeting if you submit a one or two page proposal on how you plan to integrate a behavioral insight into one of your existing programs over the next three to six months.

And I said, you can only come to the meeting if you submit a one or two page proposal on how you plan to integrate a behavioral insight into one of your existing programs over the next three to six months.

And it was incredible to see the motivation levels that emerged from this ticket to the meeting.

And it was incredible to see the motivation levels that emerged from this ticket to the meeting.

In fact, I probably got maybe 35, maybe 50 proposals in the door because people were so excited to meet their intellectual heroes, right?