In our work helping individual and teams through change, we find the ideas from Prospect Theory of use.

Behavioural economists note that humans, when faced with a discontinuity or transition, tend to focus on the things we fear we might lose, rather than the things that we might hope to gain. They point to the ease with which disposable income gets spent on insurance, long in advance of choices for savings!

Page 5 of this booklet  shows one way of trying to get some balance and buck this inbuilt orientation that most of us share.

Of course, some are not wired this way. For example, those going onto reality TV shows seem to focus on their dreams over the likely prospect of failure, ridicule and humiliation!

You can read a bit more here.

Tags: behaviour