John Coates, former research fellow in neuroscience and finance at the University of Cambridge, previously traded derivatives for Goldman Sachs and ran a trading desk for Deutsche Bank. He is the author of the bestselling book, The Hour Between Dog and Wolf. How Risk Taking Transforms Us, Body and Mind. His scientific research on risk-taking has become need-to-know, spreading beyond finance to law, healthcare, tech, sports, and the military.
Masterclass overview
Companies, both financial and non-financial, are destabilised by behavioural changes among their employees. Excessive risk-taking on the upside, dysfunctional risk-aversion on the downside, impairs long- term corporate returns. What causes these shifts in risk behaviour? Increasingly human biology can help answer this question. John Coates will introduce you to a new perspective on risk-taking, one that focuses on physiology rather than psychology. This perspective will provide novel insights into decision-making, risk-taking, fatigue, and stress; how these differ between men and women; how they can be managed.
Value and expected outcomes
- Understand why risk management so frequently fails to protect companies
- Learn to manage your own physiology and better understand your employees’ changing behaviour
- Understand the counter-intuitive ways managerial practices affect the risk-taking and stress of employees, and in turn their performance and health
- Learn how to foster physiological resilience to fatigue, loss of focus and stress
- Appreciate how diversity contributes to risk management
What is covered?
This masterclass will bring the weight of research in human biology to bear on your self-understanding and demonstrate that the key to performance is the state of your physiology.
This basic fact raises several challenges:
- Most physiological changes, such as subtle alterations in heart rate, blood pressure, hormone levels, take place below the level of consciousness, so how can you become aware of them?
- How can you manage your physiology to improve the basic parameters of workplace performance, such as focus, speed of reactions, memory recall?
- How can you develop resilience to fatigue and stress?
This masterclass will help you become more scientifically advanced in managing yourself and your employees.
