Covid-19 Crisis: Caroline Webb, Senior Advisor at McKinsey, on The Value of Where We Place Our Attention and Amplifying Certainty

Caroline Webb, a Senior Advisor at McKinsey, is an executive coach, author, and speaker specializing in insights from behavioral science to improve our lives at work. Her book on that topic, How To Have A Good Day, has been published in 14 languages and in more than 60 countries. One of her past jobs was to contribute to the world economic forecast, and she is fluid in her ability to speak with authority on a wide spectrum of topics.

This session was recorded in February 2020 in the early days of the lockdown and we realize Caroline’s words of encouragement to identify even the smallest things that we can control stand up well today.

We found profound value in her reminder that in times of great upheaval, we can still control our kindness.

She spoke with determination on the importance of intentionality and deliberateness in our daily lives, but she tweaked these ideas with a special twist. Caroline noted that ‘batching’ our lives – the use of compartments and guardrails for work, news, work-outs, socializing…etc. – can reduce cognitive load and increase subjective wellbeing.

And, as always, we appreciate Caroline’s openness and authenticity in revealing her personal challenges with the lockdown and the uncertainties of the crisis. And with all that serious exchange, we found plenty of times to enjoy a good laugh.

© 2020 Behavioral Grooves

Podcast: Play in new window | Download