You Don’t Manage Behavior. You Manage Intent.
A behavioral-science look at why we misjudge our colleagues' intentions, and a simple practice to see them clearly.
We get triggered by even the smallest things people do. Our minds jump to conclusions. We think we know why. But we’re often wrong. The motive we choose fits our story, but that doesn’t make it right.
The first time I watched Marc Cucurella play at the World Cup, I was impressed. Spain was pressing, and this guy ran nonstop, in every direction. But something else caught my attention. We had a brutal summer in the US, and his wild mane kept bouncing around his face the whole time.
“Look at that guy,” I told my wife. “It’s so hot. How can he play with that hair?”
My wife knew better. She’d read an article about why Cucurella keeps his hair long: he has an autistic son. His mane helps the child spot his dad among 22 players. My assumption felt cheap. This wasn’t just a hair choice. Cucurella’s look was more meaningful than that.
And the story gets more interesting. While researching this article, I found out that claim was unverifi…
