Good Judgment

Better Business Decisions with Human Personality Science

by Richard Davis

Good Judgment (2024) digs into personality science and organizational psychology to boost business decision-making. It lays out tactics for reading people accurately, helping companies snag the right talent, smooth out workplace relationships, and tackle conflicts head-on.

About the author

Richard Davis heads up organizational psychology at Russell Reynolds Associates. He's coached CEOs at big-name companies like Under Armour, Best Buy, and Target. His takes on leadership have made waves in the Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review.

This book is ideal for

• Business leaders and managers

• Human resources professionals

• Organizational development specialists

This book addresses the challenge of making more informed, people-centric decisions in business environments. It's particularly useful when you need to improve hiring processes, resolve conflicts, or enhance team dynamics.

The author provides a framework for understanding and assessing personality traits, which can lead to better predictions of behavior and performance in the workplace.

By mastering the science of personality in an organizational context, readers can overcome the limitations of subjective judgments and emotional intelligence-based approaches, leading to more effective leadership and improved business outcomes.

We're all born with people-reading skills

Making smart calls isn't just about crunching numbers - it's about getting people. Every big choice we make, from picking a partner to choosing a job, boils down to sizing up others. And it's not just the big stuff. Our daily chats at work and home hinge on how well we get the folks around us.

Nailing office politics, sorting out spats, and leading teams like a pro all come down to reading your coworkers and clients right. Being savvy about others doesn't just give your work life a boost - it makes your personal relationships way better too.

Think of this skill as people-radar. It lets you peek into what makes people tick, how their minds work, and what they care about. Some folks are naturals at this, seeming to have a built-in antenna for others. They're the ones who build killer teams, keep things smooth at home, and come out on top in tough talks. But here's the kicker: we've all got this ability baked in.

People-radar is like a muscle - use it or lose it. By flexing this skill, you can get way better at figuring folks out. It's about picking up on the little things in how people act and talk that show who they really are, beyond just their words.

Sharpening your people-radar also means watching out for mental traps, like snap judgments and the masks people wear. We often get people wrong by trusting first impressions or letting stereotypes cloud our view.

To really beef up your people-radar, you've got to learn to see past the surface stuff. You need tricks to spot and get real personality traits. This means tuning into not just what people say, but how they say it and how they act in different situations. It's about seeing if words and actions line up, and figuring out the why behind what people do.

Get good at this, and you'll have x-ray specs for human behavior. This superpower can change the game, giving you an edge in making smart calls that shape your career and personal life.

By applying the principles and techniques in this book, readers will be able to:

• Develop a more nuanced understanding of personality traits and their impact on workplace dynamics

• Improve hiring decisions by better assessing candidates' core personality traits

• Enhance team-building and conflict resolution skills through deeper interpersonal insights

• Make more informed leadership decisions based on a scientific approach to understanding people

• Cultivate stronger professional relationships by asking strategic questions that reveal personality traits

• Navigate office politics and negotiations more effectively with improved "people reading" skills