JULIAN SAMMY

Keynote: Monday, May 7 - 9:00AM - 10:15AM

Gold From Garbage: Harnessing Human Irrationality
Magicians know humans are irrational and unreasonable. They have learned to take advantage of the gaps between how we act and how we think we act. Organizations and economists believe humans are rational and reasonable, and try to force us to act that way — as if believing we can fly can force us to not plummet to our deaths. You have an opportunity: learn to use irrational human nature to improve your performance and the effectiveness of your solutions.

Turning garbage into gold starts with understanding human nature. Julian helps you experience and examine your own irrationality through magic, experiments, education, and evidence. Along the way you will answer questions like, "When is it stupid to be reasonable?" "How much documentation is enough?" and "What makes a business case compelling?"

People who understand what humans are and what we think we are — they can change the world. Everyone else is at their mercy. Do you want to hold the reins, or wear the saddle?

Julian Sammy has worked to improve the maturity of BA practices and the BA profession since 2005. Currently, he splits his time between working for IIBA as Head of New Media, and writing on business analysis topics.

He is working on his first BA book, The Dangerous Question: a new, science based approach to business analysis. Using principles of evidence-based management and behavioural psychology, TDQ exposes the power and pitfalls of the profession, giving practitioners and managers a foundation to support more effective business analysis practices. Much of the thinking for this book is found at his blog, theDangerousQuestion.com.