Nuala Walsh - author of Tune In: How to Make Smarter Decisions in a Noisy World

“The more successful you are the more vulnerable you are to bias”. Nuala Walsh has identified 200 biases that affect all our decisions! In her book Tune In: How to Make Smarter Decisions in a Noisy World she explores how biases cloud judgment and why even smart, successful people make bad decisions. Drawing from her 30-year career in the corporate world and her behavioural science expertise, she’s created the Perimeters Framework—a practical tool to help individuals and organizations mitigate decision risk.

00:00 – Intro: The Real Risk Is Decision Risk

Bruce introduces the core theme of decision risk and welcomes guest Nuala Walsh.

01:30 – Why Nuala Walsh Chose Decision Science

Nuala shares her corporate background and what drew her to behavioural science.

04:15 – What Is ‘Decision Risk’?

Exploring why poor decision-making is often overlooked compared to economic or political risks.

05:40 – The Perimeters Framework: 10 Decision Traps

Nuala introduces her signature framework derived from 200 cognitive biases.

09:29 – Bias Bingo and Real-World Case Studies

From Trump to Theranos—how bias shows up in politics, business, and history.

12.23 – The Myth of Fast Decisions

The problem with speed over substance and the lure of decisiveness in leadership.

14:10 – Slowing Down with Decision Friction

Tactics for creating pause, using reflection, and the 5 Why’s method.

21:00 – Emotion, Fear & The Probability Test

Strategies to remove emotion and fear from high-stakes decisions.

23:15 – Regret, Self-Awareness & Long-Term Learning

How regret shapes future behaviour and why self-awareness is critical.

25:49 – Final Insights & Tools for Better Decisions

Reflection on key lessons and practical tools from Nuala’s work.

Resources & Mentions

• Book: Tune In: How to Make Smarter Decisions in a Noisy World by Nuala Walsh
• Framework: The Perimeters Framework – 10 decision traps based on over 200 cognitive biases
• Referenced Thought Leaders:
• Noah Yuval Harari – “True power means knowing what to ignore.”
• Morgan Housel – Same as Ever, focusing on what doesn’t change
• Mary Budd Rowe – Research on reflection improving judgment
• Adam Grant – Challenger Networks for diverse thinking

 

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