Behavioral Science in Business: Scott Young on closing intent-action gap in business, AI and culture strategy. And why people don't do what they say.

Why do well-intentioned initiatives so often fail to deliver results?  

The answer lies not in strategy but in execution - specifically, in the gap between what people intend to do and what they actually do.  

Scott Young has spent his career at the intersection of behavioral science and business transformation, advising Fortune 500 companies and teaching at institutions like the London School of Economics. His mission: helping leaders apply behavioral science ethically and effectively to drive real change.  

In this illuminating conversation, Scott reveals:  

• Behavioral science offers unique value in helping close the "intent-action gap" where people want to do the right thing but human nature gets in the way 
• Simple frameworks like COM-B and EAST help leaders think broadly about potential barriers and design effective interventions 
• Confusion serves as a much bigger barrier than we think, when people get confused, they use it as an "off-ramp" to avoid uncomfortable changes 
• Most companies over-rely on communication and financial incentives while underestimating the power of environmental design and process changes 
• Traditional top-down approaches to culture change often fail, instead, define specific behaviors that constitute values like "collaboration" or "innovation" 
• Leaders should create a "behavioral lens" as part of their leadership toolkit to complement strategy with effective execution 
• The timeliness of communication often matters more than its content - focus on reaching people at the moment of decision 
• AI adoption faces 2 key barriers: general resistance to technology change and fear of replacement 
• Psychological safety is crucial for technology adoption - people need to feel comfortable asking questions and expressing confusion - and where leaders get it wrong, while trying to shift culture towards it  

... and so much more!  

Whether you're leading organizational transformation, building a more innovative culture, or trying to improve adoption of new technologies, this episode offers practical insights you can apply immediately.  

Learn how to close the intent-action gap and create environments where good intentions translate into consistent results.  

Tune in!  

___________________________
📌 Scott Young  

Scott Young is an independent advisor, educator, and former Head of Private Sector at the Behavioral Insights Team (BIT) Americas. He previously led BVA Nudge Consulting and spent over 20 years running Perception Research Services, a global shopper insights agency.  

Today, Scott lectures at LSE, UPenn, and Chicago Booth, serves as a board member at BeScy, and writes extensively on applied behavioral science. He conducts workshops and coaches executives to apply behavioral tools ethically and effectively across business functions and industries.  

📍 Connect with Scott:  

• LinkedIn  
•  Medium Articles  
•  BeScy.org  
• Developing Behaviorally-Informed Executives   

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Scott Young
• 5:42 Journey Through Behavioral Science
• 9:35 Bridging the Intent-Action Gap
• 16:03 Simple Frameworks for Behavior Change
• 31:30 AI Adoption and Psychological Safety
• 39:54 Building Culture Through Specific Behaviors
• 48:38 Communication vs. Environmental Design
• 54:48 Resources and Closing Thoughts