Six Signs for Behavior Prediction

Six Signs for Behavior Prediction

My purpose is to teach you how to decode human behavior and confidently predict what people will do in crucial, life-changing situations.

To start your training as a behavioral analyst, you first need to understand the fundamental truth of human behavior: The one thing that you can almost always predict people to do is to act in their own best interests. Determining what someone wants is the key to predicting their behavior. Therefore, trust is not merely a matter of morality; trust is a predictability. If you can reasonably predict what someone will do, you can usually trust them.

To evaluate this predictability without falling back on guesswork or intuition-which are wrong about half the time-you must analyze objective, observable data points. I categorize these tells into my Six Signs for Behavior Prediction:

Sign number one: Vesting - Creating a symbiotic linkage of mutual success. You must figure out if the person believes that their success is mutually tied to yours.

Sign number two: Longevity - Believing your bond will last. People treat you better and act more honorably when they believe they will be interacting with you for a long time.

Sign number three: Reliability - Demonstrating competence and diligence. Does the person have the skills to do what they say (competence), and the drive to follow through (diligence) ?

Sign number four: Actions - Displaying consistent patterns of positive behaviors. It is a person's actions that define them, much more than what they say or how they feel.

Sign number five: Language - Creating connections with masterful communication. The language of trust relies heavily on nonjudgmental, validating statements that give others choices and show a willingness to be a resource.

Sign number six: Stability - Transcending conflict with emotional accord. Does the person demonstrate emotional maturity, self-awareness, and solid social skills ?

By learning to objectively read the "tells" associated with each of these six signs, you can protect yourself from manipulators, tame the primary fear in relationships, and build bulletproof alliances with people who truly want you to succeed.

Sign number one: Vesting is defined in the book as "creating symbiotic linkage of mutual success". At its core, vesting means openly allying with someone and actively helping them to succeed because you genuinely believe that their success will ultimately benefit you.

While vesting is inspired by an individual's own self-interest, it acts essentially as an investment in another person. In the professional world, it is the single strongest animating force in teamwork, and in our personal lives, it is often present among family members and close friends. When someone decides that your success is their success, they become powerfully motivated to do whatever they can for you.

To help you objectively analyze if someone is truly vested in your success, the authors outline several observable "tells."

Positive Tells (Signs someone IS vesting in you):

They are willing to change their work style and tempo to fit yours.

They talk in terms of your priorities and best interests, rather than just their own.

They actively explore other things they can do with you to expand the relationship.

They do things with you that they'd rather not do (like taking on extra burdens to help you out).

They call in their own favors on your behalf to assist you.

They offer help on their own initiative, even when you don't ask for it.

They talk you up inside your company or industry, making sure you get credit for joint accomplishments.

They show genuine excitement when you succeed.

They bring you into their social circle.

They share deep secrets with you.