Politeness Costs Nothing and Gains Everything!

We talked to Jez Groom of Cowry Consulting about the world-leading behavioral science consultancy, and he had the following to say:-

First of all, how are you and your family doing in these COVID-19 times? 

Jez Groom: We are doing ok, lockdown in the UK for the third time has been challenging, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Tell us about you, your career, how you founded Cowry Consulting.

Jez Groom: I was fascinated by the new field of behavioral economics when it was just breaking, around 10 years ago, and I wanted to help other people share my passion for the field, I wanted to create jobs for people, and we created Cowry Consulting. 

Five years ago, there were just 3 of us; now there are 23! 

How does Cowry Consulting innovate? 

Jez Groom: Our mission is to make businesses as human as humanly possible. We use behavioural science to transform the customer and colleague experience for companies.

Using psychological principles, we are experts in changing behaviour for the better and driving positive outcomes. We redesign digital and physical assets and experiences in a way that goes with the grain of human behaviour and in a way the brain understands.

How the coronavirus pandemic affects your business, and how are you coping?

Jez Groom: Like many businesses, March to June in 2020 was extremely challenging, and to cope, we had to pivot our services to clients to help them get through the pandemic. Almost immediately, we offered clients help in the psychology of crisis management and designed communication ( emails, letters, videos, webpages, conversations, text messages) that helped drive positive behaviours, either internally by employees and externally, with customers.

Did you have to make difficult choices, and what are the lessons learned?

Jez Groom: Again, like many businesses, we needed to take advantage of government furlough schemes to help retain our people in the early stages of the pandemic. I’m really pleased to say that all of our team are now back and we retained all but one of our employees over this period. The furlough scheme worked remarkably well for us, and taking advantage of support was the right decision for us and our people. 

What specific tools, software, and management skills are you using to navigate this crisis?

Jez Groom: We are following our values. We Care for our people, our work, and our clients, and the communities they operate in. We act with Integrity. We think about the impact of our decisions. We are Ambitious. We want to come out the other side stronger.

Who are your competitors? And how do you plan to stay in the game?

Jez Groom: Are competitors keep us on our toes, and we stay close – socially distanced, of course!

Your final thoughts?

Jez Groom: Context sets our behaviour. Let’s build a better context. Be kind. Be polite.

Your website? 

www.cowryconsulting.com