The science of luck
by Linda A. Curtis
Do you feel lucky? Believe it or not, the way that you answer that question is a predictor of your level of success and joy in life. Dr. Richard Wiseman, head of psychology research at the University of Hertfordshire in England and author of the book linked below, was curious about people who are consistently blessed with good fortune. For eight years he studied 400 people who considered themselves either particularly lucky or unlucky. As a result, he has proved scientifically that luck isn’t a coincidence. Lucky people think and act with specific behaviors that open the way for good things to happen.
Lucky people expect success, moving beyond the "glass-half-full" power of positive thinking. They are skilled at noticing and more open to new possibilities. One way Wiseman measured this was by asking all 400 subjects to count the number of photographs in a newspaper. At the third page was a large advertisement that boldly declared, "STOP COUNTING! THERE ARE 43 PHOTOGRAPHS IN THIS NEWSPAPER." Lucky people noticed, laughed and asked if they should keep counting. Yes, they were told, keep counting. Further along there was another advertisement that read "STOP COUNTING! TELL THE EXPERIMENTOR YOU’VE SEEN THIS AND WIN 150 POUNDS (Sterling)." Once again, the people who considered themselves lucky consistently noticed the advertisement. In contrast, the 'unlucky' ones flipped right past them. What would you have done?
Of course, the science of luck applies to corporate situations as well as to other parts of our lives. For example, Susan (whose name is respectfully changed) wasn’t feeling lucky. She is a senior vice president of systems operations. Her organization recently settled a class action lawsuit that will require a financial payment to thousands of clients over several years. By the end of the year, Susan and her team must create a cost-effective and equitable way to deliver those payments, working within a complex system, satisfying a diverse and demanding base of stakeholders. Her team was grousing about the constraints outlined by the legal department, limits of MIS, and massive budget constraints. The answers weren’t flowing. Susan was burned out and a lot of martinis were being consumed. Something had to give. That is when she called me for coaching.
One small, but high-impact change - which had to start with Susan - was to start expecting success. After several weeks of working with Susan and spending time with her team, their mantra has become "The answers are out there, and we’re finding them." She instituted a "pizza fine," payable on Friday’s - for whoever complained the most that week. It has become a light-hearted way to raise team awareness about how much time and energy they were losing to this powerless activity. Instead of shrinking into the problem, Susan is leading her team to be open to possibilities, wonder about unlikely solutions, to move into a place that is bigger than the complaining. Last week Susan checked in to tell me that the new approach is working. The final outcome will take months to shape and deliver, and the systemic issues remain a challenge. But, the problem shifted as soon as Susan and her team shifted their way of being with it.
Fortune often emerges from the ashes of a problem. During the acceptance speech for his first of thirteen Grammy awards, Duke Ellington said "I merely took the energy it takes to pout, and wrote some blues." Wiseman’s findings agree. Lucky people have automatic psychological techniques to cope and thrive in unfavorable situations.
Besides an openness to external cues, lucky people listen and act upon their gut instincts. They strengthen their intuition by regularly quieting their minds, using practices like meditation, prayer, and eliminating unnecessary conversations. The August 4th issue of Time calls meditation the "smart person’s bubble bath." Ten million American adults now practice some form of regular meditation. It feeds a relaxed attitude about life that expands their resilience, and builds momentum for the cycle of good fortune. Good luck! ;)
Check out Dr. Richard Wiseman’s book “The Luck Factor: Changing Your Luck, Changing Your Life: The Four Essential Principles” (Miramax, 2003) at Amazon.com.