What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You

“With vivid accounts and research-based advice, Palmer charts the clearest course I’ve ever seen for managers seeking to navigate change. It’s a tour de force.”

—Robert Cialdini, NY Times bestselling author of Influence and Pre-Suasion

“A science-based playbook that is a must-read for every manager of people, Melina Palmer lucidly reminds us that people management is a lot like raising children: ‘tune in, take turns, and talk more’ are the 3 Ts that every great manager must follow.”

—John A. List, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Voltage Effect and The Why Axis

“Change is not a one-off event. As Palmer so clearly showcases in What Your Employees Need and Can’t Tell You, focusing on the micro-moments and making little tweaks can make all the difference in whether a change is easy, natural, and celebrated—or a massive failure with demotivated employees left in the wake. Unlike other books or frameworks that may take a lofty, impractical approach to managing change in business, Palmer’s science-backed insights are immediately applicable by any manager in any industry.”

—Nir Eyal, bestselling author of Hooked and Indistractable

“Melina Palmer has re-entered the chat… with a thoroughly researched and deeply engaging book which delivers the goods in her uniquely inquisitive, practical, and supportive style. Melina has gifted a generation of leaders with not just a roadmap for effective and meaningful change, but also a car, the keys to that car, a full tank of gas, a roadmap-following playlist, and a box of healthy snacks to make sure we reach our destination in good spirits and with great success. In other words, she’s given us everything we need to set out and become champions for change in our organizations and our lives.”

—Jeff Kreisler, Head of Behavioral Science at JP Morgan, coauthor of Dollars and Sense, founding editor of PeopleScience.com

“Melina Palmer has done it again! What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You is the leader’s practical (and engaging!) guidebook to managing exceptional teams using evidence-based nudges from behavioral science. I found myself taking notes about techniques to put into immediate practice with my own team. If you want to take your leadership skills to the next level, let Melina Palmer be your guide.”

—Amy Bucher, PhD, Chief Behavioral Officer at Lirio and author of Engaged: Designing for Behavior Change

“In her book, Palmer makes a convincing case for why change is possible and how you should go about it. Using insights from behavioral science and many fun personal stories, she paints an engaging and optimistic picture of behavioral change. Such a fun and educational read!”

—Ayelet Fishbach, professor of behavioral science and marketing at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and author of Get It Done

“From one of the hardest working and most prolific content generators in our field, Melina has once again presented us with a treasure-trove of insightful real-life use cases and practical advice—a must-read on change management!”

—Dr. Benny Cheung, director at Dectech

“ ‘Thoughtful planning up front will always save time in the long run.’ As I read Melina Palmer’s words it hit me—this book is an investment. The financial investment to purchase the book was small. The investment you want to consider is your time. Any good investment should give you something greater in return. Spending time with this book will pay big dividends. And, the more time you invest in it, the more you’ll reap over the long run. I write that because, as someone who teaches influence for a living, I know following Melina’s advice will help you when it comes to understanding and communicating with people. Let’s face it, we cannot accomplish anything apart from people so the most successful individuals will spend an inordinate amount of time learning whatever they can about how people think and behave. Congratulations on your investment. Now maximize it.”

—Brian Ahearn, author of Influence PEOPLE

“Change is everything. Knowing that, one can decide either to become a master of change or inevitably turning into its victim. This book is definitely helping to accelerate towards the former. Enjoy!”

—Dr. Agnis Stibe, 4x TEDx speaker, artificial intelligence program director, professor of transformation, and creator of the STIBE method for hyper-performance

“Melina makes behavioral economics approachable, practical, and fun. By the end of the book you have learned how to put things into practice to make an impact into your business and your life.”

—Matthew Confer, VP of strategy and business development at Abilitie

“Change is easier than you think, once you know how the brain works. In this accessible, actionable book, Melina Palmer reviews the most relevant behavioral science findings for making change management less painful and more effective. You’ll learn how to be more thoughtful about change, how to ‘calm the elephant,’ and why successful change management is ‘not about the cookie.’ An eye-opening and practical guide to navigating one of the most perplexing challenges faced by leaders today.”

—Vanessa Bohns, author of You Have More Influence Than You Think

“This book takes you on a fascinating journey to your employees' subconscious. It's packed with actionable, science-based insights that you can immediately apply to manage change. A must-read for managers.”

—Matej Sucha, managing partner of MINDWORX and editor-in-chief at InsideBE

“Half our life is spent ‘at work,’ and despite the advances in Behavioral economics in other areas, there was no comprehensive way to use it for ourselves and our teams. Not anymore!

“What Your Employees Need and Can’t Tell You is the book meant for every manager to help make change easy for their employees. It provides an easy, accessible method to understanding and using the power of human motivation and behavior at work to build more engaged, motivated teams. Highly recommended read!”

—Anant Sood, cofounder of worxogo

“This book is an amazing compendium of behavioral science presented in a practical way to improve management and business decisions through small, but impactful changes.”

—Dr. Marco Palma, director of the Human Behavior Laboratory at Texas A&M University

“A wonderfully researched and moreish journey into the workings of our brain and how we can lead others more effectively by better understanding it. Packed with insight, if you manage people (and want to do it well) this is a must-read.”

—Sam Tatam, global principal of behavioural science at Ogilvy and author of Evolutionary Ideas

“ ‘We’re making some changes’ is one of the scariest phrases in business, but Melina Palmer proves organizational change doesn’t have to be a war. What Your Employees Need and Can’t Tell You is a change management cheat code. It reveals the words to say and things to do that will open your team to new possibilities.”

—James Forr, head of insights at Olson Zaltman

“A well-researched and highly accessible account of common challenges facing employees. Valuable insight into how behavioral science can help organizations to finally address them.”

—Nuala Walsh, CEO of MINDEQUITY and founding director of the Global Association of Applied Behavioural Scientists

“Yet again, Melina has an ability to combine some of my most favorite topics in practical hands-on advice. What it takes to create employee buy-in and motivation through empathic conversation and the science behind human behavior are topics close to my heart and mandatory in a world fueled with constant change. Palmer’s mantra to ‘be thoughtful’ is easily applied and powerfully showcased in her second book, What Your Employees Need and Can’t Tell You.”

—Nadia Haagen Pedersen, executive vice president at iMotions 

“What Your Employees Need and Can’t Tell You is a comprehensive guide book on leadership. It’s filled with the right questions to ask yourself and your employees. Palmer breaks down each concept in a way that’s easy to digest and then implement. It will challenge the way you perceive yourself and your employees. You’ll gain insights on how to truly lead yourself, your team and your organization to success.”

—Nikki Rausch, CEO of Sales Maven, neurolinguistic programming expert, podcast host, and author of Buying Signals and The Selling Staircase

“What Your Employees Need and Can’t Tell Youis a terrific resource for any leader seeking to inspire and manage organizational change. This book brings fresh perspective to important change management principles and practices through grounding in an engaging discussion of the latest science behind how we think, decide and behave along with helpful anecdotes to bring experienced challenges and successes to life. If you’re looking for an engaging and actionable toolkit for managing organizational change, look no further.”

—Sam Evans, growth marketing and behavioral design consultant

“This is a practical guide on achieving organizational change through applying behavioral economics. Melina Palmer’s What Your Employees Need and Can’t Tell Youintroduces key concepts, making them relevant, applicable, and a joyful read. Whether you are a team leader or a team player, you will find scientifically based insights to put into practice today.”

—Wiam Hasanain, social impact and behavioral science advisor 

“Melina Palmer turns conventional wisdom about change on its head by using smart, science-based tactics. Every business has to change, and change often, but many struggle to get employee acceptance and support. Melina shows how to use behavioral science to reduce resistance to change and achieve successful transformation. Anyone who manages people needs this book!”

—Roger Dooley, author of Friction and Brainfluence

“Change management has never been so scientifically grounded. This book is made for anyone tired of conventional business advice and thirsty for evidence-based behavioral insights. It’s for you if you’re ready to start focusing on what’s important, and apply the science to create and maintain a culture of engaged and productive workers.”

—Aline Holzwarth, applied behavioral scientist

“Small changes make a big difference. Palmer’s mantra to ‘be thoughtful’ is easily applied and powerfully showcased yet again in her second book, What Your Employees Need and Can’t Tell You.”

—Scott Jeffrey Miller, Wall Street Journal bestselling author and host of the world's largest leadership podcast

“Your brain will grow two sizes reading this book. Behavioral scientist Melina Palmer will persuade you that the job of any manager is to help employees navigate change, and then teach you how to do it. Science-based but real-world practical. Her sense of humor makes it an enjoyable read, and OMG the Cobra Effect!”

—Zoe Chance, author of Influence Is Your Superpower

“A smart, thoughtful guide to creating successful change in organizations. Drawing on the best behavioral science, Melina Palmer provides engaging examples and applications to help any manager master the art of change. A must read!”

—Wendy Wood, author of Good Habits, Bad Habits

“We live in a volatile and uncertain business world where things are constantly changing.  Unfortunately, facing change in the workplace can be hard for both managers and employees. But it doesn’t have to be! Behavioral science is an untapped tool to help managers navigate this change while bringing staff along. In this new book, Melina has made behavioral science easy to apply for any manager trying to improve their ability to lead. It’s a must read for business leaders who want the best for their employees.”

—Will Leach, CEO of Mindstate Group and author of Marketing to Mindstates

“In life, change is the only constant. Although this is true, this doesn’t make it easy for us to handle. But what I love about Melina‘s approach is that it’s rooted in cognitive neuroscience and she helps people to understand what makes change feel hard at what we can do to make it easier. … She is an expert in behavioral science and has a deep understanding of how the brain works. And she uses this incredible depth of knowledge to provide helpful tips on change management that are actionable, accessible, and relevant. 

“I couldn’t endorse this book enough. I learn something new every time I talk to her and I know you will get a lot out of this book!”

—Kwame Christian, director of the American Negotiation Institute, bestselling author, attorney, speaker, and host of the number-one negotiation podcast, Negotiate Anything