An Interview With Adrian Furnham

What is the biggest challenge that you have overcome?

Talking to large mixed groups through interpreters. I once had to talk for 20 minutes EXACTLY to 1800 people from 6 language groups hearing me through the translators. Beware of telling jokes, but tell good stories.

How did you get into corporate speaking?

By chance about 20 years ago. I was talking at an academic conference and a business person heard me and asked my to speak at his conference. Thereafter it was a lot of word of mouth marketing. I am asked to talk about 30 times a year at all sorts of corporate events from after dinner talks to key-note presentations. I love it.

Why do you enjoy being a speaker?

I particularly enjoy trying to communicate the academic ideas and findings in a way that is understandable and memorable.

Who or what motivates you?

Travel and coming into contact with business people. I am a business psychologist academic so I need to be in the "real world" as much as possible.

You say in your biography that you enjoy a good argument, what is the most frustrating argument that you have been involved in?

People who have an unmovable ideology that fulfils a psychological purpose and is not open to data, reason or fair argument