Selected work
In high-stakes sectors like finance and insurance, seasoned professionals are trusted to make complex decisions under pressure. But even the most experienced minds will fall into hidden decision traps. Because the strongest anaytical tools cannot replace healthy behavioural processes.
A leading organisation asked us to help their clients’ senior teams sharpen how they discuss together and decide.
We designed a practical, evidence-based program focused on boosting decision processes across the board, from strategic choices to operational trade-offs. Using real, live challenges from participants’ own portfolios, we introduced behavioural tools to slow down thinking when it matters, reframe, and generate stronger options.
Participants came out with a better ability to spot and reduce cognitive and motivational traps in team discussions and apply structured reasoning methods.
The result? More rigorous conversations, clearer thinking in uncertainty, and better alignment around key business choices. In short, an environment where quality decisions are expected, not assumed.
How we boosted the decision-making skills of seasoned professionals in financial services and insurance
To kick off a new partnership, the management team suggested we start with a topic that benefits employees as directly as it benefits the organisation: having more productive meetings.
They aim was to improve both on the quality and quantity of meetings, their efficacy in reaching decisions, boosting productivity and performance, but also employee wellbeing and motivation.
We designed and delivered a series of short workshops on the topic, with 25 participants from all ranks. We worked together to embed practical tools from behavioural and decision sciences on improving the way meetings are held. We put special emphasis on what needs to happen before the meeting, but changing behaviours sustainably.
The result? Participants engaged with excitement and got to create their own custom solutions for effective internal as well as client meetings.
How we trained a B2B software company in conducting
more effective meetings
The management and analysts of a large institution were perplexed with demand being very low for what they described as “an attractive, beneficial offering”.
We investigated the context of their offering by applying various research methods (including interviews with key stakeholders) and mapped out the customer user journey. We discovered many key structural and behavioural barriers in people’s way.
Once we uncovered the underlying issues that the analysts had missed, for example, the difficulty people had in understanding the value of the offer and the process they had to follow, we designed targeted solutions.
The result? We supplied the institution with a list of cost-free, easy to implement changes which they readily used to increase demand.
How we helped a large institution
re-evaluate their offering and increase customer demand
The head of the company spotted the need to improve their team’s decision quality. From critical thinking and accountability to communication clarity and speed.
We diagnosed actual problems, prioritised needs and designed a customised two-day workshop around a specific, important decision that the company's managers needed to make on a frequent basis.
We based the workshop on the managers’ existing journey map, and drew from evidence-based strategies and methods to present select solutions. We then helped them to customise and adapt these solutions in their own context.
The result? We helped co-create a method for approaching the high-importance high-frequency decision in focus, that enabled the team to handle uncertainty better, communicate their reasoning and speed up.
How we helped an international technology company boost managerial decision-making
A big player in energy distribution wanted to help their clients cope with rising fuel costs.
We investigated how behaviorally-informed tools have helped transport companies such as Virgin save on energy consumption. For example, allocating a “conditional bonus” (a set bonus amount that is allocated to each driver at the start of the month and is liable to being reduced conditional on how the employee performs), incentivizes the driver to work harder to avoid losing out.
We created a practical, science-based informational handout with no or low-cost, easy to implement solutions for their clients’ fleet.
How we facilitated an energy distributor in delivering more value to their clients
An environmental non-profit wanted to better understand the hidden forces at play when people make decisions about certain sustainability behaviors, like choosing between repairing broken things or buying new ones.
We designed a mixed-methods research tool that measured not just knowledge but also people’s motivation and opportunity to engage in said behaviors. The results revealed how people’s false perceptions shaped their motivations, and how certain behavioral barriers decreased the likelihood of engaging in sustainable actions.
The result? The organization was able to address these barriers more effectively, in a targeted way, saving valuable time and resources.
How we guided a nonprofit in understanding their target audience
Uncertainty, complexity, procrastination, analysis paralysis, too many choices, not good enough choices, sunk costs, stress … These are just some of the factors getting in people’s way of making good decisions.
We respectfully listen to and guide professionals along their journey with difficult decisions using our knowledge of solid decision processes and tools that fight against cognitive pitfalls and behavioral obstacles.
We take pride in these small projects that have an amplified impact on our clients’ lives. We’ve delivered value in many forms: From clarifying objectives and trade-offs, to committing to next steps, finding ways to improve decision outcomes and creating exit strategies.
How we coached entrepreneurs and other professionals in getting unstuck
Though we work with adults every day — helping leaders improve how they think, decide, and lead — we can’t help but think: what if we had learned these tools earlier in life? What if young people grew up understanding how to frame problems, weigh options, challenge their assumptions, and recognize bias — in themselves and in others? That’s why we actively support the movement to bring Decision Education into schools.
Melina Moleskis serves on the Advocates Steering Committee for the Alliance for Decision Education, a US-based nonprofit dedicated to equipping students with the skills and dispositions to make better decisions - not just in the classroom, but throughout their lives.
Decision Education isn’t about giving the “right” answers. It’s about helping young people ask better questions, think more clearly, and navigate uncertainty with confidence. We believe these are lifelong tools — and the earlier we learn them, the better.
Actively supporting the introduction of Decision Education in schools
Public policy teams do not have it easy – they struggle daily with long-standing implementation gaps where well-intentioned policies are not translating into real-world outcomes.
To support policymakers, we created the Behavioral Science Public Policy School, a training program delivered under the auspices of the Cyprus Institute. Over three weeks, participants engaged in a 20-hour hands-on workshop series where they learned to apply behavioral diagnosis tools and intervention design frameworks to live policy challenges.
The program zeroed in on behavioral friction — the hidden factors that block uptake, reduce compliance, and weaken communication. One team explored how to shift student habits from personal car use to university bus services. Another focused on reducing water consumption in the hospitality sector through subtle, evidence-based behavioral nudges.
By anchoring the training in their own work, participants didn’t just learn the theory — they used it.
The result? Better framing, better decisions, and policies designed not just to make sense on paper, but to work in practice.
How we equipped policymakers to use behavioral insights for real-world impact
We love sharing what we have learned — and learning from the people we meet along the way.
We regularly share our insights at conferences, leadership retreats, policy roundtables, and podcasts. Over the years, we have had the pleasure of speaking at George Washington University, the Cyprus Economists’ Association, and on platforms such as the Decision-Making Studio and Human Risk podcasts.
We tailor each session to the audience – whether business leaders, policymakers or students - blending behavioral science with real-world experience and practical tools that challenge people to rethink how good decisions are made and how change really happens. Our talks combine sharp storytelling, relatable examples, and actionable takeaways. From helping teams improve high-stakes decision-making to designing better habits at scale, we aim to leave audiences with tools they can use — and ideas they want to share.
If you're hosting a conversation about how real change happens — in systems, strategies, or people — we’d love to be part of it.
Guest speaker appearances at events & podcasts
We believe ideas are only as powerful as their ability to travel. That’s why we publish across both mainstream media and academic journals, helping bridge the gap between behavioral science and real-world decisions. Our goal is to make behavioral science accessible without oversimplifying it, and rigorous without losing relevance.
In the public arena, we've written for outlets including Forbes, The Decision Lab, Economy Today, Behavioral Economics, Phileleftheros and Cyprus Mail, offering fresh lenses on topics like strategic missteps, behavior change, and the psychology of collective decisions. On the academic side, our contributions focus on how behavioral insights can improve decisions and policy-making in complex environments – notable hosts include Frontiers in Sustainable Energy Policy, the London School of Economics Hellenic Observatory and Cyprus Economic Policy Review.
By publishing in both domains, we aim to spread the word on behavioral science and boost decision quality, whether at work or in everyday contexts.
Publishing in mainstream media and academic journals