How to Be a Better Human How to make social risks pay off (w/ Ben Swire)
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Jan 26, 2026 Ben Swire, designer, founder of Make Believe Works and author of Safe Danger, leads workshops on creative risk and team connection. He explains the idea of safe danger and why shallow icebreakers fail. He shares practical activities to build trust, design culture rituals, use humor and curiosity, and practice vulnerability to make social risk useful.
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Ask Why At Least Five Times
- Use the 'five whys' to push past obvious answers and reveal surprising motivations.
- Keep asking until you reach an unexpected place that sparks innovation.
Design For Every Personality
- Design activities that welcome all personality types so introverts and extroverts can both engage.
- Create a level playing field so everyone can be vulnerable without feeling threatened.
IDEO Told Him To Use His Voice
- Ben describes joining IDEO and being told his voice was IDEO's voice on day one.
- That trust exposed him to a culture driven by connection, not carrots or sticks.
