When it comes to feeling conflicted, most people are familiar with the concept that we have two minds that act differently and can oppose each other. Left brain and right brain thinking is a popular example of this. The timeless conflict between ‘head’ and ‘heart’ in art and literature is another example. The feeling of conflict derives from the choice of which decision to make. Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, is perhaps one of the most famous of this type in literature. Romeo and Juliet are conflicted because they are in love (heart) but are from feuding families and know that they are not allowed to be together (head). The decision for the star-crossed lovers is should they be together (follow their hearts) or should they obey their parents (follow their heads). The story builds around this internal conflict, and ultimately they decide (spoiler alert) to follow their hearts, which is the emotional pull of the story. If they had followed their heads, the story would not have been so compelling. The inner conflict comes not just from balancing the different decision options, but also from our desire to make the best decision. The more important the decision, the bigger the potential conflict. Growth and Fixed Mindsets are another example of dual brain thinking. Should I take the feedback from my colleague and thank her for it (Growth Mindset), or shall I avoid the feedback because I disagree with her (Fixed Mindset)? These may not seem like conscious decisions, but they are decisions that we make. To know how to manage our mindset, we need to understand how and why we make decisions in the way we do. Once we understand how we make decisions, we stand a chance of being able to influence the mindsets of our sales populations. So let’s take a deep dive into decision-making.