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How the IKEA Effect Shapes Your Office Influence
Description
In this episode of The Office Politics Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the IKEA effect—our tendency to overvalue things we helped create—and how it quietly shapes office dynamics. From the colleague who overrates their own spreadsheet to the manager whose pet project gets extra funding, the hosts unpack why effort inflates perceived value and how you can use this bias to build influence, win buy-in, and avoid falling for your own handiwork. They discuss real-world examples like LEGO's crowdsourced sets and a famous MIT study on origami and bidding, then offer practical tactics: when to let others tweak your work to gain their commitment, how to give feedback without triggering the IKEA effect, and why managers should beware of escalating sunk costs in their favorite initiatives. If you've ever wondered why your carefully crafted slide deck feels more convincing than the data suggests, this episode has your answer. Tune in for a fresh, psychology-driven look at workplace influence.