Annual Letter

Again, brain science offers some suggestions:

• Create new images.
  It is hard to replace something with nothing, but that is often what we ask people to do during the change process. When introducing new ideas into the workplace, we ask staff to exchange the clarity and certainty of the mental images they have developed over time with . . . nothing.  No wonder people are afraid of change. The brain needs a new image to replace the old one, so paint that picture for your staff. 
  
  

  Application: Scenario planning is one approach leaders are using to paint new pictures of their organization’s future.  In the scenario development process, the organization creates a series of different potential futures based on a combination of key forces that may impact their work, such as demographic, political, economic and social trends.  The scenario process helps to both challenge the organization’s thinking and to create a vision of the future that is tangible enough for people to act upon. Once staff can “see” the future, they can begin to plan for it.

• The brain knows no “nos.”  Don’t Think of an Elephant by George Lakoff is a great book on the power of messaging.  We mention this because, at this moment, most of you are thinking of an elephant.  Negative statements like “don’t spill your milk” create images of the very outcomes we are trying to avoid. Change your language to create pictures of what you do want to happen (place your glass in the middle of the table), not what you don’t.
  
  

  Application: When giving feedback, remember two key lessons of brain functioning: the fear reaction and the rule of “no nos.”  As soon as you say to an employee “I’d like to give you some feedback . . .” the person’s immediate reaction is negative and fearful.  Chances are, they didn’t even hear the rest of your sentence.  They were thinking about the last time they got feedback and how awful that experience was.  Give people time to navigate the fear reaction by signaling your intentions (“I’d like to meet with you later today to discuss your presentation from yesterday’s meeting.”).  While previewing the feedback won’t eliminate the fear reaction, at least it will provide the person time to navigate it, meaning that they will be ready to hear the rest of the sentence during the feedback meeting.  The second “brain lesson” is more obvious: describe the behavior you DO want, not just what they should not do.  Telling a chronically late employee to “be at their desk, ready to work by 9:00 am each day” is more effective than telling the same employee to “not be late anymore.”

• Don’t breathe.  When people are upset, we often tell them to “sit down and take a deep breath.”  According to brain science, we are doing exactly the wrong thing.  What we really want to tell them is to “sit down and stop breathing.”  The primary function of our inner brain is to control breathing and circulation.  When you stop breathing (or stated differently, when you hold your breath), you trigger the brain back to its primary purpose, thereby “short-circuiting” the fear reaction.  Think of this as the neuroscience version of Ctrl-Alt-Delete.

  Application: When you are feeling stressed, stop breathing. Holding your breath for just 10 seconds can break the cycle your brain is stuck in, and start you down a new neuro-pathway.  

The more we learn about brain science, the more we recognize the implications for leading and managing organizations. We see great opportunities for applying the emerging lessons of neuroscience to our work, and are excited that this knowledge is leaving the research lab – and entering the conference room.

Denise Cavanaugh	Jane Pierson	Joshua Mintz