Feature
People can feel pride and gratitude in relation to their work; this will activate the mesolimbic and basal forebrain
For the technical readers you’ll notice the similarities in the themes between what happens when people’s reward networks are activated and the benefi ts we expect to see from engaged employees. The striatum releases dopamine into the prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex, which positively affects a range of cognitive and emotional functions. When individuals have good levels of dopamine in the executive attention or self-regulation networks, we should see the attitude, behaviour and outcomes of engagement.
But back to plain English. There are insights we can take from scientifi c research that can give us ideas of things to try in our organisations. There is also other stuff, some of it great. But there is a huge trend currently of listening to ‘case studies’ from other companies. The idea is that, for some, they can take these same ideas and then try to implement them in their organisation to get the same results. Taken at face value, it is pure craziness. We need to shift to looking at the ‘employee experience’ or whatever the latest phraseology is for it. We should be considering each touchpoint a person has with the company and what it communicates to them.
An investment-whizz friend of mine started
working at a London law fi rm. He was so excited and his induction was brilliant. He was so engaged and motivated and grateful to be there. Two weeks in, he asked his boss for another computer screen so he could have two to make trading easier. In his opinion it was a small request; the cost was low and they’d given him time off for good work already – he would prefer the equipment he needed and not the time off! They told him no, because it wasn’t policy. Maybe other people would want one, too. Boom! Immediately, he didn’t feel like he knew them anymore. He couldn’t understand the lack of logic. We need to be clear on what the best pillars
are for our organisation. They won’t cushion against stupidity or poor communications, but they will help create a brain-friendly culture. Here are three neuroscience insights that are foundational for any organisation: • The concept you should build everything else around; contribution
• The jarring awakening; intentionally shape people’s brains
• The reassuring truth; we’re wired for interpersonal attachments.
We explore each of these concepts in depth in my book, Engaged, but let’s just look at the fi rst here. In Jim Collins’ excellent book Built to Last we hear about the research that compares 18 pairs of companies. They had an average age of 100 years and had stock performing 15 times better than the overall stock market. Each visionary company was paired with a comparison company. One of their fi ndings was that the visionary companies were guided more by a core ideology. They had values and a purpose beyond making money. In our language, they were clear on what they were contributing. Jim shares that they chose the word ‘ideology’ because they observed what was an almost religious fervour in these companies. The core ideology was pursued zealously and was preserved to guide future generations. Let’s look at what neuroscience has. With a lack of neuroscience evidence gathered from the workplace setting, we turn to other hard neuroscientifi c research. In this case, it was looking at charitable donation – that is, contributing to a cause. In this experiment, the participants chose to endorse or oppose societal causes by anonymous decisions to donate or refrain from donating to real charitable
organisations. These organisations had a range of different causes. The mesolimbic reward system is engaged when people contribute to charities in the same way as when they receive monetary rewards. This reward system provides a general reinforcement mechanism. Interestingly, in this study, they also saw medial orbitofrontal-subgenual and lateral orbitofrontal areas (involved in primitive mechanisms of social attachment and aversion) involved in the decisions of whether to donate or oppose societal causes. It was also seen that more anterior sectors of the prefrontal cortex were recruited when altruistic choices were made above selfi sh material ones. It is suggested that primitive reward and social attachment operate beyond our immediate kin, enabling us to directly link motivational value to abstract collective causes, principles and ideologies.
People can feel pride and gratitude in
relation to their work; this will activate the mesolimbic and basal forebrain. So, what do we need to know about contributing? • People asked to commit fi ve acts of kindness on one day a week for six weeks were happier than those who didn’t do this
• The emotional benefi ts of helping others are eliminated when you are told you should help – so autonomy and personal volition are key
• Successfully completing actions is important (setting goals that can be fi nished)
• Empathy, linked to the release of oxytocin, promotes prosocial behaviours, such as collective action.
So, the question at this stage for you personally is: how are you connecting people with their contribution? n
Author Amy Brann
Synaptic Potential
synapticpotential.com
Learning Magazine | 13
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