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© The BestWork People 2012
Get Smart AboutPersonal and Enterprise Vitality
Precious Gifts from Brain Science
For most of human history, people lived and worked in small groups
They knew each other alltheir lives. They told the same stories and did the same kind of work Elders lived to age 35
We who value prolonged high performance are challenged to develop a new kind of vitality for the modern age.
Table of Contents
Brief Introduction A Bit of Brain Background Challenges for Sustained High Performance How to Promote Vitality - Boosting Personal Vitality - Boosting Enterprise Vitality Current Insights from NeuroScience Conclusion
3© The BestWork People 2012
This eBook is about how to work better with the brain’s powerful wiring – instead
of against it
The human brain was not designed for modern life. Optimal functioning is disabled by:
Prolonged physical, social or emotional stress Information overload Insufficient exercise and rest Multi-tasking
4© The BestWork People 2012
We can stay smart and vital But it takes determination
Humans retain Neuroplasticity as adults – we can learn
Building new neural pathways feels good
The brain gets a shot of pleasure from new ways to contribute
We can actively promote brain fitness individually and in organizational culture
The adult brain is programmed to conserve energy by minimizing ‘new’
Stress of any kind makes learning impossible and promotes illness
We are highly vulnerable to ambiguity and social stress
Working memory is small: can only absorb small amounts of new information
Nothing new can happen while multi-tasking
Good news Bad news
5© The BestWork People 2012
A BIT OF BRAIN BACKGROUND
6© The BestWork People 2012
Cooperation – the basis of commerce - is as old as the first human
community
Developed over more than 200,000 generations
The brains of early ancestors are about 1/3 the size of
modern humans The brain reached it
current size about 1300 generations ago
7© The BestWork People 2012
It all started with a change in the weather…
Pressure from climatic change made increased cooperation a great adaptive advantage: giving rise to language, driving brain development
John Medina,Professor of Bioengineering, University of Washington School of Medicine
Humberto Maturana, Professor of Biology, University of Chile
8© The BestWork People 2012
Society, commerce and the brain co-evolved
Brain Body Business
Lucy
3,200,000 yrs160,000 gens
500 cc Male 5’ 100#Female 4’ 50#Walking upright, arched footSloped forehead
Cooperating and CoordinatingPrimitive toolsLanguage?Communities in Africa
1,000,000 years50,000 gens
1000 cc Heavy brow ridgesLess sloping forehead
Good cutting edgesCommunities throughout Asia, Africa, maybe Europe
25,000 years1,250 gens
1500 ccModernPFC
Male 6’ 150#Female 5’5” 120# Fully modern
Trading over thousands of miles ArtElegant toolsHerdingCommunities in Asia, Africa, Australia, and maybe the Americas
10,000 years500 gens
X X Horticulture, towns, competition for resources
5,000 years250 gens
X X Cities, warfare, taxes, writing
600 years30 gens
X X Italian Renaissance, bankingCan exchange without seeing each others’ eyes
230 years 11 gens
X X Industrial revolution, modern cities People become ‘pairs of hands’
9© The BestWork People 2012
While society and the brain were evolving
Our hunter/gatherer ancestors walked ca. 20 miles/day (children under four were carried;) worked about 4 hrs/day and rested a great deal
People knew the members of their group their whole lives. Tasks and exchanges were understood. Self-worth and belonging were not questions
How the world works, including social requirements, was learned long before puberty – there was little ambiguity
Change was slow
Stress was short-lived (predators, weather)
Population was not dense
Those who lived to old age were precious resources: the libraries and universities of their time
10© The BestWork People 2012
We humans make our living in exchanges
Exchanging with others is in our biology – it’s an essential part of being human
We’re highly sensitive about it – a matter of survival
11© The BestWork People 2012
Social animals thrive together – not separately
12© The BestWork People 2012
We become ingenious when others appear to be vulnerable
People mobilized instantly in 18 degree weather
The mood of the country changed
13© The BestWork People 2012
Interactions with others is the basis of business
and the stuff of human life
Casual or formal,monetized or not,tangible or intangible The brain is hard-wired to keep us focused on others, and on our role and status
When we’re not engaged in some kind of exchange, we’re often thinking about them
14© The BestWork People 2012
Social Pain and Social Pleasure
= Powerful brain chemicalskeep us oriented to sociality:
how we connect and contribute is crucial to how we feel
A broken heart is like a broken leg. Mentoring tastes like sex and chocolate
Matthew Lieberman and Naomi Eisenberg, UCLA Social Cognitive Neuroscience Lab
15© The BestWork People 2012
We decline quickly when excluded
© Matthew Lieberman, UCLA, 200816
At its best, the human brain is capable of extraordinary feats
To question To learn To invent To create To interpret To communicate To choose
17© The BestWork People 2012
© Kevin Ochsner, Columbia University, 2008
18
Questions for our time
What puts people in shape for ongoing learning and change?
To thrive in a shifting environment?
To age gracefully and enjoy new stages of life?
To minimize suffering around change, and seize opportunities to contribute more?
19© The BestWork People 2012
CHALLENGES FOR SUSTAINED HIGH PERFORMANCE
20© The BestWork People 2012
We ‘think’ well under optimal conditions
Not when we feel rejected, unappreciated or unloved
Not when we assess risk or experience ambiguity
Not unless the arousal chemicals and neuro-modulators are “just right”
Not when we haven’t had enough rest and exercise
Not when we multi-task
21© The BestWork People 2012
The Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) – the executive function of the brain – is fragile
© Amy F. T. Arnsten, PhD, Yale University, 2009
22
© Amy F. T. Arnsten, PhD, Yale University, 2009
23
25© Amy F. T. Arnsten, PhD, Yale University, 2009
24
© Amy F. T. Arnsten, PhD, Yale University, 2009
25
The brain is bilateral
The corpus callosum is a large bundle of nerves - a very important structure that connects the two sides of the brain
It’s exceptionally sensitive to stress.
When stressed, the two halves don’t communicate – we lose mental dexterity
© The BestWork People 201226
© The BestWork People 2012
Ingenuity, innovation, learning and dexterity require both sides of the
brain
Using a tool we know, like a hammer, lights up an area just above and behind the left ear: Wernicke’s area
Devising a new way to use it lights up just above and behind the right ear
27
The uncertainty of modern life generates constant stress
Every day, modern business demands new exchanges, presents new people, new problems and opportunities, new information
In our daily lives, each of us is personally challenged to demonstrate our economic worth, establish our social status, sort huge amounts information, learn new tools and processes, maintain connections that fulfill our hearts and minds, and reassure us that we make a difference, and find ways to care for our bodies and our loved ones
© The BestWork People 201228
Exchanging with others - the lifeblood of human society – has become stressful
We’re in frequent contact with people and cultures we don’t know – we don’t know what to expect
Our environment changes quickly: technologically, economically, socially, and sometimes politically, climatically
Peoples’ concerns shift in response
New variables often call for new exchanges
© The BestWork People 201229
Ongoing stress reduces intelligence and drives chronic illness
Organizations, schools, families, communities could learn to work with a brain that is:
Naturally inclined to avoid uncertainty, unless it’s in the form of playHighly sensitive to social stress, disadvantaged working in a world bigger than our childhood ‘tribe’Working memory is small and easily tired Stress reduces executive function intelligenceMulti-tasking dumbs us downPart of a system designed for a great deal of movement
© The BestWork People 201230
Thriving in a world where peoples’ concerns are continually shifting
That demands: Courage - To question - To take in ‘unwelcome’ news - To risk something new Fitness - To be nimble and responsive to a changing world
Requires staying curious about new exchanges
We’re challenged to learn a new kind of vitality for the modern age
© The BestWork People 201231
?
HOW TO PROMOTE VITALITY
© The BestWork People 201232
Vitality is systemic The drivers are interconnected
Personal Vitality Keep building new neural
pathways – be a learner, a graceful beginner Spark and feed curiosity Rest deeply and often Find pleasurable ways to
move Love and contribute Laugh and play Enjoy all 5 senses
Enterprise Vitality Keep building new neural
pathways – design your culture around learning and inquiry Spark and feed curiosity Encourage rest and
rejuvenation Promote enjoyable exercise Celebrate caring and
contribution Reward laughter and play Employ all 5 senses
All are required to sustain vitality
© The BestWork People 201233
Boosting personal vitality
Remember that the drivers are interconnected Use all of them
© The BestWork People 201234
Get smart about your personal habits
Keep building new neural pathways (cultivate Neuroplasticity)
- Choose something new to learn every year
- Vary your exercise; find new ways to move and play
- Use brain teasers or guided brain fitness products Spark and feed curiosity
- Avoid multi-tasking and information overload Rest deeply and often Move – exercise at least 3x week for 45 min – keep experimenting, find
what’s most pleasurable Love and Contribute
- Stay connected to people you care about; include others and be included
Laugh and play Enjoy all 5 senses
© The BestWork People 2012
35
Are you a graceful beginner? Willing and able to enjoy learning?
36© The BestWork People 2012
Are you engaging with others who share your deepest concerns?
37© The BestWork People 2012
Are you challenging and expandingyour abilities?
38© The BestWork People 2012
How often are you really resting?
39 © The BestWork People 2012
What about laughter and play?
40© The BestWork People 2012
It all works together
The island where people forget to die?
There’s no 24/7 on Ikaria, but unlike a ‘modern’ island 3 miles away, everyone socializes with local wine, walks up and down hills to collects wild food, and enjoys living on and on…
Source: NY Times, October 24, 2012
© The BestWork People 201241
Boosting enterprise vitality
Remember that the drivers are interconnected Employ all of them
© The BestWork People 201242
Get smart about your work environment
Promote Neuroplasticity - Rotate the job of sparking meetings with a kush ball exercise, a brain teaser, a challenge about someone else’s business
Reward learning, honor beginners Stimulate ingenuity by keeping stakeholder
vulnerability top of mind: fresh stories about customers, users, strategic allies…
Take stress reduction seriously Make resting cool; make multi-tasking and emails
between 7 pm and 7 am highly uncool Neutralize status with inclusive, collaborative inquiry Celebrate the pleasure of working together, and the
many styles of learning and working© The BestWork People 2012
43
High-performing enterprise cultures are based in inquiry
Promotes inclusion Neutralizes status Provokes curiosity Encourages neuroplasticity Cultivates learning and responsiveness to change
?
© The BestWork People 201244
Generate the experience of belonging
Create inclusion with play
Create inclusion with sincere questions
Encourage gratitude
© The BestWork People 201245
Cultivate curiosity and learning
© The BestWork People 201246
What makes a question powerful?
Provokes curiosity Introduces a new
interpretation, label, graphic, sound…
Focuses on genuine vulnerability
Opens possibilities for contributing
A good question is a pleasure and an opportunity
© The BestWork People 201247
Change is integral to modern work
A modern productive worker is someone who does a great job in figuring out what to do next. Seth Godin 10/15/12
Unfortunately, the imperative to continually generate new value sources ongoing stress
Thriving cultures ensure that stress relief is as important as seizing opportunity
© The BestWork People 201248
Designing new value is a natural pleasure for an unstressed PFC
Interpreting vulnerability
Identifying opportunity
Devising ingenious ways to use resources
Driving innovation
© The BestWork People 201249
Environments at the forefront of ingenuity and responsiveness
Twitter has a rooftop garden with turquoise couches
Dropbox has a music room Skype has a pool and
foosball room Facebook has treadmill
desks Airbnb has a nap room
and communal tables where employees eat lunch together
YouTube’s indoor slide
Source: The Atlantic, December 2012
© The BestWork People 201250
Minimizing stress is a competitive move
Essential for enabling employees to respond effectively to a changing environment
The task requires investing in innovative management and infrastructure
The payoff is big: not only will it make people smarter and able to learn, it will reduce your health care costs
© The BestWork People 201251
Building a low-stress environment involves some departures from
tradition
Rest – 3 naps a week optimizes brain function and overall health. Create a nap room?
Social inclusion – play and questions . A play room is just a start. Bring in juggling and clown classes?
New forms of exercise. Make stairwells interesting? Bring in Zumba, Irish dancing…?
Pauses for guided breathing?
Check out what market leaders are doing to ensure people are in great shape:
Zappos has a gratitude board
Warby Parker asks potential hires about their favorite Halloween costume
© The BestWork People 201252
Smart management practices make everyone smarter
Neutralize status by articulating your most important questions and challenges. Foster inclusion with open invitations to address them
Decrease ambiguity as much as possible. Use fresh graphics and terms to focus challenges. Invent good metrics to track improvement
Be a good role model for rejuvenation. Integrate rest, physical activity, and genuine fun into your environment
Share your personal learning Reduce information overload Make multi-tasking a thing of the past
© The BestWork People 201253
CONCLUSION
© The BestWork People 201254
Whether you’re in business or not…
You’ll win by being a source of fresh, rich exchanges
What would your world be like if exchanging with you was the richest experience of peoples’ day…week…?
Embrace the demands of vitality: when the body is rested and PFC is not stressed, people can design and fully partner in any challenge.. In fact, they love it, and you will too
© The BestWork People 201255
Curiosity is the silver bullet
© The BestWork People 201256
Connection and contribution are the lifeblood
© The BestWork People 201257
Exercise, play and rest are foundational
© The BestWork People 201258
Ongoing stress is the killer
© The BestWork People 201259
What is possible in life and in commerce is determined by what
the brain can doUnderstanding how it all works may enable us to navigate through another big change in the weather
© The BestWork People 201260
Brain fitness powers personal and enterprise vitality
New forms of fun, exercise and moving Sincere questions, genuine vulnerability Fresh labels and graphics Breaks and rest Multiple senses: pictures, sound… Experience of belonging
Concerns for status Multi-tasking Fatigue Stress Danger/risk/rejection Ambiguity/change Information overload
Enable with: Impair with:
© The BestWork People 201261
What will you do differently tomorrow?
How will you make yourself and others
smarter - more responsive to change and open
to learning?
© The BestWork People 201262
What might be possible if you could leverage the brain’s powerful
wiring?
© The BestWork People 201263
With gratitude for the thinkers, teachers, and researchers who illuminated the path
Marsha Shenk is one of the pioneers of Business Anthropology. Her models have empowered business leaders for more than three decades.
Synthesizing insights from Neuroscience, Linguistics, Somatics, social sciences and business, her work simplifies the complex cultural, biological, and historical forces that determine the success of modern enterprises.
www.BestWork.biz http://twitter.com/marshashenk
© The BestWork People 201264