HOWTOHARNESSBEHAVIORALSCIENCEINBUILDINGAPOSITIVECULTURE

SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_

SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_

Whattypeofstrategicallydis2nc2vebehaviordoyouespeciallywanttoencourage?

Twowaysyoushapeyourculture

SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_

1. Thewayyouencourage‘good’behavior

2. Yourresponseto‘bad’behavior

Today’scentralscien2ficidea:thediscover-defendaxis

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Wedefendourselvesagainstpoten2althreats

SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_

Weseekto

discoverandenjoyrewards

“EvenquitemildacuteuncontrollablestresscancausearapidanddramaOclossofprefrontalcogniOve

abiliOes”AmyArnsten(2009),Stresssignallingpathwaysthatimpairprefrontalcortexstructureandfunc2on,NatureReviewsNeuroscience10,410-422

SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_

Soit’shardtobeatourbestindefensivemode

SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_

SEVENSHIFT

Self:CompetenceAutonomyPurposeSecurity

Social:FairnessInclusionRespect

Increasethesetocreateareward

@caroline_webb_

InformaOon:LearningCertainty

SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_

Decreasethemtocreate

athreat

Self:IncompetentTrappedPointlessInsecure

Social:Unfairlytreated

ExcludedDisrespected

InformaOon:Bored

Uncertain

SEVENSHIFT

Self:IncompetentTrappedPointlessInsecure

Social:Unfair

ExcludedDisrespected

@caroline_webb_

InformaOon:Bored

Uncertain

Thinkaboutasitua2onwhenyouwerestressedoutandnotatyourcogni2veoremo2onalbest.1.  Whathappenedtoyourcapacityforreasoning,self-control

andforwardthinking?

2.  WhatwaspushingyourbuYons?Whichofthecommontriggerswasposingasubtlethreattoyourbrain?

Twowaysyoushapeyourculture

SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_

1.  Thewayyouencourage‘good’behavior

2. Yourresponseto‘bad’behavior

SEVENSHIFT

Self:CompetenceAutonomyPurposeSecurity

Social:FairnessInclusionRespect

Whatsmallstepscouldyoutaketoboosttheserewards?

@caroline_webb_

InformaOon:LearningCertainty

Foryourself Forteammates

SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_

AppreciaOonfeedsseveralcentralneeds,includingcompetenceandrespect–sokeepitflowing

SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_

“Stronger”neuralconnec2onsmeanlearningNeuralconnec2onsstrengthenwithrepeOOonThebraintendstorepeatwhat’srewarding

SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_

We’remoresensi2vetothreatsthanrewards,andprocesstangiblethingsmoreeasilythanabstrac2ons...soapprecia2onneedstobespecificandconcrete

“You’redoinggreat!Now,herearesomesugges2ons…1.....2.....3.....”

Whattheyhear:“therearethreethingsyoushoulddobeYer…”

“WhatIreallylikedaboutthatwasthatyoudidX,whichmeantY,withtheeffectthatZhappened….Whatwouldmakemelikeitevenmoreis…”

Whattheyhear:“youdidsomethinggoodthatyoushouldrepeat.Here’showtogoevenfurther…”

Brain-friendlyapproachClassicapproach

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Dopeoplepersonallygetwhytheyshouldbehave

acertainway?

‘Ihearstoriesthatmakeitobviouswhyit’sagreatideatobehavethisway’

Areyouyourselfvisiblyrolemodelingthisbehavior?

‘IseethepeopleIrespectdoingexactlywhatI’mbeingaskedtodo’

Doyoursystemsandprocessesencourage

thisbehavior?

‘Ourwaysofworkingmakeiteasyandappealingto

behavethisway’

Dopeoplereallyknowhowtodowhatyou’reaskingthemtodo?

‘Igetfeedbackandcoachingthathelpsmedeveloptheabilitytobehavethisway’

Therearethingsyoucandotoreinforcethebehavioryouwanttoseeatacompany-widelevel

Twowaysyoushapeyourculture

SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_

1. Thewayyouencourage‘good’behavior

2.  Yourresponseto‘bad’behavior

Mostbadbehavioristheresultofsomeone’sbrainbeingonthedefensive

SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_

SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_

Self:CompetenceAutonomyPurposeSecurity

Social:FairnessInclusionRespect

InformaOon:LearningCertainty

Anyofthesetakenahit?

Selec@veaAen@onmeansmuchofwhat’saroundusgetsautoma2cally,

subconsciouslyfilteredoutbyourbrains

SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_

Ourbraindirectsourlimitedconsciousa]enOontothingsthatmatchouraims,a_tudeandassumpOons

SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_

Ouremo2onsaresurprisinglycontagious,soshihingourowndemeanorcanhelp

SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_

SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_

CombatthefundamentalaAribu@onerrorbyassuming‘goodperson,badcircumstances’…

“Iwonderwhat’sputthemintodefensivemode?”

SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_

Technique#1:Tomanageyourownreac2on,trythegoodperson,badcircumstancesrou2ne

Thinkaboutsomeonewho’sbeingdifficultorhasdonesomethingannoyingrecently…1.  Comeupwithoneplausibleexplana2on,

linkedtothecommonthreattriggers.

2.  Comeupwithonesillyexplana2on.

SEVENSHIFT

Startwithanobjec2veobserva2on,withoutinterpreta2on–theninvitethemtosharewhat’sbehindit:“Ino&cedthatyou[frownedwhenIsaidX/haven’trepliedtomyemail/etc].MayIaskwhat’sonyourmind?”Recognizetheirreac2on,withoutjudgingit.Theymaycorrectyourwording–that’sOK.Star2ngwith“sorry”isapowerfulwaytoshowsympathy,evenifit’snotyourfault.“I’msorry,thatmustbechallenging/frustra&ng/worrying.”Offerhelptogetthemthinkingaboutsolu2ons,evenifthere’snothingyoucanreallydoexceptlisten.“IsthereanythingI(oranyoneelse)candotohelp?”

#2:Toreducedefensivenessandunblockthesitua2on,trythenoOce-acknowledge-offerrou2ne

@caroline_webb_

NoOce

Acknowledge

Offer

SEVENSHIFT

Classicthreateningsitua2ons:disagreementsandcri2cism

@caroline_webb_

SEVENSHIFT

#3:Tohandleoutrightdisagreements,trythe“commonground”method

@caroline_webb_

Step1:Describetheotherperson’spointofviewasifyoureallylikeit.Beascompellingandgenerousasyoucan.Step2:IdenOfyallthethingsyouagreeon.Recognizingtheareaswhereyoudoagreereduceseveryone’sdefensiveness.Step3:Isolateandunderstandthetruedisagreement.Definepreciselywhereyoudiffer.Thenask:“Whydoweeachfeelorthinkdifferentlyaboutthisspecificissue?”Step4:Explorehowbothofyoucouldbecorrect.Ask:“Isthereanywaythatbothofourperspec2vescouldbesomehowcorrect?”e.g.indifferentsitua2ons?Step5:Whatcanyoudonow,basedonyourcommonground?Theprospectofprogressmakesiteasiertoresolveoracceptwhateverislehonthetable.

SEVENSHIFT

#4:Toraiseadifficulttopic,trythissafeapproach:

@caroline_webb_

Step0:SetcollaboraOveintenOons.Whatdoyoureallywantforthisrela2onship?Step1:Askpermission.“Ourrela2onshipisimportanttome,andthere’ssomethingonmymind—canItalktoyouaboutit?”Step2:Describewhatyouobserved.Pickonesitua2onanddescribethefacts.Noemo2on,interpreta2on,orgeneraliza2on:“WhatIno2cedwas[fact,fact,fact].”Step3:Sayhowthefactsmadeyoufeel.Next,describethewaytheperson’sbehaviormadeyoufeel.Addasincereexplana2onofwhythismaYerstoyou.Step4:Askfortheotherperson’sperspecOve.Weneverhavethewholepictureinanysitua2on.Don’tforgettoask:“Howdoyouseeit?”AndlistenaYen2vely.Step5:DosomecollaboraOveproblem-solving.DecidetogetherhowtomakethingsbeYer.Askthemfortheirthoughtsfirst,andthenbuildontheirsugges2ons.

FramingdifficulttasksposiOvelyhelpsthebrainstayindiscoverymode

SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_

#5:Tohelppeopletackledifficultorcomplextasks,useaposi2veframingques2on

•  “Whenhaveyou/wepreviouslysolvedsomethinglikethis?Lookingatwhatworkedthen,whatdoesthatsuggestyou/wedonow?”

•  “Wherearethingsworkingwell?Whatcanyou/welearnfromthat?”

•  “What’stheidealoutcomehere?Andwhat’s(y)ourveryfirststeptowardthat?”

SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_

Thinkofachallengingtopicyou’reworkingonrightnow.Inpairs,askeachotheroneormoreoftheseques2ons:

SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_

SEVEN SHIFT Caroline Webb

STAYINTOUCHcarolinewebb.co

@caroline_webb_

facebook.com/CarolineWebbAuthor

SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_