SCARF & Leading with the Brain in

Mind

“In a world of increasing interconnectedness and rapid change, there Is a growing need to improve the way people work together.

Understanding the true drivers of Human behavior is becoming even more urgent in this environment”

Neuroscience Research: The Brain is a Social Organ

Social Neuroscience Research

UCLA (Naomi Eisenberger) dodgeball/avatar experiment Social needs treated in the brain much the same way as

the need for food and water (survival) When people felt excluded= activity in the dorsal

portion activated (MRI) provoking the same sort of reaction that physical pain might cause.

Brain will label good/bad and trigger either approach/avoid within seconds.

Much of motivation governed by 2 things….

Minimizing threat, maximizing reward

We’re making a decision about good or bad all the time.

Safe or unsafe?

Ton of research in the last 10 years= the things that create the strongest threats and rewards are social.

Triggers brains primary threat and reward center Left out=same reaction as putting hand on hot plate

(Pic here) Why we get so addicted to social media.

Threat or Reward…

…a neurological and largely unconscious mechanism that governs a great deal of human behavior

Encounter!-limbic system aroused-”Mission central…” survival systems Activate neurons! Release hormones! Friend or foe???? Danger? Hijack! Emotional overwhelm…CALL TO ACTION!! HOW LONG DOES THIS ALL TAKE?

The Threat and Reward Response

Easy to see how this helped us out a million years ago, but what are the things we react to now?

Research suggests:

The same neural responses that drive us towards food or away from predators are triggered by our perception of the way we are treated by other people

More intense and longer lasting!

Big reframe of the role that social drivers play in influencing how humans behave

Being hungry=being ostricized, similar neural responses.

Social needs=survival!

Challenge to leaders

Enormous! People who feel betrayed or unrecognized at work People who are reprimanded Given an assignment that seems unworthy Pay cut Performance Reviews

Experience this as a neural event, a powerful, painful blow Become transactional, Impact on engagement, commitment,

retention when it’s perceived social context getting in their way.

The threat or avoid response is not ideal for collaborating with and influencing others

The modern workplace and the hypervigilent amygdala

A boss undermines the credibility of an employee, or perhaps just didn’t smile…. Perceived threat Resources and executive functions in prefrontal cortex decrease Less oxygen and glucose available More mistakes, defaulting to generalizations Less ability to solve complex problems

Reduced cognitive performance and ability to take risks Decision making Stress management Collaboration Motivation

….more?

The “approach” response is synonymous with the idea of engagement

Engagement: (Approach)

Ability to do difficult things

Safety to take Risks

Think deeply about issues

Develop new solutions

Dopamine: critical for interest and learning

IMPLICATIONS FOR LEADERS

Intentionally address the social brain in the service of optimal performance

A distinguishing leadership capability in the years ahead

The SCARF Model:

An easy way to remember the social triggers that can generate the approach and avoid responses.

To minimize threat responses

To maximize positive engaged states of mind

To influence others

Maximize rewards inherent in everyday experience

Helps understand why you can’t think clearly when you feel threatened in any of the following ways.

Focuses on the deeply social nature of the brain

STATUS: Your Relative Importance To Others

In the animal kingdom, status=survival

Higher status=lower baseline cortisol, live longer and healthier (primate studies)

Perceived loss of status: strong threat response Research, being left out of an activity, dodgeball/video game

Very easy to threaten someone’s status: Meeting expectations Body language Introductions Verbal: “We need to meet,” “Let’s take that off line.”

Certainty= Predictability

Hurricane Sandy: the feeling of uncertainty feels like pain. Holding multiple uncertainties in your head can be cognitively exhausting!

Big job of managers and leaders! Providing clarity about business plans, strategies Break down projects into small steps Establishing clear expectations Setting structure in chaos Give new hires an idea of cultural norms as they are onboarding Other?

Autonomy= Control: The sensation and freedom of having choices

The degree of control organisms can exert over their environment=level of stress and functioning

Same stressor: Inescapable=destructive Escapable=significantly less destructive Rodent studies: life and death

Subtle perception is important Not micromanaging Giving choices, decision making capabilities Setting up desks, working hours

Relatedness: Friend or Foe?

The amygdala and meeting someone new (in group/out group?) Foe until proven friend (unless really attractive or you are drinking)

In the absence of safe social interactions, the body generates a threat response (life and death)

Tribes and Sense of belonging formed in organizations

Gallup studies: “I have a best friend at work.”

The need for safe human contact is a primary driver (food).

Competitor or friend (empathy)

Closely related to trust, collaboration, empathy, sharing of information Share personal aspects of yourselves via stories, photos Water-cooler conversations Buddy systems, mentoring or coaching programs

Fairness

Threat response can be triggered easily Favoritism: “He has a different

set of rules for Sarah.” Incongruity: “We have layoffs,

but they just bought new laptops for the Executives.”

Create through: Increase transparency Allowing teams to establish rules, initiatives

Self directed teams

Challenging Implications:

If you’re the boss, you trigger a threat response by simply walking in the room. Triple threat: Status: You “rank” higher Certainty: What now? Autonomy: You have more power Fairness: You earn more

(Pic)

What leaders can do:

Create shared goals, “in group” mentality

Work on certainty and autonomy to make sure your establishing clear expectations

Play down status, “link” rather than rank. Meet people where they are

Fairness: be more transparent

Relatedness: build mutual respect, shared goals, and insuring there is a feeling of being valued and on the same team

Set the stage for even informal meetings. Pace, listening skills key

Steps you can take to increase positivity:

Education and Training: Use interest, focus on how people are improving (increasing sense of status)

Create a Coaching Culture: Personal and Executive Coaching can increase all five SCARF domains.

Leadership Development: how to impact each area positively through igniting an approach response

Organizational Systems: Reward systems more creative ways of motivating that are cheaper but also more sustainable.

Performance Reviews: Train and revise how they are conducted

Interviews: Pre-define, speak first, give information, set the environment

Leaders are cultural architects and environmental agents

Culture: Unique identity: the full "expression" of the unique of "authentic" self Gallup: People leave Managers more than they leave

companies

Knowing how to bring out the best in people establishes positive, thriving cultures.

SCARF is about the neurobiology of trust, teamwork and collaboration

Bibliographies

Naomi Eisenberger, UCLA, Computer/Cyberball game

Primate StudiesMichael Marmot: The Status Syndrom: How Social Standing Affects Our Health ad Longevity.

Sapotski, 2002

Eisenberger et al., 2003) video game/status study

Autonomy:

(Dworkin et al, 1995)

Adam Bryan: Interview with David Rock“A Boss’s Challenge: Have Everyone Join in the ‘In’ Group, The New York Times, March 24, 2013