There is no doubt there is a surge in leaders harnessing the power of neuroscience in the workplace to improve teamwork.  The flexibility and possibilities opened up by the study of our brains mean improving performance through development is a reality.

Principles of Neuroscience in The Workplace

Eric Kandel is a neuropsychiatrist from Germany.   In 2000, he received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his research on the physiological basis of memory storage in neurons.  Kandel’s work is widely used in the application of neuroscience.   Here is my summary of his 5 principles.

  1. The brain function determines all conscious and unconscious cognitive actions which we associate with human behaviour.
  2. Genes are determinants of the interconnections between neurons in the brain and exert some control over behaviour.
  3. Learning can produce alterations in gene expression.
  4. Alterations in gene expression change the pattern of Neuronal connections, and so can change behaviour.
  5. Counselling or learning can strengthen the changes in the pattern of connections and the structure of the brain.

Neuroscience is the big buzzword flying around in business for a few years now.  It is a perplexing subject unless you’re fully conversant with the terminology.  The underpinning benefit of using neuroscience in the workplace is to get your employees to use their brains in ways that help them engage, thrive and create.  This means considering new ways to tackle traditional systems or cultures in the workplace.

What follows is my take on how you can make changes which will bring out the best in people, by using breakthrough findings in neuroscience.

Neuroscience And Language

Changing the language we use to tell our organisational story and the narrative is key to influencing how our employees and customers think and feel about our business. From the perspective of neuroscience, story-telling alters and reorganises our inner dialogue.

In my interview with Sir Richard Branson. His advice when asked about what his single piece of advice for CEOs and business leaders, was “to create something that everybody who works for you is proud of.  If you wove that principle as a starter for 10 into every communication, then the language and story about your business will tell a story of success and meaning.

If the language you use in your business isn’t changing the way your people think and feel about the business positively, it needs to be changed.

The Brain And The Language We Use

The language we use in the workplace significantly affects our brain function and overall performance. This is due to its deep connection with our cognitive processes, emotions, and social interactions. When we change the language we use to tell our story, various neural networks in the brain are activated. These include Broca’s Area for speech production and language comprehension, Wernicke’s Area for understanding language, and the Angular Gyrus and Supramarginal Gyrus for reading, writing, and semantic processing. This engagement of different brain regions helps us adapt to new linguistic patterns. It enhances our cognitive flexibility and executive function, involving areas like the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex and Anterior Cingulate Cortex. These areas are crucial for problem-solving and adapting to new situations.

Positive and constructive language can reduce stress by lowering cortisol levels and enhancing neuroplasticity, promoting a healthier and more productive work environment.

Neuroscience And Activities/Games

Fi Hills of Cafe Style Speed Training has nailed the importance of using fun, games and activities to accelerate team and individual learning.  Short and specific games contribute to experiential learning. This means learning changes our perception, raises awareness and increases emotional intelligence.

Action learning and experiential learning are essential for building new pathways of thought and emotion.  Experiential learning will change behaviour in a way that no information or knowledge-based learning will.

The Brain And Activities/Games

The activities and games we engage in at work can significantly affect our brain function and overall performance. These activities stimulate various neural networks, enhancing cognitive flexibility and executive function. Engaging in different tasks activates areas like the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex, crucial for problem-solving and adapting to new situations.

Activities and games also impact our emotional regulation and social interaction. They influence the amygdala for emotion processing and the prefrontal cortex for managing responses. Effective team games rely on mirror neurons for empathy and understanding and the theory of mind for attributing mental states to others. Positive interactions in games can reduce stress and enhance neuroplasticity, promoting a healthier work environment.

Using Logical levels to instigate change

Robert Dilts an NLP practitioner, developed a hierarchy of cognitive levels of processes within an individual or group.  I’ve used the levels extensively in my coaching practice.  Briefly, the levels are:

  1. Spirituality – Ultimate purpose or meaning in life
  2. Identity – Who I am
  3. Belief System – Values and beliefs about the world
  4. Capabilities – Skills and abilities
  5. Behaviours – What I do, how I act and react
  6. Environment – The world about us, culture, physical environment

So many times, businesses attempt to instigate change at levels 4, 5 and 6. They do this without even beginning to consider levels 1, 2 and 3. As a result, businesses wonder why change is slow.  When you start off defining a purpose, identify beliefs about individuals and the organisation. Then change can be swift and significant.

Using this methodology with one client who was despairing about the ability of her team, just 12 months after working on those top levels, demonstrated the strength of this method. She told me “I now have a super team, a team I never dreamed I would ever be able to create”.

The Brain And Logical Levels

Using Dilts’ Logical Levels changes the brain by engaging various neural networks that enhance cognitive flexibility and executive function. When we address different levels such as environment, behaviour, capabilities, beliefs, identity, and purpose, we activate regions like the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex. These areas are crucial for problem-solving, adapting to new situations, and integrating complex information, leading to improved decision-making and cognitive agility.

Developing emotional intelligence

Help people to acknowledge and express their feelings appropriately at work.  This can be helped by an open-minded leader or manager who will demonstrate acceptance and understanding.  Often, how people feel can be ignored in the workplace.

Emotional intelligence can be developed at work in several ways, for example,  when change is happening, give people a forum to be able to express how they feel.  This can help people voice their discontent in empowering ways and raise awareness about conflict resolution and techniques to counter stress and stressful situations.

The Brain And Emotional Intelligence

The brain learns emotional intelligence through the integration of various neural networks responsible for emotion processing, regulation, and social interaction. Key regions involved include the amygdala, which processes emotions like fear and pleasure, and the prefrontal cortex, which moderates these emotional responses and is essential for decision-making and social behaviour. When we learn to recognize and manage our emotions, these areas of the brain become more interconnected and efficient, enhancing our ability to respond to emotional situations thoughtfully rather than reactively.

Developing positive thinking

This is not about being PollyAnna, it is about genuinely creating a positive environment, where hope, success, creativity and solution orientation are at the fore of individual and organizational thinking.  You can achieve a positive thinking culture by developing strategies including a “no-blame” culture, celebrating success and overcoming negative influences.

This doesn’t mean glossing over problems and issues, and it doesn’t mean being “realistic” and focusing on the negative. It is about reframing “what is”, to “wanted” and “not wanted” and then finding strategies to improve as an opportunity to learn.

The Brain And Positive Thinking

To practice positive thinking, the brain must shift its neural activity towards regions associated with optimism and resilience. This involves the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for higher-order thinking and decision-making, and the amygdala, which processes emotions. By consciously focusing on positive thoughts and reframing negative experiences, the prefrontal cortex can modulate the amygdala’s response, reducing the impact of stress and negative emotions. This shift requires the brain to form new neural connections, reinforcing patterns of positive thinking through neuroplasticity.

Regularly practising positive thinking strengthens these neural pathways, making it easier for the brain to default to a positive outlook. This process involves the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which enhance mood and promote feelings of well-being. Over time, this rewiring of the brain can lead to lasting changes in how we perceive and react to situations, fostering a more optimistic and resilient mindset. Engaging in activities like mindfulness, gratitude journaling, and positive affirmations can support this cognitive shift, helping the brain to develop a habit of positive thinking.

Motivating and engaging

Helping develop purpose and meaning for individuals and teams alike, using the interventions above cannot help but motivate and engage others.  As a result, helping people to articulate their own story of purpose, meaning and what gives them a buzz is essential.

While it’s imperative to articulate the purpose and meaning of your business. Unless individuals can relate to it, then it won’t motivate and engage.  It’s clear, that people need to think and feel they are making a difference, they matter, and they belong to the team/organisation.  If those neural pathways and connections are not made, there is a danger of disengagement and mediocre performance.

The Brain and Motivation And Engagement

The brain achieves motivation and engagement through a complex interplay of neural circuits and neurotransmitters. Central to this process is the brain’s reward system, primarily involving the ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens, and prefrontal cortex. When we set and pursue goals, the VTA releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter that signals pleasure and reward. This dopamine release stimulates the nucleus accumbens, creating a sense of satisfaction and reinforcing behaviours that lead to goal achievement. The prefrontal cortex, responsible for planning and decision-making, integrates these signals, helping us stay focused and motivated.

Engagement, on the other hand, is facilitated by the brain’s ability to find meaning and interest in activities. The prefrontal cortex plays a crucial role here, as it evaluates tasks and determines their relevance to our goals and values. When we perceive an activity as meaningful or intrinsically rewarding, the brain’s default mode network (DMN) becomes less active, and the task-positive network (TPN) becomes more engaged. This shift allows for better concentration and immersion in the task at hand. Additionally, the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, released by the locus coeruleus, enhances alertness and cognitive function, further supporting sustained engagement and motivation. Through these neural mechanisms, the brain continually adapts and reinforces behaviours that align with our goals and interests.

So there are some ideas for using neuroscience in the workplace to improve teamwork.  The possibilities are endless.

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I help leaders develop self- mastery, helping them to become confident in their own inner guidance.

I collaborate with leadership experts, managers and HR professionals to help them get their own message and unique services and products to a wide audience.

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