It is nice to see that corporate training is beginning to catch up with
what academia has been researching and implementing for many years now, namely,
how brain research can make better learners and increase productivity. Michael Vaughn's article FiveWays to Use Brain Science to Become a Better Leader (Chief Learning
Officer, March 2014, p.36) is a very worthwhile read for anyone in a leadership
position. Here is a quick summary.
Five Ways to Become a Better Leader
FAIRNESS: Being fair is better that being right.
Researchers have discovered that when treating people unfairly, the brain
(amygdala) processes these negative emotions to a deep and lasting degree.
Leaders who create feelings of unfairness in employees lessen their
relationship, respect, acceptance and sense of equality.
SOCIAL: Introvert or extrovert does not matter; social interaction does.
Our brains are social. We need goals and interaction, which promotes these
outputs. In contrast, most workplace cultures demand improved results over
improved social interactions. The negative consequence over time is that
"even the high performers will feel devalued, less secure or even unfairly
treated."
SLEEP: The brain needs sleep.
There are still lots of debate, but during sleep, many brain researchers
believe that we "consolidate memories, make new connections, conserve
energy and unconsciously chip away at problems." If Thomas Edison had
slept more, he likely would have made fewer mistakes, and therefore, would have
been even more productive.
ATTENTION: Stop multitasking; focus on one task.
Stanford University brain researchers and other researchers have well
established the superiority of focusing on a single task rather than
multitasking. "When task compete for the same mental resources, the
quality of results of all tasks diminishes." Multitaskers will likely
experience decline in energy and quality of thought.
PREDICTING: We are wired to predict, but keep perspectives open.
Our
brain is busy predicting when we try to make sense of something regarding its
outcome. Most predictions, however, are inaccurate or incomplete. Michael
Vaughn suggests, “If leaders hold on to predictions, it may stop them from
seeking new perspectives.”
