behavioral science of a high-performance culture
TRANSCRIPT
Twowaysyoushapeyourculture
SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_
1. Thewayyouencourage‘good’behavior
2. Yourresponseto‘bad’behavior
“EvenquitemildacuteuncontrollablestresscancausearapidanddramaOclossofprefrontalcogniOve
abiliOes”AmyArnsten(2009),Stresssignallingpathwaysthatimpairprefrontalcortexstructureandfunc2on,NatureReviewsNeuroscience10,410-422
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
SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_
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
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_
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
#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.
#5:Tohelppeopletackledifficultorcomplextasks,useaposi2veframingques2on
• “Whenhaveyou/wepreviouslysolvedsomethinglikethis?Lookingatwhatworkedthen,whatdoesthatsuggestyou/wedonow?”
• “Wherearethingsworkingwell?Whatcanyou/welearnfromthat?”
• “What’stheidealoutcomehere?Andwhat’s(y)ourveryfirststeptowardthat?”
SEVENSHIFT @caroline_webb_
Thinkofachallengingtopicyou’reworkingonrightnow.Inpairs,askeachotheroneormoreoftheseques2ons: