YOUR BRAIN AT WORK BY DAVID ROCK
WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT
David Rock takes the reader on several journeys through their own neuro-circuitry to discover how our brains deal with the world around them. There are a plethora of insights in here, from the limits of working memory, to the physical effects of emotional events. David Rock uses a narrative to draw together a framework of the five things that are most important to us in life - Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness and Fairness. This SCARF model can be applied to every interaction we have in life.
FIVE KEY TAKEAWAYS:
1. The SCARF model. We instinctively move towards rewards and away from threats - but the away reponse is far stronger than the toward response. We will move away from threats to our relative status, for example. The components of the model could be five takeaways and a reader will have gained so much from the book.
2. The usefulness of working memory, and how distractions affect our ability to concentrate. Spoiler: you can’t multitask very well.
3. Everything you perceive is filtered before you absorb it. You have non-conscious filters that determine how you respond to everything around you without you being aware of it - but you can make a decision about your actions that overrides your initial responses.
4. We are constantly affected by - and affecting - the emotions of those around us. We unconsciously mirror the perceived emotions of others in a group. You can use this to help lift a tense mood.
5. Emotional pain is physical pain, and emotional threats are physical threats. We don’t have separate neural pathways to deal with pain. Sticks and stones may break my bones, and words will hurt too, using the same brain chemistry and neural networks as the physical injuries.
THINGS TO GUIDE A NEW LEADER:
Remember that a threat to status - me big, you small - is perceived by our brain as a physical danger. Our cognitive processes close down in order to prepare for a fight or to flee. If you start a conversation in a manner that highlights a difference in status, it’s already going to be an uphill battle. The words “can I give you some feedback” will provoke a reaction that makes the recipient anxious.
THINGS TO REMIND AN EXPERIENCED LEADER:
Advising people out of a problem is rarely as effective as we want it to be - or expect it to be. Our individual perception of problems, our desire for autonomy, and a desire to be right all combine to undermine the effectiveness of advice-giving. Instead, we are better off helping people solve their own problems, even though it’s rarely easy to do. It’s hard to avoid giving advice because it’s so easy, and our brains are hard wired for ease over effective.
THE QUOTE I’D TWEET:
A feeling of being less than other people activates the same brain regions as physical pain.
3 THINGS TO PUT INTO PRACTICE:
1. Remind yourself often of the SCARF model. People will naturally move away from any perceived threat to status, so if you want real engagement with others, reinforce their sense of importance and bolster their self-worth.
2. This book explains why Tim Ferriss’s ‘fear-setting’ works so well. Our brains are prediction engines, and fear of the unknown threatens us. By giving voice to our fears and acknowledging them, we can decrease uncertainty and dampen our ‘away’ response. Google fear setting for more.
3. Find a way to focus on one thing at a time. Distractions literally make you dumber. You can’t multi-task, and the dopamine hit from your phone is making your decisions questionable.
INSPIRED READING
Quiet Leadership by David Rock. This book was so good, I had to read his other one!