The carrot, the neuroscientist & the PR

What’s the best way to optimise performance in a crisis?

Stick or carrot? Over the years there has been much debate about the merits and drawbacks of each approach. One side of the debate argues that a supportive, collaborative approach works best and the other that applying some pressure is an effective way to drive performance improvements when it really matters. But, what do the scientists tell us?

Developments in the technology used to scan the 80-million brain cells we each have and ‘neuroscience’ – the biology of nerves and tissue, and their relationship to our behaviour and learning – provide some valuable insight.

The science bit…

If your organisation is facing a crisis or dealing with a business critical issue, your team will almost certainly feel emotional stress, a lack of control and some degree of uncertainty. They feel threatened by the situation. When threatened, the brain – or to be more specific the amygdala – releases cortisol and that has some unfortunate side effects when it comes to workplace performance.

Cortisol decreases immunity, affects memory and impairs learning. It makes the individual less efficient, less effective and less productive. It impairs creative insight, thinking and problem solving abilities, and ultimately it makes it harder for us to work well. So if additional pressure is placed on employees the chances are their performance will actually get worse and not better.

In contrast, when someone is rewarded – or at least supported – the brain releases dopamine.  Dopamine enables a person to engage more, to complete difficult tasks with relative ease, to take risks and to think much more effectively. Dopamine also makes us more focused, more productive and more positive.

Not surprisingly, the scientists say being supportive and working collaboratively will have a positive impact on performance whereas applying pressure will probably just make things worse.

The communications bit…

So what does this have to do with communications?

The type, frequency and importantly the style of communications implemented by you and your management team will have a significant impact on how well your employees perform when dealing with a crisis or issue.

At the most basic level, issue related communication needs to be frequent (keep the team up to date as the situation develops), clear (avoid jargon and fancy language) and above all consistent (agree the key messages you want to communicate and make sure everyone is saying the same thing).

It’s also vital to be empathetic and to remember that communication is a two-way process.  Leaders need to talk with people at all levels of their organisation, find out what challenges and concerns different individuals have, and do their best to address them. In other words, be supportive and adopt a dopamine-enhancing, supportive style of communications.

A leader also has the ability to increase levels of trust, co-operation and ultimately performance simply by asking for help and not just telling colleagues what to do – an action that amongst other things increases oxytocin production in the brain of his/her colleagues.

When oxytocin levels increase in our brains we believe someone is trustworthy.  Increasing oxytocin production in a group of people has an even bigger impact. According to the latest research, increasing oxytocin levels in groups makes it easier for people to connect, aids communication and engenders a sense of safety, all of which are important in any crisis situation.

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