[2021-05-11] Potential

A wise colleague replied to last night's post (Planting day) to suggest additional lessons from gardening: we nurture, adapt to and learn from the plants in the garden; we discover that different plants thrive in different conditions; we understand that the potential in a seed is a miracle. There are so many parallels for people, she noted.

I wish that I had thought of that. As a leader, I have found that we nurture, adapt to and learn from the people we lead; we discover that different people thrive in different conditions; and, if we are open to it, we see the potential in individuals, and that potential is a miracle.

My colleague's comment reminded me of a paper I had read years ago called The Neuroscience of Talent Management, which states that "Tapping potential is, by definition, seeing others for what they can grow to be, rather than what they are." This is the same faith we put into tiny seeds or fledgling seedlings.

Strong leaders, the paper says, encourage and support learning in their teams and provide opportunities for employees to stretch and challenge themselves. The paper argues that this is one of the most effective ways to achieve employee engagement. "Personal growth and learning are among the most engaging elements of work and are key motivators for many employees. Strengthening commitment through learning opportunities is a powerful engagement strategy."

Since the 1980s, the paper points out, scientists have known that "the brain not only continues to change, but actually regenerates and grows―throughout our entire lives." Applying this knowledge in the workplace means striving to create the conditions that enable employees to learn and grow, and thereby reach their full potential.

The Neuroscience of Talent Management also explores our need for social connectivity. Neuroscientists have discovered that social pain has the same impact on us as physical pain. So being left out of the thank-yous for a project we worked on can make us feel just as bad as falling and skinning our knee. "When we threaten a colleague’s social standing or social self perception, we inflict pain that, to the brain, feels the same as a painful physical encounter."

Neuroscientists also know that when we interact with someone who is experiencing positive emotions, we too feel good, and when we interact with someone who is experiencing negative emotions, we too feel bad. I can relate to this. Early in my cancer journey, I found it difficult to be around people who were expressing negative emotions. I just didn't have the resilience to remain upbeat in the face of complaints, or judgements, or expressed fears.

The paper also reminds us that leaders set the tone in their organizations. "The leader’s style and approach strongly influences the social environment." Appearing happy and optimistic about the future will have a positive impact on staff. Allowing stress and frustration to show will have a similarly negative effect on employees. As the paper says, "a smile begets a smile, a frown begets a frown."

Leaders who foster a sense of belonging, common purpose and inclusiveness enhance employee engagement by appealing to our need for social connections. "Social connections are a primary motivator to work. People connect with people. Strengthening social connections at work creates a sense of belonging, a network of relationships. Engagement is the end result of strong workplace connections." Perhaps this is why working from home during the pandemic has been so difficult for so many people. Many of us have lost important social connections.

I have always felt that strengthening social connections starts with recognizing others as people first and employees second. In some cases, working from home may have actually helped us to get to know our colleagues better. We see spouses and children and pets walking by as our colleagues participate in a Zoom call from their kitchen or living room. It reminds us that we all have a life outside work―and should.

Another concept discussed in the paper is that the human brain is highly adapted to recognize threats and highly motivated to seek rewards. Physical rewards include food, drink and sex, which cause the release of dopamine. "Psychological rewards work in a similar way: a smile from someone important, receiving praise or thanks, your own satisfaction with a task well done, all trigger dopamine release, and you get that warm satisfied feeling." Understanding people's nature to avoid threats and seek rewards "becomes a fundamental premise in understanding what is driving behavior in the workplace."

The paper introduces the SCARF model, an acronym for the five things that employees seek in their workplace interactions:
  1. Status - our sense of our position in the organization relative to others.
  2. Certainty - the degree to which we feel we have control over our lives and environment.
  3. Autonomy - our freedom to make choices, sometimes referred to as empowerment.
  4. Relatedness - how well we connect to others.
  5. Fairness - our perception of the consistency of treatment between ourselves and others.

Status
The paper states that "Our brains constantly monitor our status and send signals of threat or reward based on their assessment of changes in our ranking." When we feel belittled or demeaned by what someone else says or does, we experience a drop in status: "we literally feel smaller and less worthy." When our status is threatened, we may respond by withdrawing, becoming passive-aggressive or displaying negativity. On the other hand, when we are praised for our efforts or are called on for our expertise, we experience an increase in status.

Our status is threatened when we are sidelined or demoted, when the organizational structure or our role in it changes, when we are publicly humiliated, or when we need to learn new systems or processes. Our status is rewarded when we are the successful candidate for a role, when we are sought out for a promotion, or when we are called on for our expertise.

Certainty
"[T]he brain likes familiarity," the paper says. New information is compared against existing information stored in the brain. If the information is consistent with what we already know, we feel comfortable. If it isn't, we assess it as a threat. This helps to explain why any change is met with at least some measure of resistance.

Our certainty is threatened when we experience change in any form, such as shifting goal posts, priorities or focus, when we receive mixed messages, when we anticipate negative outcomes, such as downsizing or restructuring, or when we are required to adopt new technologies and processes. Our certainty is rewarded when we receive reassurance, when we anticipate positive outcomes, when we are able to balance the unknown with the familiar, or when we experience change in bite-sized chunks.

Autonomy
The paper notes that "The brain likes control and stability: it likes to be in the driver's seat." When autonomy goes down, stress goes up. This helps to explain why employees describe excessive changes on texts they have written as "overediting."

Our autonomy is threatened when we are told what to do and how to do it, when our decisions are overruled, or when our authority is undermined. Our autonomy is rewarded when we are given scope to make decisions, when we are provided with options, or when our feedback is sought and acted upon.

Relatedness
The paper asserts that "Without any analysis or evidence whatsoever, we instinctively determine, within seconds of meeting someone new, whether we like them or dislike them, trust them or distrust them, consider them friend or foe." Managers need to counterbalance this tendency by cultivating positive interactions between themselves and their employees as well as among members of their team.

Our relatedness is threatened when our values are at odds with the organizational culture, when the environment in which we work is highly political, when the behaviours of the team are dysfunctional, or when we are isolated. Our relatedness is rewarded when we enjoy positive and constructive workplace relationships, when interpersonal connections are encouraged, or when we receive empathy and understanding from our managers.

Fairness
Fairness, or lack thereof, can be perceived in both internal processes and the behaviour of others.

Our fairness is threatened when we witness inconsistent behaviour, when policies or procedures are applied inequitably, when we perceive bias, favouritism and unearned rewards, or when we experience or see workplace bullying. Our fairness is rewarded when decisions are transparent, when we are involved in decision making, when managers and employees live the espoused values of the organization, or when employees are selected and promoted on merit.

The SCARF model can be a valuable tool for understanding and anticipating the reactions of staff, particularly to change, including the incredible change brought about by the response to COVID. It's also a useful reminder of some do's and don'ts of leadership.

As my colleague suggested, we don't control the garden. We can simply nurture, adapt to and learn from the plants in our care, create the conditions for them to thrive, and appreciate their potential. The same is true of the people we lead.