Autopilot: The Amazing Dance the Brain Performs to Survive Stress in the Modern Work Environment18/2/2024 Ever forget why you walked into a room or where you were going, because your mind was on something else? Ever forget the point you wanted to make, because something else took your attention, mid-sentence? Ever get out of a business meeting, only to realise you didn't get the key bit of information you went in for? We all recognise the benefit of planes having autopilot ... but when it comes to being human, our natural ability to function automatically, and in line with our most basic instincts can have more d ... Downsides, than up! In the increasingly complex dynamics of the modern workplace, our brains grapple with a delicate interplay between conscious engagement and autopilot responses, particularly under the strain of psychosocial stressors. In ignorance of brain function, the environment we're creating in the name of progress and technological advancement, makes it increasingly difficult for brains to cope ... and when considered over decades, it's not uncommon to be able to draw a line between our daily lives and increased risk of serious disease, mental health challenges and even death! ... not to mention the 79% average global disengagement level detracting from performance and increasing costs, as recently reported by Gallup, following a study of over 112,000 business units. This brief exploration looks at how experience shifts the chemical balance in our brain and body. i.e. we consider some basic neural dynamics, to uncover the impact of stress-induced neurotransmitter fluctuations and their profound connection to health and popular leadership beliefs: which often compromise the optimal brain performance required, if people are to behave in ways which maximise profit in the short-term and keep them mentally and physically healthy in the long-term. 1. The 47% Dilemma and the Default Mode Network (DMN):Harvard psychologists Killingsworth and Gilbert's revelation that individuals spend 47% of their time on autopilot resonates deeply within the workplace context. In high-stress environments, the Default Mode Network (DMN), a linchpin in mind-wandering, can become overactive, contributing to lapses in conscious awareness during critical tasks. In this study, 'Wandering Minds', a link is made between DMN activation and individual behavioural performance. 'Here' the author considers the implications of 'operating on autopilot', quite literally .. i.e. linking to mistakes in medical operating theatres! The 15% Conundrum: Self-awareness and the Eurich Insight Contrasting the 47% revelation, psychologist Tasha Eurich's insights shed light on the scarcity of self-awareness, which can be considered as another angle, on the issue of humans operating on 'autopilot'. According to her research, only 15% of people possess a genuine understanding of their own thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. This stark revelation prompts a closer examination of the factors contributing to the lack of conscious awareness in the majority... especially, 'the majority at work'. 2. Neurotransmitter Dynamics: Cortisol, Acetylcholine and GABA:Acetylcholine, essential for attention and learning, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), influencing information flow, play pivotal roles in the *conscious vs autopilot* equilibrium. Stress-induced cortisol release disrupts this balance, diminishing acetylcholine levels and impacting GABA modulation. In 'this article', we see the link made between stress and GABA modulation in the Amygdala, an area of the brain known to be intricately linked to emotional responses. Extract: Stress is becoming increasingly inevitable in daily life, causing a series of physiological and behavioral responses that significantly alter emotional and behavioral states (Dallman et al., 2003). The way in which stressors impact emotional states depends on a variety of biological and environmental factors (Ulrich-Lai et al., 2015) Stress erases the chemical our brain needs, to concentrate. The studies conducted by Hermona Soreq of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and her colleagues, show the neurotransmitter acetylcholine is released by nerve cells in the brain when mammals are under mild stress or concentrating on learning something new. To prevent the nerves from firing excessively, however, the neurotransmitter is quickly broken down by an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase (AChE). They found that AChE activity increased by two to three times in the 50 minutes following stress and was elevated for up to 80 hours. They say that lengthy inhibition would probably result in a net decline in acetylcholine levels over the long-term. The finding may help explain how acute stress could lead to chronic depression, irritability, memory loss, and other symptoms following time in stressful environments. Such findings have profound implications for work environments which systematically demand the brain remains in a chronically stressed state! (i.e. in response to leadership behaviours and the overall design of systems and popular 'control' based approaches, taken toward management). 3. Prefrontal Cortex, Executive Functions, and Leadership Beliefs:Time-pressured environments often prompt a reliance on the brain's automatic processes, potentially affecting the executive functions* of the prefrontal cortex. Leadership beliefs favouring strict control, Key Performance Indicators (which contradict from one department or function to the next,) causing conflict and confusion in the absence of alignment between departments and, a lack of overall coordination to a strategy, and, what appear to be arbitrarily imposed targets ... may all combine to induce stress, compromising conscious decision-making and optimal brain performance. *'Executive function:' Reasoning, Judgment, and Decision-making are complex cognitive operations. Any of these functions needs to operate multiple neural systems simultaneously and in a coordinated manner. To operate multiple neural systems efficiently and to accomplish a specific goal successfully, some system in the brain needs to integrate and coordinate their operations. The mechanism that integrates and coordinates the operations of a variety of neural systems has been called “executive control” (Roberts, 1998, Miyake and Shah, 1999b, Shah and Miyake, 1999). Executive function is considered to be a product of the coordinated operation of various neural systems by systems located in the Pre Frontal Cortex (PFC). Such activity is essential for achieving a particular goal in a flexible and appropriate manner. When patients with damage to the PFC (Pre Frontal Cortex) need to create a new and adaptive action program or choose the best among several equally probable alternatives, it becomes clear that their intellectual activity is profoundly disturbed. This disturbance of intellectual activity is caused by poor judgment, planning, and decision-making, and also by the poor temporal organisation of behavior and poor working memory. Excessive and prolonged (chronic) stress is shown to deplete a substance called Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) essential for neurogenesis and thus, adaptation and repair to neural networks in areas like the PFC and throughout the brain. When we consider this in context of even a 'Raised voice' causing brain damage that can be seen on a scan, as Jen Fraser PhD reports in her brilliant book, 'The Bullied Brain', the correlation between beliefs in 'best practice' methods, personal conduct in positions of authority and the performance outcomes / culture, we often witness in the modern workplace, sports clubs, the family home and even in the classroom, all starts to make sense. Looking through the neuroscience lens, the idea that the culture created by leaders beliefs and attitudes has a profound and often negative effect on performance and profit, can now be adequately demonstrated. 4. Habit Formation and Cortisol Impact:Stress-induced cortisol release not only disrupts neurotransmitter balance but also influences habit formation. Chronic stress may solidify maladaptive habits, reinforcing autopilot responses. In workplaces rife with stressors, this dynamic contributes to a culture of automaticity over conscious engagement. In layman's terms, what that means is, when stimulus triggers a survival response in people, based on their established brian function, the act of surviving will further reinforce the established pathways in their brain, ensuring they 'dig their heels in' and stick with what is proven to keep them safe, rather than explore learning opportunities and make progress. Quite the irony, in a world which often quotes the old adage 'Change is the only constant'. 5. Shifting Leadership Paradigms: Creating Conditions for Optimal Brain Performance:To mitigate the detrimental effects of autopilot in high-stress work environments, a transformative shift in leadership beliefs is imperative. Embracing a neuro-aware leadership paradigm that prioritises adaptability, psychological safety, and employee well-being (understood neurologically) fosters conditions conducive to heightened self-awareness and conscious decision-making. A Call for Neuro-Aware Leadership and a Brain-Centric Era:In conclusion, our short exploration of a few basic neuroscientific principles underscores the profound impact of stress on brain function. As we navigate the challenges of modern work, and massive disengagement on a global scale, a redefined approach to leadership is not just advantageous but imperative. Transitioning from an era that promoted compliance to one that prioritises the creation of conditions where the human brain thrives, is essential.
A neuro-conscious leadership paradigm unlocks the potential for optimal cognitive performance. This shift is not merely organisational evolution; it's a fundamental reimagining of leadership's role in fostering environments where individuals can commit to doing their best, with the brain in mind. By aligning leadership practices with the intricacies of neural processes, we usher in an era where conscious engagement supersedes autopilot, empowering individuals to excel and contribute meaningfully. This does NOT require leaders become neuroscientists or psychologists, but does require leaders become sufficiently open to the facts from neuroscience, to shift their belief in what is effective and efficient... and allow this new era of self-awareness to guide their approach ... not only toward strategy deployment and tactics, but in respect to their own behaviours and the need for them to recognise their own brain function, is as fallible to being stuck on the hamster wheel as the next person. To transform leadership thinking, the team at Duxinaroe have created the online BTFA experience, designed to ensure a rapid, but long lasting update to beliefs, delivered consistently at scale. Join us on the next public cohort here or contact us for more information about delivery of our program for your team.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
April 2024
|