Upload
anne-riches
View
520
Download
1
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Giving change leaders the edge with neuroscience
A presentation from Anne Riches for SmartNet Education Leaders Forum 2015 © The Riches Group Pty. Ltd. All rights reserved.
11
49
23 4
19 50
76
14
12
31
46
84
99 62
34 2
23 Does change go according to plan?
60
55 80 70
© The Riches Group Pty. Ltd
Change is the norm
CEDA Future of Work
2015
Disruptive platforms Pressure
(eg Coursera and edX)
© The Riches Group Pty. Ltd
Fears Fear of unknown
Fear of change (SQ/CZ)
Fear of failure
Fear of future
Fear for personal security
Fear based on past
experiences
© The Riches Group Pty. Ltd
Beliefs
Values
Social setting
Personal situation
Habits of thinking
Past experiences
Personality
Education
Competencies
Economic cycle
Media
Implementation
Organisational setting
Leadership
Narrative Resistance
© The Riches Group Pty. Ltd
Clearly we don’t resist all change
Every brain is a change
soup
Every soup has different ingredients
Yet change initiatives
assume the same tastes
© The Riches Group Pty. Ltd
So why aren’t we more successful?
People do not talk openly about their fears
Under-estimate the need for change leadership
Failure to focus on the human side of transition
Do not utilise neuroscience (ie improve outcomes by focusing on the brain’s interpretation of change)
1
2
3
4
© The Riches Group Pty. Ltd
Neuroscience and change Humans wired to avoid threats and seek rewards
Change creates ambiguity/uncertainty and triggers threat response
Unresolved threat reactions reduce prefrontal cortex/executive thinking
Brain networks involved in change same as primary survival skills
Psychological and physical threats not initially differentiated
Feelings of threat are contagious
Motivation to change influenced by minimizing threats and maximizing rewards
Intrinsic motivation may work better than extrinsic/instrumental motivators
© The Riches Group Pty. Ltd
Brain always
Acts to conserve energy
Wants certainty &
predictability
Continuously looks for patterns
Recognised ‘safe’ patterns save energy
Can focus on maximize
reward
© The Riches Group Pty. Ltd
However
Brain geared to notice change
Instantly responds if pattern is disrupted or unsafe (ANTs)
Can’t look to future until disruption or threat is dealt with (The Almond Effect®)
Brain triggers actions/behaviours to address threat (4 F’s)
© The Riches Group Pty. Ltd
Mental fatigue and stress
Impact of ANTs and The Almond Effect® (4Fs) in change?
Poor morale
Confused priorities Presenteeism Withdraw, don’t speak up or participate Assumptions not hard questions Overt and covert hostility – silent saboteurs
Work-arounds Overthinking, over- analyzing minutiae
Can't think straight or navigate complexity Toxic team members infecting the rest Defensiveness, whingeing, blaming, excuses
Revert back to old ways
© The Riches Group Pty. Ltd
Change fatigue
Simultaneous change
initiatives Curriculum Pedagogy
Testing Pay for performance
New corporate governance requirements
Digital transformation Local schools, local initiatives
Workplace bargaining
© The Riches Group Pty. Ltd
Change initiatives underestimate
Complexity of dealing with
the human element
Time it will take
Strength of current patterns (comfort
zone)
Work needed to change patterns
Emotional responses
Fear and ANTs
Impact of stress
© The Riches Group Pty. Ltd
Common ineffective methods for dealing with resistance
Global research: ProSci 2014 http://www.change-management.com
Not listening to and
understanding concerns
2.
Ignoring it and expecting it to go away on its own
1.
Attempting to force a solution
3.
Under-estimating the
resistance
4.
Communicating ineffectively
5.
Change through the lens of neuroscience Understand the emotional component of workplace change
Involve stakeholders at macro level
Equip change leaders at micro level
Build certainty: eg clear narrative, vision, tactics, roles, milestones
Address employees’ ‘survival’ buttons
Communicate tirelessly with a focus on the emotions in change
Review history and culture for negatively reinforcing patterns and plan to minimise their impact
Scan for systems, processes, procedures etc that reinforce perceived fears and address them
Integrate neuroscientific based change strategies with the project management plan
© The Riches Group Pty. Ltd
How neuroscience can guide change leaders
Builds self-awareness
Offers evidence based neuroscience change strategies
Underscores power of patterns, fears, threats
Shows how change occurs in brain − neuroplasticity
1 2
3 4
Coherence – narrative, i.e. why, bigger picture, benefits, risks
Congruency – across all policies, systems, processes
Consistency – behaviours, communications, repetition
© The Riches Group Pty. Ltd
At its simplest – neuroscience tells us people will change if ...
... they know where they’re going and why
... they feel included
... their emotions are
acknowledged and addressed
1 2 3
© The Riches Group Pty. Ltd
More resources
Sign up for newsletter
Check out my blog
Connect with me @anneriches www.linkedin.com/in/anneriches
www.anneriches.com [email protected]
White paper on The Almond Effect®
© The Riches Group Pty. Ltd