"The ability to identify and clear up my and others' dislikes is the most significant key to increasing productivity in our economy."
DR Frint (Co-founder of “2130 partners”)
Dwight Frint says that he has asked his clients, executive leaders many times, the following simple question: what time could you go home if everyone in your company just came to work, do their homework and leave work?
The answer surprised him at first; then not so much because it was the same that many executives gave him: "between 10.30 and 11 in the morning".
Which begs a second question: If so many executives could go home before lunch, if everyone showed up for work and did their homework, what do executives spend so much time on? Clients respond without hesitation: distress, commonly known as upset or discomfort. The part of the executive job that takes the most time is managing distressing or anxious interactions in their teams so that they can dedicate themselves to the task at hand.
Well, maybe the executives surveyed exaggerate, they may be motivated by frustration and an acid humor, but although they might never be able to return home before noon, it is reasonable to suppose that they could save up to 500 hours a year if they did not have to intervene in these interrelationships. emotionally problematic and dedicate them to creative tasks.
Anguish or suffering, what do we mean ?: We use both terms to summarize a wide range of reactions that temporarily make it impossible for people to have productive and reflective behavior. These reactions can range from mild frustration to uncontrolled anger and include shame or grief, sadness, impatience, agitation, worry, and fear. In each case, people experience it as, whether or not the causes are real, they act as if their survival is threatened.
The limbic system of the brain is associated with emotion and memory. Inside it are the tonsils, two clusters of almond-shaped neurons whose primary responsibility is to monitor the dangers that may lie in wait for us and warn us of impending threats. A "limbic sequestration" occurs when the tonsils are activated producing physical sensations of suffering, sweaty hands, tension in the shoulders, etc.; As the intensity of suffering increases, our rational cognitive abilities decrease.
Considering the physical instinctual reactions associated with feeling upset or upset, it is not surprising that conceptual learning-based training and coaching styles do not help much, even if they are advanced. The information we receive in these seminars and workshops is stored and processed in the cerebral cortex, the "newer" part of the brain; but as we have seen, when we get upset we start working from a completely different place, another part of the brain.
How can we bridge the sentient and the rational brain ?; How do we use both our highest reasoning and our emotional passion that activates a good part of our inspiration and creativity? What will we do to minimize reactivity and stress while increasing productivity and shared pride in owning ourselves? Leaders can use the answers to make up some of the time spent thinking and increase their ability to focus on key business issues.
We see it over and over again: As leaders begin to experience the benefits of emotionally "de-stressing," the resources devoted to it are an investment in the training of others. In the same way that increasing stress creates a snowball in the team, the limbic control of leaders can develop a kind of contrary inertia, turning stress into “euestrés” (healthy and productive stress, such as the satisfaction of chasing a difficult goal).
Although it takes time to make lasting changes, there are a few steps that can be used to immediately repair the damage from emotional pain. These diagnostic steps and the corresponding interventions are both conceptual and physical. They provide information to the intellect and the body the tools to change both experiences and behavior.
Many studies prove that the most frequent root causes of emotional distress at work are: (1) the perception that a promise has been broken (usually by managers); (2) when positive intentions (good intentions) fail; and (3) when commitments appear to have been frustrated. In addition to these three internal triggers, there are many occasions when what comes to work are personal anguishes, those of the rest of our lives. This external origin is more difficult to address due to the different perspectives of what are the boundaries between professional and personal.
Why do many of the skills development programs have such poor results when stressful situations are triggered? The problem is not the content of the material, but the targeting of the programs. Much of this highly valued material is directed and received by the intellectual part of the mind; which is fine but too often the audience ends the show with great conceptual understanding but without improving their abilities to change behaviors. Unless information is deeply absorbed and integrated beyond the intellect, it withers when people are faced with intense emotions, theirs or those of others.
Understand the role of our body
According to various studies, learning a new physical skill requires 300 repetitions for the memory muscle to develop; and 3000 repetitions for the ability to be incorporated into us, to take root. In the same way, we believe that in order for an intellectual learning to take root, we have to practice it many times. In addition, there are physical elements or components that influence intellectual learning, especially in stressed people. Without being aware of them, it is impossible to learn to deal with anxiety in another way. We are discovering that the physical aspects of being in an emotionally distressed state are as important as the feelings themselves; These two elements are inextricably linked. If we ignore or disregard the physical manifestations of emotion,We limit our ability to manage that emotional distress.
We have already spoken of the "limbic sequestration" which is nothing more than a biological early warning system provided by the tonsils and which allows us to ensure our physical survival by triggering four primary reactions: fight, flight, paralysis and appeasement; they react instinctively at lightning speed, much faster than the thinking parts of our brain.
Our ancestors operated in a natural world that presented many real dangers and threats to life; For them this limbic function was essential for their survival. But in today's business life, amygdala reactions can be difficult rather than helpful; here is why. As we have already indicated, the tonsils react instinctively, almost instantaneously; unfortunately they do not know how to distinguish real threats from imaginary ones, nor physical ones those generated by words or our own thoughts; and when the tonsils send their warning, they activate powerful forces throughout our body. Adrenaline and cortisol are secreted, raising blood pressure and heart rate.Blood that drains from "less important" areas (such as the thinking brain) flows to those needed for physical defense. We become a reactive machine, in guard, in surveillance, not the best state for reasoned speech, for creative problem solving or for associative collaboration.
Post-stress confusion
But it has only been the beginning, there are also subsequent induced effects. If we were running in front of a bear, extreme physical exertion would consume a good part of the additional adrenaline and cortisol secreted by the amygdala warnings, and thus we would soon recover our heart rate and normal blood pressure level. But this does not happen in the office. On any normal day, the amygdala can perceive many "threatening" situations; And although these "dangers" take the form of the spoken word or private thoughts and not external physical threats to our survival, they trigger the same reactions. We remain in self-defense mode for a long time without having to "drain" the floods of adrenaline and cortisol;And if this "drain both heart rate and blood pressure remain high, other physical sensations continue and we experience continued" stress ". At a minimum, we are frustrated, distracted, and unproductive, surely unable to work with our best creativity. In high-stress settings, where threat perceptions occur most often, people end up missing work due to physical illness or needing "a mental health day." Under these conditions, the risk of “burn-out” is very high.Where threat perceptions occur most often, people end up missing work due to physical illness or needing "a day of mental health." Under these conditions, the risk of “burn-out” is very high.Where threat perceptions occur most often, people end up missing work due to physical illness or needing "a day of mental health." Under these conditions, the risk of “burn-out” is very high.
The tonsils and the limbic system, along with the brain stem, form what is popularly known as the "old brain." In fact, the brain stem is often called the "reptilian brain" because it is found in all vertebrates, including reptiles and mammals. Its activity is that of the most basic functions: breathing, sleeping, blood circulation, muscle contraction, reproduction and self-preservation. Together with the limbic system's early warning system for danger, the reptilian provides us with a powerful image and a relevant clue of how behavior manifests itself in distressing situations.
Imagine the leader of an irritated team; It doesn't take a huge leap of the imagination to think that all the meeting attendees transform into iguanas, and other animals, each trapped in his own reactive offensive / defensive posture. It is hard to imagine that many executives actually want their companies to be managed by a group of reptiles; And yet this type of behavior is triggered regularly and allowed to persist.
Given the instinctive physical reactions associated with being upset, it should come as no surprise that all of those conceptual learning approaches are not very helpful in reducing the effects of emotional distress. The information we receive in these workshops we process and store in the cerebral cortex, the "new" rational part of the brain, but, as we have seen, in situations of alteration we begin to operate from a totally different cerebral place.
The solution starts at the top
How do we bridge the gap between the thinking and the feeling brain ?; How do we use both our superior reasoning and our emotional passion that unleashes a good part of our inspiration and creativity? How do we act in a way that minimizes reactivity and anxiety while increasing productivity and shared pride in working in the company?
Our proposal to leaders is to start working on themselves because organizations look to their leaders (mirror neurons) to shape the tone. If these are very reactive, it is very likely that their companies are too. If, on the other hand, they start by clarifying their stress and distress reasons, they will be more productive, they will trigger less stress, and they will be much better prepared to navigate their organizations.
As we said before, leaders can turn stress into "stress."
Although lasting change takes time and continuous training, there are a few simple steps that can immediately begin to repair the damage of emotional distress.
