An overview and introduction to neuroscience and neuropsychology and its application in change management.

1. Neuroscience and ΔM
“Managing change with the whole person in mind”
Ute Diversi
Canberra Change Management Community of Practice
5 February 2014

2. “I am an experimentalist and I think in images.
Since I started working with x-ray in the late 1990’s,
I am constantly amazed with how little I know.” —Hugh Turvey
Photograph by Hugh Turvey

3. What’s on my mind?
Associations and LinkedIn groups

4. Models
Multi Brain
Mindfulness
Neuroplasticity
PRISM Brain Mapping
SCARF by David Rock

5. Are your interactions brainless?
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Create a calm atmosphere
Minimise threat
Maximise reward
One idea at a time
Chunk the amount of content
Summarise and re-cap
Be patient with emotional
people or violent reactions
Don’t judge
Give people time to digests
Be mindful of your own
emotional state
Use humour
Beware of quick sugar fixes and
too much caffeine

6. The human brain

7. Okay, so here is some brain anatomy…
Cerebral cortex
Parietal lobe
Occipital lobe
Frontal lobe
Neo-cortex
Cerebellum
Brainstem
Temporal lobe
Spinal cord

8. Only humans have a neo cortex

9. Homunculus
… that translates into…
… and should not be
confused with:

10. “The three-pound universe”
“Neurons that fire together,
wire together.”
Michael Merzenich

11. 3 key players of the limbic system
Basal Ganglia
involved in forming habits
Olfactory bulbs
Amygdala
controls emotions,
activates ‘fight or flight response
Hippocampus
involved mainly with memory

12. 2 ‘happy chemicals’
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dopaminergic_pathways

13. The “Amygdala Hijack”
Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence, 1996

14. The Executive brain
home of our working memory
adjust actions and reactions
analytical thinking
create strategies
problem solving
planning ahead
focus thoughts

15. Some myths busted
The injured brain can’t heal itself
The brain’s hardwiring cannot be changed
Aging in the brain is inevitable and irreversible
The brain loses millions of cells a day and those
lost cells can’t be replaced
Fear, anger, aggression overrule the higher brain
Multitasking
Brain hemisphere dominance

16. Some principles
• Wired to minimise danger and maximise reward!
• The software writes the hardware
• The human brain is an intensely social organ
• Brain is wired to default to foe
• NO 2 brains are the same
• Emotions R contagious

17. Some models

18. PRISM Brain Mapping
Competency
Frameworks
• Unique way of identifying
behaviour preferences
based on brain activity.
• We are at our best
when we use our
natural preferences.
• Recognises that
behaviour can vary.
Performance
Appraisal
Effective
Recruitment
Customer
Sales &
Service
Emotional
Intelligence
Change
Management
Effective
Coaching
Leadership
Development
Team Building
PBMA Copyright 2012 info@PBMA.com.au

19. Example: Role alignment
A large government department had undergone a
significant change program. As part of the program a
particular role had changed. The organisation wanted
gain greater clarity of what was the ‘old’ role and what
was the ‘new’ role…
The organisation found that the ‘old’ role was unclear
and varied from region to region…
This led the organisation to a new question as to whether
the ‘new’ was in fact what was strategically required by
the organisation at this time…
Source (text shortened): PBMA Copyright 2012 info@PBMA.com.au

20. Example cont’
Pre change role variance
Agreed role
PBMA Copyright 2012 info@PBMA.com.au

21. Multi brain model
http://youtube/E0Hh2eT-ulE
Cephalic
brain
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Enteric
brain
Cardiac
brain
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HEAD
cognition
strategising
making sense
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GUT
identity
self protection
activation
HEART
emoting
values
relationships
Source: YouTube presentation by Marvin Oka, www.opendoorcoaching.com.au

22. Mindfulness
“Paying attention on purpose in the present moment
without making judgements.”
Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn

23. Neuroplasticity
The software
writes the
hardware!
Sentis YouTube animation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELpfYCZa87g&sns=em

24. Starcraft 2
• Korean professional
• 300 APM – actions per minute = 5 per second!!
“noob APM=0-120
intermediate APM=121-199
pro APM=200-399
gosu APM=400-800
These are the average APMs and it has to be consistent throughout the whole game.
Only one person got to 800 apm tho... JulyZerg got there, but it wasn’t his average.
My average apm is 200”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yfMoIVTilo

25. SCARF
David Rock on YouTube:
http://youtu.be/isiSOeMVJQk
away from…
towards…

26. SCARF
Status
“Will I lose my influence, high
paying job, team, corner office,
sexy job title?”
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ask their opinion and seek their exert advice
listen
include and appreciate
ask for help and include them
avoid jargon
Certainty
“What exactly does that mean
for me and my team?”
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eat the elephant bit by bit
refocus people on what is certain
be open about what you are uncertain about
set goals and expectations and stick to them
communicate often and with transparency
Autonomy
“Do I lose the amount of
control I have over what I do?”
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delegate clearly and co-decide on tasks
encourage self-directed learning
allow team to make their own decisions
encourage people to find answers proactively
pay attention to when directive is needed
Relatedness
“Does my role change or do I
lose my job and therefore all
my mates at work?”
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find things you have in common
set up a buddy system
get to know what motivates them
encourage everybody’s input and team cohesion
listen, coach and mentor
Fairness
“How is that supposed to be
fair?”
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ensure everybody has access to information
increase positive culture and sense of ‘I have a say’
acknowledge emotions, show empathy
understand that fair does not mean equal
don’t shy away from behavioural issues
Based on Tips Sheet by Sue Langley

27. Look after your brain

28. Top 8 brain foods

29. Some quotes
“Happiness depends more on the inward disposition
of the mind than on outward circumstances.”
Benjamin Frankl
“Carrot and stick approach
does not work with the
knowledge worker!”
Kristen Hansen
“Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl
is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.”
Albert Einstein

30. Some associations
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International Brain Research Organization (1960)
European Brain and Behaviour Society (1968)
Society for Neuroscience (1969)
Australasian Neuroscience Society (1971)
On LinkedIn:
• Neuroscience
• NeuroLeadership
• Brain Savvy Facilitators

31. Some reading
• www.your-brain-at-work.com/files/NLJ_SCARFUS.pdf
Kindle e-books:
• Your Brain at Work – David Rock
• Super Brain – Deepak Chopra and Rudolph E. Tanzi
• Brain Matters in Business – Jonathan Jordan
• The Leadership Catalyst – Kevin Zachery
• How Successful People Think Smart – Dr Jill Ammon-Wexler
• Beyond Cynical: Transcend Your Mammalian Negativity –
Loretta Breuning
• Meet your Happy Chemicals – Loretta Breuning

32. Some web links
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http://www.pbma.com.au/
http://www.neuroleadership.org
http://www.langleygroup.com.au/
http://www.anneriches.com.au/
http://www.edbatista.com/2010/03/scarf.html
How the brain works
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UukcdU258
A&feature=youtu.be

33. Brain friendly discussion
Humour and good company
for happy hormones…
…some nuts and
blueberries to
nibble on…
…and a
classy plastic
cup of wine…
Please drive safely!