Business and The Brain

Business and the Brain Are You Fit to Thrive in Any Economy? © The BestWork People 2010

Commerce and the human brain evolved together ,[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

Our brains evolved in the stone age ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

[object Object],[object Object],Some of the demands of modern business are ‘natural’ to the brain © The BestWork People 2010

Reality – as processed by our brains - is social ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

Social animals thrive together – not separately © The BestWork People 2010

The brain responds to social pleasure and pain as powerfully as to sex and chocolate ,[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

The exchanges that make up commerce are social experiences ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

Many aspects of modern life conflict with the brain’s wiring ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

Some of the demands of modern business are not ‘natural’ for the brain ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

Some aspects of living and working are the same as they’ve always been ,[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

Commerce is based in vulnerability ,[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

We become ingenious when ‘our people’ are vulnerable ,[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

The basis of sociality and the basis of commerce are the same ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

But the vulnerability we face in modern life is not what the brain is built for ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

The Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) – the brain’s executive function - is highly sensitive ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

(c) Kevin Ochsner, Columbia, 2008

How can we best use the brain’s natural functions in modern business? ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

What do we have to do? ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

(c) Matthew Lieberman, UCLA, 2008

What might we avoid doing? ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

What is unavoidable? ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

Peoples’ concerns are continually shifting ,[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

New challenges invariably demand new exchanges © The BestWork People 2010

What might we learn to do better? ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

Pleasure the brain - Provoke curiosity ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

Compelling questions fuel intelligence ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

Curiosity is the silver bullet ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

Optimize Neuroplasticity and PFC function ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

You’re in the business of generating rich exchanges ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

At its best the PFC is powerful and generative ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

Train to be fit for any economy ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010

Brain fitness increases value and contribution: yours and those around you ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],© The BestWork People 2010 Enables fitness Impairs fitness

[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],(c) The BestWork People 2009

With gratitude for the teachers and researchers who illuminated the path Marsha Shenk is a veteran consultant, one of the pioneers of Business Anthropology. Her syntheses of the cultural, biological, and historical influences that impact modern commerce have empowered business leaders for 3 decades. www.BestWork.biz http://twitter.com/marshashenk © The BestWork People 2010 39

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