There is currently a real buzz around the world of neuroscience. This is not surprising as the latest developments have important implications not just for business, but also for wider society.
The actual physical architecture of our brains – the way our billions of brain cells are wired together – is a result of our genetic code and our experiences throughout life – nature and nurture work together to create something totally unique.
The brain never loses the power to transform itself on the basis of experience, and this transformation, known as neuroplasticity, can occur over very short intervals.
But what does neuroplasticity have to do with business? Firstly, the world is changing fast and so must we. The old adage ‘The only thing constant in life is change’ has never been truer or more relevant than in today’s fast moving business world. Our ability to adapt depends on the plasticity of our brain.
Every time the economy, technology, a natural disaster or a generational trend forces a change of direction, we must be able to connect, disconnect, reconnect, restructure and bypass outdated aspects of thinking, values, beliefs, behaviours and paradigms of business.
The ability to relinquish inefficient practices and move into new arenas, adapting and learning as we go, is essential for success.
The second thing neuroplasticity has to do with business is that in today’s world, not only do the people leading the business need high levels of plasticity, but the organization itself must have plasticity.
That business must be able to connect and disconnect, reconnect, expand and contract, reduce the time and money spent on out-dated policies and procedures, restructure and stay aligned with shifts in market trends and demands.
Brain research has also shown that people function best when they are able to make the most of their natural preferences and abilities. When our day-to-day life prevents us from using our natural abilities our capacity for achieving our potential is diminished.
It follows that every person you employ in your business has the potential to strengthen your organisation or weaken it.
Therefore a key aspect of using neuroscience in business is in recruiting and developing your employees based on their natural strengths which means that they will perform at a higher level, be more engaged and be prepared to go the ‘extra mile’. Your employees have the greatest potential for performance growth in their areas of natural strengths.
“80% of staff turnover can be attributed to mistakes made during the employee selection and recruitment process. It’s not experience that counts – or college degrees, or other accepted factors; success hinges on the fit with the job” Harvard Business Review
Using a tool that identifies a person’s natural strengths such as neuroscience based PRISM Brain Mapping, means you can look at your best people and use PRISM’s qualitative and quantitative methodology to pinpoint their strengths and potential weaknesses.
“Matching people to jobs is a critical driver of employee engagement. This is one area where HR professionals can play an important role in helping line managers design jobs effectively, and develop selection processes that match individuals to jobs.” CIPD.
By studying what strengths make for top performance in each role you can then recruit to ensure a good match between the critical strengths required for the job and those of the candidate.
With the expected employment boom, especially in the areas of construction and tourism, recruiting and retaining the right people will be essential to the overall success of Dubai’s Expo 2020.
Once you have recruited the right people into the business then the next step is helping them maximise their potential. Creating personal development plans based on behavioural preference means that Managers have the tools to really get to know their people; their strengths, motivations and aspirations.
They can then take simple actions to manage each person according to their different drivers to maximise their engagement and potential. Having high performing teams versus disengaged teams can have a huge positive impact on profit margin, revenue growth and result in lower staff turnover and greater client satisfaction.
In addition, helping your employees understand their own behavioural strengths and their response to others is of immense value in many business activities such as sales, customer service, leadership, coaching, recruitment and performance management.
