INSIGHTS
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE BY DR. DANIEL BOBINSKI
YOU CAN’T GET CHANGE IN A WEEKEND WORKSHOP
W
e live in the age of expediency. We love our 10-minute oil changes, drivethrough restaurants and microwave ovens. We want what we want, and we want it now. That works for some things, but when it comes to making changes in either ourselves or our companies, changes take time. There’s a good reason for this. Simply stated, it’s because the human brain likes to know what’s going on, and it takes a little time for our brain cells to develop new pathways so the change is considered normal. Whenever change is presented, it’s like our brains go, “Warning! This is different! This could be dangerous!” This is why most people dislike change. In reality, it’s not so much that people dislike change, it’s that they dislike rapid change. Neuroscience is the study of the anatomy and physiology of the brain, and over the past few decades, scientists have learned much. Thankfully, their findings can help us understand how to create and implement effective change, both in ourselves and in our organizations. One key to success in this effort is understanding how the amygdala works. The amygdala can be thought of as the part of our brain that checks for normality. If everything is sailing along smoothly and predictably, the amygdala says, “Cool,” and life goes on just fine. But if we’re confronted with change, or if someone says or does something that the amygdala perceives as a threat, then our neocortex – the rational thinking part of our brain – tends to shut down and control is sent to the amygdala. Think of this process as a survival mechanism. If something out of the ordinary is perceived, our amygdala fires 40
ICEMAGAZINE | MAY 2022
up our capability to fight or run, and when that happens, we can’t expect much in terms of rational thought or even rational conversation. Thus, physiologically speaking, our brains just don’t like rapid change. However, if we understand brain mechanics, we can better facilitate the change process. One key to this is understanding neurogenesis, which is how the brain rewires itself. The good news is that scientists have learned that neurogenesis does not stop, thus putting to bed the notion that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. You definitely can. Think about the elderly grandfather who learns how to use email so he can regularly communicate with his grandchildren. The motivation is there, it just takes a little time for his brain to grow new neurons so he can use the email program. As one example of how the brain grows new neurons, think about learning how to ride a bicycle. At first the process is awkward, but after some time and practice the skill is acquired. And, because the skill is often learned early in life, the neuropathways are strong – leading to the saying, “It’s just like riding a bike.” You’ve learned it; you can do it. The same concept applies to learning how to drive a stick shift. The first few times are clunky, as you must think through every step of the process, but before long you’re humming along in fourth gear and you don’t remember shifting to get there. That’s the power of neurogenesis. Our brains literally grow new neurons so that a new “normal” exists there. As another example to show that people are actually ok with change, all we need to do is walk through any home improvement store. These stores are often crowded in the summer with people buying things so they can make changes in their homes and yards. The thing to ADVANCING THE IMAGING PROFESSIONAL
