REQUISITE HR BOOK CLUB, JULY 2016
Issue 3
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Requisite HR Book Club July 2016 LEADERS EAT LAST BY SIMON SINEK
Welcome to the latest Requisite HR Book Club share. We will be continuing with Leaders Eat Last (Why some teams pull together and others don’t) by Simon Sinek (author of Start with Why) Part 2 – POWERFUL FORCES Chapter 5 – When Enough Was Enough Tells of Homosapiens 50 thousand years ago, and our journey to today and how what applied then still applies now, as our basic genetic coding has not changed. It discusses how Homosapiens survived and thrived over other hominid species in conditions of great danger and insufficient resources due to our neocortex that gave us a complex, problem solving brain. Our survival was also due to the fact that we are a highly social species who can work together, to help and protect each other. We were so good at it that we found ways to mold our environment to suit us. The key points made in this chapter are: • Many leaders attempt to motivate people by creating a sense of internal urgency or pressure but based on our biology and anthropology this is incorrect. o When we feel like we belong to the group and trust the people with whom we work, we naturally cooperate to face outside challenges and threats. o When we do not have a sense of belonging we are forced to invest time and energy to protect ourselves from each other, inadvertently making ourselves more vulnerable to outside threats and challenges.
CHAPTERS FIVE AND SIX
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Looking inwards also results in missing outside opportunities.
• Trust has always been taken seriously by humans because of its importance to a group’s ability to survive and thrive. • Trust is built and maintained via social interaction. The more familiar we are with each other the stronger our bonds. • Cooperation and mutual aid works better than competition and rugged individualism, because we focus on our energies and time in achieving outcomes instead of fighting against each other. • There are four primary chemicals in our body that contribute to happy feelings, that serve to promote our survival. o Endorphins and dopamine, work to get us where we need to go as individuals – to persevere, find food, build shelters, invent tools, drive forward and get things done. o Serotonin and oxytocin, are there to incentivize us to work together and develop feelings of trust and loyalty, strengthening our social bonds so that we are more likely to work together and to cooperate. Thought for consideration: Have you noticed smokers having stronger bonds with each other than non-smokers? Could it be because of the many opportunities that they have for short casual social gatherings when they smoke, which gives them the opportunity to form close relationships.
Your Chapter Challenge: What opportunities can you provide your team to develop trust? From integrating a social share opportunity into a regular business meeting, to out of work social gatherings, to chats around the water cooler, or a staff room at lunch time. Do you ensure that you are taking the time to engage with people beyond the meeting? Roaming the halls and asking people about themselves and how they are, can be a powerful connector. Chapter 6 – E.D.S.O. This chapter focuses on explaining the impact of the naturally occurring chemicals that our bodies produce. The Chemicals of Progress – Endorphins and Dopamine, those chemicals that make us feel good when we find something we are looking for, build something or accomplish our goals. • Endorphins and dopamine work together to achieve those necessities of life to ensure our survival. Without these selfish chemicals we would starve to death. • Endorphins: o Main purpose – masks physical pain with pleasure, released in response to stress or fear o Exception – Laughter releases endorphins to mask the pain caused by our organs being convulsed • Without endorphins to give us the edge we need to keep going, we would not keep striving even when we are tired and exhausted.
• Dopamine: o Main purpose – to feel good about progress, making us a goaloriented species with a bias for progress o Accomplishment is fueled by dopamine, however fulfillment; those lasting feelings of happiness and loyalty, all require engagement with others o The bigger the goal, the more effort it requires, the more dopamine we get, HOWEVER the goals must be tangible • People are very visually orientated animals, so the use of written goals is more likely to assist in their accomplishment than verbal goals. When we can physically see what we ae are setting out to accomplish or clearly image it, then thanks to the power of dopamine we are more likely to accomplish it. However, this goals must be clear, giving us something specific to set our sights on, something we can measure our progress towards. • A good vision statement is what the world will look like if everything we did was wildly successful. I.e. One day ‘little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and little black girls as sisters and brothers: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We can image that; we can see what that looks like. And if we find that vision inspiring and worthy of our time and energy, then we can more easily plan the steps we need to take to achieve that vision. The best visions; whether short or long term, are those that are clear. When we can see what we are setting out to achieve, the more likely we are to achieve it. Our journey to that vision is an opportunity to feel like we are making progress towards something bigger than ourselves. Which is exciting thanks to Dopamine. • Dopamine rewards us when we have accomplished something, making us want to do it again and again, which is exactly what it takes to find things, build things and get things done. But it’s harder to do all things alone, especially the big things. Together is better. The Social Chemicals – Serotonin and Oxytocin, are those chemicals that make us feel valued when we are in the company of those we trust, which gives us the feeling of belonging and inspires us to want to work for the good of the group. • Serotonin and Oxytocin work together to encourage pro-social behavior, form bonds of trust and friendships that we will look out for each other. When firing at the right times and for the right reasons, they can help turn us into an inspiring leader, a loyal follower, a close friend, a trusted partner, a believer. When that happens we find ourselves in a Circle of Safety, stress declines, fulfillment rises, our want to serve others increases as does our willingness to trust others. Without these social chemicals we would be cold-blooded, selfish, more aggressive, leadership would falter, cooperation decline, stress increase as will paranoia and mistrust. These chemicals are the backbone of the Circle of Safety (Ch 3). • These two chemical cause us to pull together to accomplish much bigger things than if we were to face the world alone. When we look out for others these chemicals reward us with feelings of security, fulfillment, belonging, trust and camaraderie. The result is societies and cultures.
• It is the strength of culture that determines a company’s ability to adapt, overcome adversity and pioneer new innovations. In a work culture that makes it hard to earn Serotonin and Oxytocin incentives, our desire to help others or the company decreases, which decreases the willingness of others to help us – a vicious cycle. • Serotonin: o Main purpose – it encourages us to serve those for whom we are directly responsible and to work hard to make them proud. It is the leadership chemical o Is the feeling of pride, which we get when we perceive that others like or respect us, it makes us feel strong and confident o It reinforces bonds between people and creates sense of accountability • We all want to feel that we and the work we do is valued by our group. The more we give of ourselves to see others in our group succeed, the greater our value to the group and the more respect they offer us. The more respect and recognition we receive, the higher our status in the group and the more incentive we have to continue to give to the group. • Oxytocin o Main purpose – it encourages human connections, social acts of generosity and empathy, which develops strong bonds or trust and friendship. It is the love chemical o Is the feeling of friendship, love or deep trust, the compass that determines when to open up and trust others or not o Makes us feel good and inspires us to do good for others. The more good things we do, the more good we want to do • In a group we trust and who trust us, we can share the need to stay vigilance to protect the group. The more time you spend with someone, the more we learn to trust them, the more you are willing to open up to them. Our brains release Oxytocin in the presence of our tribe. Your Chapter Challenges: 1. Review your Vision – a) Can you visualize it, b) is it clear, c) does it inspire your team, and d) is it worthy of your team’s time and energy? 2. Does your work culture create opportunities for your team to earn Serotonin and Oxytocin?
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