Expectations shape reality
Another interesting finding from recent neuroscience research is that “expectations shape reality.”
The Booz Allen & Hamilton article mentioned yesterday says: “Cognitive scientists have found that people’s mental maps, their theories, expectations and attitudes play more central role in human perceptions than we previously thought.” Tell people that they have been administered a pain killer, even though they got a placebo (a sugar pill), and 28.4% of the people will feel a decrease in pain – rivaling the effect of an analgesic dose of morphine!
So what exactly happens? People repeatedly “focus” on the experience of pain relief, thus activating/creating new brain pain relief circuits/pathways – and decreasing the pain…
The fact that expectations shape reality and drive behavior can have far reaching implications. The article mentions the example of two customer service reps – one with a mental map of customers as troubled children would hear only complaints that needed to be allayed; another with seeing them as busy but intelligent professionals, would hear valuable suggestions for improving the product and service.
Since change is so hard, maybe employers should try discovering potential employees’ mental maps during the interview process…
[Tags: neuroscience change change management hr leadership]
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June 14th, 2006 at 10:21 am
I found that article compelling as well, Francois, and I agree with most of Rock and Schwartz’s conclusions. But I take issue with their assertion that “Humanism is overrated.” They convincingly argue that humanistic management practices can be tough to implement and easily misunderstood, but in trying to shoehorn this concept into their overall thesis that recent brain research forces us to completely reject much conventional management wisdom, they go too far and throw the humanistic baby out with the bathwater–uh, so to speak.
Further thoughts along these lines at http://www.edbatista.com/2006/06/organizational_.html
June 16th, 2006 at 9:54 am
Somehow their comment on humanism did not ring false to me…how many times have you been through a review cycle where you cringe at all the BS that is being thrown at you…or how many times have you just wished you had been somewhere else when some corporate exec tries to rara the troops?
I actually do believe that much conventional management wisdom should be rejected and re-evaluated. It also needs to be said that most conventional management wisdom is being hijacked/misapplied by ignorant people with personal agendas…
But then again – I am as close as you can get to being unemployable except by myself
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