PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT – WHAT’S SCIENCE GOT TO DO WITH IT?

Steve Marriott explores how companies can use brain chemistry to manage employees’ performance effectively.

We’ve all had a manager who may have ‘fallen’ into their role – for instance, they’ve no doubt worked hard and put the hours in to impress the boss, resulting a shiny promotion into management. However, how many of our managers today are actually ready to lead?

It’s nothing ground-breaking to say that an effective leader should guide and inspire their team, rather than bark orders and demand results. One area of leadership that is associated with
box-ticking and, in many cases, disciplinary procedures is performance management.

It’s fair to say that, for many companies, performance management activity is done to satisfy HR teams and is perhaps not given the level of attention and insight it deserves – and needs.

It’s a common misconception that a half-hour appraisal here and a 10-minute training session there is enough to manage employees’ performance effectively. Unfortunately, this is simply not the case and one subject that is attracting particular attention at the moment is brain chemistry. The notion of understanding how an individual’s brain works and how it differs from that of their colleague, for example, is one that should be explored by leaders, regardless of industry.

Let’s first consider the six main brain chemicals: endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, cortisol and adrenaline. While each of these has a specific role to play in the basic functions of our day-to-day lives, they also affect the decisions we make in the workplace and the way we interact with our colleagues.

• Endorphins and dopamine
These are our ‘happy’ and ‘achievement’ hormones. The latter of the two is the chemical that is triggered when we know we’ve done a good job, completed a task on our to-do list or hit a KPI.

• Serotonin and oxytocin
Serotonin is our ‘appreciation’ chemical and is created when we receive signs of appreciation from others. It therefore plays a significant role in in-group bonding and is shown to increase positive attitudes towards one another and our work. The impact of serotonin can be further boosted in the presence of oxytocin, which promotes feelings of interdependency. This enables individuals to let their guards down and builds synergy between team members.

• Cortisol
This is the hormone that we all associate with stress so, within a work environment, it should certainly be taken into account. While too much of it can have a negative impact on how we work and feel, we need a degree of it in order to stay focused and on-task.

• Adrenaline
As our ‘action’ hormone, it’s the result of our survival instinct being triggered. It prepares our bodies for action, effort and exertion and will be present for challenges; however, it’s more likely to manifest itself when the challenge becomes too much or failure seems probable.

Now you have a basic understanding on the chemicals in the brain, how do you apply it to performance management techniques? We’ll share our tips later this week – watch this space!