More than ever, there is this social awareness and desire to create goodness and share it with others. Another notable trend is to see corporate leaders & public servers talk more about becoming socially responsible by creating environments for social well-being (mental, emotional & physical). Neuroscience has created a bridge for us to understand how fostering mental stillness promotes happiness, which further promotes focus and productivity at work, personal & social lives. 

As organization effectiveness and change enabling consultant, and a yoga teacher, I always feel aspired to instill mindfulness in my environment. I got so enthused listening to a panel discussion on Mindful Approach to Learning & Development: Addressing the Whole Person by a group of ‘people-enablers’ from companies like Zenga, Facebook, Twitter & Google, at the Wisdom 2.0 summit. This event was hosted in Silicon Valley last month, bringing together technology leaders, social workers, Zen masters & neuroscientists to talk about how to bring well-being in the technology-rich culture.

 Here are some encouraging trends & thought leadership on inducing Mindfulness and measuring Awesomeness at work …

The CTO of Twitter often asks the interviewees, ‘How happy are you?’ Employing ‘happy’ people is important to Twitter. The company uses ‘Happiness Survey’ to measure workforce efficiency. ‘When engineers get out of their head and get into their body, they do the best coding’, shares the L&D head. Sensory experience helps. Mindfulness helps.  

Facebook uses ‘Awesomeness Index’ to measure success by asking their people mainly two things – ‘how much pride do I have in what we are doing in our team?’ & ‘would I bring my very best friend here?’ To keep a good check on employee satisfaction, the company measures Fulfillment instead of Engagement. ‘Engineers are deliciously curious individuals. As we provide some fundamentals and scientific data about how brain operates and how mindfulness helps, our engineers make the most of the experience’ shares L&D head of Facebook.

 Zenga designs workshops along the lines of mindfulness principles, to facilitate dialogue between engineers and creatives. They teach techniques to their engineers to have better enquiry skills and to teach their creative workforce to deepen understanding of how engineers operate.

Google looks for ‘composure’ in their candidates. It’s indirectly related to mindfulness. A sense of curiosity, passion around changing the world that adds towards the qualities of mindfulness person. In return Google provides a physical environment to reinforce these desired behaviors by providing ‘calming spaces’ and mindfulness classes.

What people need the most is happiness. Organizations can be a healthy container for people to grow into their best selves by preserving a creative and energized culture. There is benefit in staying deeply attuned to seeing organization as organism and figuring out what capabilities it needs in that moment. Hence, the role of Organization Effectiveness is shifting much.

Thinking holistically, organically, rather Essence-fully one of the most common distinctions in the literature on cognitive style is between analytic and holistic styles. I think further distinction can be drawn towards cognitive style of thinking essence-fully. Thinking is an action of mind to produce thoughts. Thinking essence-fully, is when the mind pays attention to the significance of a thing, a person or a situation and acts accordingly. Thinking essence-fully is a beautiful practice of internal awareness, connected to the roots, regulating internal & external environment in a holistic manner. In today’s information surplus world, our brains are becoming addicted to ‘thinking’. Those neural circuits in our brains are getting wired to stay active & process information all the time, including when the brain rests in sleep state. This ‘thinking-addiction’ prevents brain from being essence-full. This waste of cognitive & emotional processing leaks away the potency, at the very least, and in extreme cases it can lead to serious mental damage. Jonah Lehrer’s recent blog recalls interesting scientific explanation on difficulty exercising will power when the working memory is at overload & how it impacts the executive center of our brain – ‘Self Control & Prefrontal Cortex‘. Connecting this back to my point, thinking essence-fully minimizes the waste and maximizes our “thinking resources”, which further stimulates “self-control” & promotes intelligent responses to the matters of significance. Would be nice to see scienctists conducting fMRI study & show us some data points on the subject.

To a broader context, during the last two decades, scientists have gained a new, far more accurate view of human nature and behavior change because of the integration of psychology (the study of the human mind and human behavior) and neuroscience (the study of the anatomy and physiology of the brain). In my recent pursuit on educating in the field of neuroscience & people side of change making, I am noticing few new trends. Managers who understand the recent breakthroughs in neuroscience can influence change that takes into account the physiological aspects of brain. Learn more on neuroplasticity, mirror neurons in my article Neuroscience Basics for Change Leaders.  Here are few practical tips based on related science research: 

• Repeat Critical Information, 5-7 times at least
• Engage Visually & Emotionally
• Generate Common Motivation
• Reward Socially
• Show Empathy

… If you want people to work better, i.e. follow directions, reward them monetarily…. old fashionably exercising left-brain

… If you want people to work better, i.e. be innovative; offer them autonomy, mastery and a sense of purpose…. new ways of exercising right-brain 

We are constantly changing and evolving as individuals and as a global society at large and so are our motivation factors. Back in the 20th century human motivation, especially at a workplace, was mostly promoted using extrinsic factors, rewarding behavior with tangible gifts, such as money. Although extrinsic reward systems have their due place, our society, especially the younger generation, is growing as predominantly intrinsic in nature and hence intrinsic reward systems hold a great value – driven mainly by interest or enjoyment in tasks. I like what Dan Pink’s talk on the surprising science of motivation. Also like his call out for a new operations system built around intrinsic motivation factors such as Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose….

             … If ->then… reward systems, often destroy creativity

  … Secret to high-performance isn’t rewards and punishments

   … but that unseen intrinsic drive to do things that matter

More exiting perspective on Dan Pink’s TED talk

Most commonly understood and as Merriam-Webster defines, Sixth Sense is a power of perception like but not one of the five senses: a keen intuitive power. It is a heightened sense of awareness which exists beyond the intellectual mind.

Having insights and being intuitive are intellectual capabilities more naturally available for some people than others. Much of what we do including our creative motivation at work comes from our intuition and superior forms of sensibilities. Biggest discoveries are often made from intuitive insights. Exercising intuitive abilities is becoming more important in today’s fast paced information heavy world, where judgments & complex decisions are to be made in split seconds.

Comparing notes on western neuroscience facts with eastern knowledge on cultivation of the sixth sense
I usually like to keep a balance between respecting the mysteries of human life and shaping my beliefs based on hardcore scientific facts (or lack thereof). However, on this particular subject, I see some strong connection between what the sciences is discovering using fMRIs and my personal experiences from Raja Yoga meditation practice of last decade.

Picture Source: www-personal.umich.edu/~wgehring/research.html
University of Washington neuroscientists point out ‘Sixth Sense’, using fMRI study, in the ACC (Anterior Cingulate Cortex) region of the brain. Known to be an important component of the brain’s executive control system, the ACC is believed to help mediate between cold, hard, fact-based reasoning and emotional responses, such as love, fear or anticipation. Dopamine, a key neurotransmitter in carrying emotional responses throughout our body, seems to play a key role in training the ACC to recognize when to send the early warning signal, suggests this study.

Alternately Matthew Lieberman a social cognitive neuroscientist from UCLA describes intuition, at the social, cognitive and neural levels calling out Basal Ganglia as a central component for both intuition and implicit learning. It’s the place in the brain that emotionally communicates that ‘gut feeling’ as we might say, ‘that feels right’, ‘it suddenly hit me’, ‘something clicked into the right place’ or the solution suddenly became clear’.

I am not 100% certain on the exact location where sixth sense resides within human brain. I strongly see some co-relations comparing to the above facts with the practice of Raja Yoga.

When asked my Raja Yoga teacher (Raja Yoga is translated as the path of meditation and control of the mind and all its thought-waves), she described Sixth Sense as a superior sense that allows eyes to see to the back of things, ears to hear the heart of things, lips to speak the essence of things. It is a result of a long journey inwards to the core of being and the ability to rest there and watch. The sixth sense is often regarded as mastery of the five senses. Techniques used by Raja Yoga meditation encourages open-eye meditation focusing on the center of the forehead behind the eyes. It’s known to be a practice connecting with our deeper intrinsic processing, based on which we can activate the ‘observer mind’, altering our thought waves and mental-emotional state consciously. Once we connect with this deeper sensibility, the quality of life and relationships improve dramatically as precision accompanies in every thought, decision, action & emotional expression of one’s life. With such regular practice over years, at a very minimum, intuition and precision becomes natural mental abilities.

Furthermore, connecting this topic to current management strategies or principles, ‘Intuitive Leadership’ is increasingly becoming a common term used as an aspiring essential skill to have that provides key competitive advantage. Here’s a real good read on this topic from Center of Creative Leadership.

Manifesting A Great Idea into Corporeality

Picked up this line while listening to NPR where a symphony orchestra composer shared his plans being mindful of the challenges working with a new team within a new environment.

Forming vision, developing strategies, implementing projects and delivering tangible results, using multiple human aptitudes, is truly an art of management. It requires various cognitive abilities, especially logical and intuitive brain at use all at once. This reminds me of David Rock’s book, Your Brain at Work. A good weekend read for office manager.

Source: The sceince of Meaningful Life, UCLA, Berkeley

One line that caught my attention the most, from Leadership Development perspective, was ‘ a hero organizes and forms networks’. Cozolino’s study on social neuroscience, mirror neurons and neurosynapsis explains the biological insights on such social behavior. My previous blog Neuroscience for Change Leaders correlates Cozolino’s research with leadership & management.

I think all human beings have the Hero genes. It’s a matter activation, which can only happen through external circumstances. Once it comes into play, regardless of the age, it only grows. Those individuals, who have for once performed a heroic act, often continue to think/feel/act out from the same mindset (forming stronger neural circuitry), be it a world leader, politician, business manager, entrepreneur, art performer, mother or an adolescent.

This brings me back to a famous unanswered question - Can great leaders be trained to perform acts of heroism or are they naturally born to be so? For now, I am more inclined to believe that great leaders are not born as leaders, they are trained to become so, through the experiences of their own life.

Mirror Neuron. Continuing from my blog-article from last September, Mirror Neurons influence social behavior. These cells fire both when we act and when we simply observe the same behavior in others. They generate similar emotions that enforce connection between sender and receiver enhancing emotional resonance, empathic attunement, and mutual understanding. In his book, Neuroscience and Human Relationships, Louis Cozolino, Ph.D., explains that the mirror neurons lie at the crossroads of processing of inner and outer experience, where multiple networks of visual, motor, and emotional processing converge. These cells bridge information, action influencing group behavior.

Mindfulness Mirroring. Through several years of mindful living and following principles of Raj Yoga & Kundalini Yoga, I’ve learnt that being Mindful generates mental clarity & power to influence our environment through powerful attitude. Our value-driven conduct may inspire others to consider whether their own lives are reflective of their values. Dr. Dan Siegel, neuroscientist from UCLA shares more in his book The Mindful Brain.

Relating to people side of change management. There is a connection. Harvard Business Review posts a related blog on A call for Mindful Leadership where Dr. Ellen Langer shares 30 years of research and findings that increasing mindfulness increases charisma, productivity and helps influence the environment including people.

The problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts into your mind, but how to get old ones out.

Dee Hock, founder & former CEO of VISA

The way I interpret the meaning of Swastika, is that, it represents continuum in every aspect of universal change. Its cyclical, not linear. For example, the four seasons: Spring starts with creation of the new. Summer is vivid, refreshing and brings joyfulness. Fall season reveals itself slowly and naturally where we feel obliged to slow down and take the stock of our lives and let go of the unwanted. During the winter season, nights are long, humans and animals pass the time in peaceful reflections. 

Thinking further and co-relating to the business strategy and change management perspective … 

Create the New: Just like spring season, this is the high energy phase of creation and growth where leaders & workforce come together to implement the new ideas into action generating value for the stakeholders, shareholders and community at large.

Recognize, Share & Preserve Success: Just like summer season, this is the phase of enthusiasm, joy and optimism recognizing the creation and celebrating success. Leaders and workforce collectively acknowledge each other’s performance through formal and informal reward systems. They also work towards forming solutions for the sustainable ecosystem.

Discern and Let-go of Past Failures: Just like the fall season, this phase naturally brings slowness, as tone and tempo of business changes. The appearance of this phase can be deceiving as it may appear like the endings rather than the transitions. The time to take an inventory of what’s working and scale down what’s not working.

Dream and Visualize for the New: Just like the winter season, if the leaders surrender to what this phase intends to be, that is, to slow down the pace and allow the innovators to incubate on new ideas, foster connections and develop feasible business plans. This phase is the preparation of the next new cycle of growth, optimization and sustenance. 

Journey is the reward. Enjoy the process of changing.

Have A Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year 2011. 

I recently attended Sheena Iyangar’s talk at NeuroLeadership Summit on Rethinking Leadership in Boston. Sheena is a professor at Columbia Business School and a research director at the Jerome A. Chazen Institute of Business.

Next day, I couldn’t resist buying her book The Art of Choosing as I was curious to learn more about her thoughts on the subject. Her book has made the list of finalists for the Financial Times Business Book for the year 2010. On my flight back to Seattle, I reflected on her talk and the book in relation to being human, mass communication, choosing and decision making.

Following points from her book provide a useful perspective on how we choose and decide in our personal lives and professional careers.

Emotional Memory. We tend to have better memory for things that excite our senses or appeal to our emotions than for straight facts and dry stats. Often times we hold stronger memory for things that have disappointed us in the past. In such cases we may have a bias opinion and choose poorly.

Visual Presentation. The way we frame information for ourselves or for others can make a big difference in how we see and respond to choice. Every time we encounter new information or reexamine old information, we are influenced by its presentation.

Pattern Making. Our minds automatically seek order and our tendency to establish relationships between different pieces of information play an important role in decision making. Drawing connection is vital to our reasoning ability but when we start to see patterns that don’t exist we may end up choosing poorly.

Belief System/. We embrace information that supports what we already prefer or vindicate choices we previously made. After all it feels better to justify our opinion rather than challenge them.

Informed Intuition. By combining our automatic system with reflective system, we can make snap judgments that are highly accurate. Our automatic system reacts to information and situation at hand, while our reflective system refers back to the related memories stored in our brains for analysis and reasoning.