Hidden influences in decision making,
behaviour and performance
Emotionally intelligent leaders are successfully able to use their intuition, their gut-feeling, as valuable indicators when making decisions.[1] [2]
Neuroscientific research shows the profound influence of the subconscious on how we think, how we make decisions, behave and perform. [3] [4] It shows that we are dependent on millions of subconscious brain activities every minute behind just a handful of conscious ones, in order to function.[5]
Neuroscience also shows how our brains have limited cognitive capacity, a limited capacity for focus, for conscious, logical thought. We tire quickly when we have to think deeply for an extended period of time, for example when reasoning complex decisions or examining interdependent systems.[6]
We all know of teams or organisations that feel great to be in, where we feel valued and our contributions respected, but what lies behind these feelings of being valued and respected? Subconscious attitudes, for example those that make us adopt predominantly ‘giving’ or ‘taking’ attitudes when in teams and organisations, strongly influence our performance within those teams or organisations. Other attitudes, for example those that allow us to connect and network with individuals or teams, or mean that we prefer to stay on the periphery of a team or organisation, again strongly influence our performance and the performance of the team or organisation around us. [7] [8]
Subconscious distractions can detract enormously from the levels of energy we are able to give our workplace roles and lives more broadly. Subconscious interference, issues that are not dealt with, live on to reduce the energy we have for processing necessary conscious thought, for having discussions, debates, weighing pros and cons, costs and benefits, assessing complex interdependent effects, influencing the nature of our interactions with colleagues and clients, our capability for processing data.
Simple unconscious issues might be those jobs on the ‘To do’ list that we have neglected. More complex unconscious issues might be linked to deeply-held biases, or formative experiences that shape the way we think and feel in certain scenarios, or around people who remind us of past experiences.
We carry out projects with leaders, key individuals, senior teams and organisations that help examine subconscious influences in their roles and in the workplace around them. We help leaders and their teams to develop a better picture of what influences might be at play, and how these influences may be modified to improve the performance of key individuals, teams and the wider organisation.
The importance of organisational culture
In today’s highly-connected world, where clients and consumers can share on-line opinions and comments on their purchasing experiences, the importance of how your staff behaves is stronger than ever. We can help you engineer helpful ways of thinking, feeling and behaving in your organisation.
[1] Goleman, D. (2014) ‘Does intuition affect decisions?’ Taken from: http://www.danielgoleman.info/daniel-goleman-does-intuition-affect-decisions-2/
[2] Goleman, D. (2014) ‘What parts of the brain are activated when we make a gut decision?’ taken from: http://www.danielgoleman.info/daniel-goleman-the-brain-science-behind-gut-decisions-2/
[3] Seth, A., Prescott, T. and Bryson, J (2012) ‘Modelling Natural Action Selection’. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[4] Seth, A. (2018) ‘Consciousness: The last 50 years (and the next).’ Brain and Neurosciences Advances, Volume 2: 1-6
[5] Wilson, T. (2004) ‘Strangers to Ourselves: Discovering the Adaptive Unconscious’. Harvard: Harvard University Press
[6] Kahneman, D. (2012). ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’. London: Penguin.
[7] Grant, A. (2013) ‘Give and Take: Why helping others drives our success.’ London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.
[8] Kets de Vries, M. (2014). ‘Mindful Leadership Coaching: Journeys into the Interior’. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.