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Reducing the fear factor.
Increasing brain safety at work starts with:
Being
prepared.
Being physically and
brain fit through
good nutrition,
daily exercise and
enough sleep is a
great starting point
to optimise the
right balance of
brain chemicals and
neurotransmitters to
boost a positive mood
and access to your
executive suite, the
thinking part of your
brain or pre-frontal
cortex.
Working
smart.
We become more
afraid or overwhelmed
when our thinking is
muddled or foggy.
Gaining clarity by
knowing how to focus
on what is relevant
and ignoring the rest
helps us to see the
wood from the trees.
Once you have that
clarity, fear is quashed.
Procrastination is
a form of fear and
can occur because
of uncertainty about
where to begin, or of
doing a task correctly.
Fear of making a
mistake can hold us
back so much, we
never even start.
Embracing
change.
Leadership is
something we observe
in others that makes
us feel secure that
they will look after us
first no matter what.
Good leaders are
accessible and trusted.
One of the most
common problem
I have witnessed in
some workplaces is
the “us and them”
mentality between
bosses, managers and
staff. If your staff don’t
trust you as a boss,
how can you expect
them to put in extra
effort, or work longer
hours simply because
you ask them to?
Leading by
example.
Change is everywhere
and if we fear it may
be the wrong change,
or take us to the
wrong outcome, or
lead to a lot of hard
and unnecessary work
we become change
adverse. Changing
your perspective
on change alters
our unconscious
and conscious bias
towards change.
What at first seemed
an insurmountable
challenge now not
only looks possible,
it looks a whole heap
of fun too. As soon
as we look forward
to something or
anticipate fun, we
reduce our fear factor.
The quickest way out of a silo mentality at work is for the leaders to effectively lead through their
behaviour. This means observing and actively listening rather than telling, of communicating clearly and
without ambiguity, by granting autonomy to those who need it to grow the business, and to always be
seen to be fair in their dealings with others.
Creating a brain safe work environment is all about restoring the balance of cognition and emotion
because the two work synergistically together. It’s about recognising the real value of any business lies
in the mental capital and wellbeing of brains at work.
Understanding the role emotion plays in our decision making, beliefs, values and performance provides
a fantastic opportunity to create a workplace where people want to come to work, to do their work well
and enjoy a sense of achievement and fulfillment. Knowing how to reduce the fear factor can lead to a
higher level of happiness at work.
Ultimately it’s all about being human and putting people first, because people are what matters.