Brain science
Eric M. Bailey is President & CEO of Bailey Strategic Innovation Group and the author of The Cure for Stupidity: Using Brain Science to Explain Irrational Behavior at Work. At Workhuman Live 2023, Eric wowed audiences with findings on the brain science behind social norms. Recently, I asked Eric how understanding the interplay of science, culture, behavior and personal interactions can improve Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs results.
What does brain science tell us about the effectiveness of current workplace DE&I education?
There is an impressive body of work from Frank Dobbin from Harvard University centered around, “Why Diversity Training Fails.” Essentially, much of the diversity training that we’ve been doing over the past several decades has the unfortunate effect of making people feel defensive, guilty, or shamed. Brain Science research tells us that when people experience these emotions, they are less likely to be open to learning. We don’t need people to feel defensive, we need people to feel curious. I have been shouting from the mountaintops, "When people are defensive, they are not listening and they cannot learn."
You’ve described “Radical Curiosity” as the key to changing personal behavior. How does that work?
Radical Curiosity is a concept I came up with to fundamentally change a conversation, an argument, a discussion, or a debate. Oftentimes when we are in arguments or debates we have this idea that we are willing to understand the other person, but they need to understand us first. Radical Curiosity flips that on his head. Instead of trying to get a word in edgewise while we are not listening, we try to understand where they're coming from and what motivates them.
When we do that, we show up differently in the conversation. Our physical presentation changes. We recognize when someone is feeling defensive, and do what we can to lower their defenses, make them feel safe, and engage on a human level. We can disagree, but respectfully. We are ready to learn.
How can large organizations utilize an understanding of these principles to accomplish goals, whether those be DE&I initiatives or in other business areas?
There is a principle that I teach in my sessions called, “The Illusion of Certainty” - the brain likes to project certainty into the world even if there is none. This Illusion of Certainty cements our experiences. Instead of saying things like “I believe it to be this way,” our Illusion of Certainty makes us say things like, "it is this way!" Conflict arises when our expectation of the world does not match the expectation or experience of the person that we're engaging with.
This is one of the most challenging issues with discussing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. It’s very difficult for us to instinctively understand somebody else's experience. It’s like we're walking around with horse blinders on, but when we consciously try to understand somebody else's experience our blinders to the world open up. We suspend the Illusion of Certainty. Opening up doesn’t necessarily change who we or what we believe, but it allows us to get a more accurate picture of the world. That’s the foundation of any change.
You’ve pointed out that in social situations (like work), “offensive intent is not required for offensive behavior.” Assuming someone really wants to be inclusive, what makes them more alert to their negative behaviors?
This is a powerful question! At Workhuman Live 2022, I sat in on KeyAnna Schmiedl’s session on the distinction between Intent and Impact. Oftentimes people want to believe that if they didn’t intend to cause harm, they should be given credit and the other person should not be offended. Understanding that the impact is more important than the intent, we can return to Radical Curiosity and humility.
The most important thing to note is someone’s physiological reaction. They might get angry, shut down, get flushed, clench their jaw, cry or any number of reactions. It is possible that you caused this reaction unintentionally, but if you have just made a comment, told a joke, or delivered an opinion and someone’s demeanor or behavior changes, acknowledge immediately that something has changed.
I always recommend starting with, “I’m sorry.” It takes courage to be vulnerable like this, but it’s the key to a constructive dialogue.
As an organization, the best thing we can do is develop a culture where folks admit mistakes and seek to grow. Leaders can model how to graciously acknowledge that they’ve made a mistake and show grace to others that make mistakes. This way WHEN (not if) people make mistakes, they are less likely to justify the intent, and more likely to acknowledge the impact.
How can we use recognition and brain science, in partnership, as catalysts to encourage more meaningful or courageous dialogue in the workplace?
All of the 4 main “happiness” brain chemicals are released both when people deliver recognition and when they receive it. When these chemicals are doing their good work, folks are less likely to feel threatened and unsafe. It is in these moments where the most meaningful dialogue can occur. Workhuman is one of the best in the industry at large-scale implementation of meaningful, continuous person-to-person recognition.
It is my mission to help more organizations to have powerful conversations in a productive way. If we understand the brain science of engagement and communication, we can create an environment that welcomes more people into the DE&I conversation. Combine that with mutual recognition, and you replace guilt and shame with understanding and curiosity.
This work isn’t intended to have a big celebration once we cross the proverbial DE&I finish line, it is work that evolves with our collective understanding. If we truly understand this, we can start now and change our culture; in fact, we can change the world.
