Have you been disappointed lately with the performance of your people? Maybe you need to consider some unexpected ways to inject curiosity into the day. Contrary to the well know adage that "curiosity killed the cat," recent research seems to say that curiosity thrills the cat!
Your brain likes surprises.
Curiosity is rewarding in itself.Exploring a different way to do something is exciting.
Starting a new project you are not totally sure how will turn out is invigorating.
Those Eureka moments that come with innovation are very rewarding because they usually come as surprises when we least expected them.
Why do those little unexpected pleasurable moments mean so much?
ABC news, reporting on recent Emory University and Baylor College of Medicine research, remarks that the brain's pleasure centers are more "turned on" when we experience unpredictable pleasant things. According to new pictures of the brain responding to surprises, this is true when compared to expected pleasant events. Even more certain when compared with unpleasant events.
What does this means for you as a leader?
The pleasure area deep in the brain responsible for this kind of pleasure is called the nucleous accumbens. Linked to other other parts of the brain that modulate cycles of reward for behavior, the nucleus accumbens is part of a set of neural pathways that facilitate learning new behaviors by pleasurable reinforcement.
This explains why random reinforcements work better as motivators than predictable ones. Now, don’t get me wrong. People do like their predictable paycheck, and will probably not work for you if they did not get it. But getting their expected pay doesn’t bring up any extra pleasure. An unexpected bonus would, even if it is not big.
You can help your workforce stay motivated, creative, engaged, and learning by providing small random unexpected positive experiences. Things like:
- An unexpected note of thanks
- A flower to a hard working assistant
- Noticing work well done and unexpectedly remarking on it privately or in front others
- A surprisingly short and fun meeting where people were expecting boring
- Assigning a creative project in the middle of a routine assignment
- Making learning a competitive game
Remember. . .
The brain finds unexpected pleasure more rewarding that expected ones. Help your people keep up their motivation, engagement, and energy by providing pleasant unexpected surprises. Remember they need their thrill.
Do you want to have a more engaged workforce? I can help you be more effective and successful. Can you afford to lose more valuable time? Contact me today!