Brain chemistry and its impact on human performance

(gentle music) - Hey there, welcome back. Now as we mentioned in earlier modules, the primary emphasis of this course is going to be focused on the people side of continuous improvement as such. And this module we're going to focus on what makes human beings behave and act as they do, with a particular focus on how our emotions and how some important chemicals inside of our brains work. Well, specifically by the end of this module you'll understand how five specific chemicals within our brains strongly influence just about every emotional aspect of our lives. And you'll also understand how to make these same chemicals work to your advantage, as well as what to do when these same chemicals seem to be working against us. Now with this said, all of this talk of brain chemicals may seem a bit too scientific for a lean thinking related course, but as you'll see the things we talk about during this module are indeed foundational for any person or company wanting to develop a strong culture of kaizen, since in the end it's all about people. Okay, well, in order to better understand how we humans work we need to discuss five specific brain chemicals. Well, first we have endorphins. Basically endorphins exist to mask physical pain. Now it's because of endorphins that athletes often achieve a so-called runners high when they have really push themselves. Endorphins are also released when we have a good belly laugh or eat certain foods, like chocolate. And believe it or not, endorphins often interact with the opiate receptors in the brain and mimic drugs like morphine and codeine. Well next we have dopamine, which functions as a neurotransmitter within the brain. Now this basically means it helps send signals throughout the brain. At its most basic level dopamine is released when we accomplish things. So, for example, when you cross items off your to-do list a small amount of dopamine is released, which is why many people love handwritten to-do lists, because it allows us to physically cross things off our lists, which then provides a feeling of accomplishment. Now we also receive a dopamine rush when we experience any sort of victory. For example, when you win at a hand of cards you'll receive a small burst of dopamine, that's why it feels good. And if you've ever watched your child succeed at anything well, chances are very good you'll also receive a healthy shot of dopamine, like I did when I watched my daughter score this goal. And as odd as it may sound, many of us receive a small burst of dopamine when the picture or post we just shared on Facebook gets a new like. Well, with this said, while dopamine can make us feel good, it doesn't come without its risks, since it can become highly addicting. Now a good example of this is our smart phones. Now if you find yourself grabbing your mobile phone the second your eyes open each morning or if you find yourself clutching your phone as you walk through your office or home, well chances are good you're addicted to the dopamine rush you feel when your phone buzzes or alerts you of an incoming message or call. And as it turns out Parkinson's disease is thought to be caused when people are no longer able to generate dopamine. Now from a lean thinking perspective there are many ways to leverage dopamine in a positive manner. First, as we mentioned, things like to-do lists or hour-by-hour production boards can be highly effective, as associates feel a sense of accomplishment as goals are met. And when they do achieve these goals small amounts of dopamine are released inside those that made it happen. Second, done correctly, well crafted vision statements can be highly effective if they allow employees to feel a sense of accomplishment when they achieve company goals. But on the flip side, poorly written, vague mission statements full of nothing but buzz words and meaningless statements, like we hope to exceed customer expectations, are usually worth less than the poster board they're printed on. But, like anything, dopamine can lead to trouble if care isn't taken. Again, from a personal perspective, hungering for a dopamine fix often results in bad behaviors, like spending far too much time on social media websites, since we're desperate to see how many new likes our recent post got. Now dopamine can also create problems for companies who are fixated on short-term performance metrics and will do just about anything in order to hit that operational goal, no matter the long-term consequence. This is why dopamine is often classified as a selfish chemical, since the success of others isn't all that important for those seeking dopamine. Instead it's normally all about us. Okay, well the third chemical that we'd like to explore is serotonin, often referred to as the leadership chemical. Now there are many ways serotonin is released, but one of the most powerful is when we get public recognition. So, for example, when the entire leadership team applauds the kaizen event team's hard work during the end of the week report out, well those team members will all experience a rush of serotonin, which in turn makes them feel fantastic. But the interesting thing about serotonin is that it's at it's best when it's shared with others. In other words, let's say the plant manager was instrumental to the success of that kaizen event, but she decides to stand in the back during the report out, so the team members get all the praise. Well, while the team members will definitely experience a rush of serotonin, so will the plant manager, especially when the team thanks her for all the support and active involvement she showed them. Additionally, research shows that a person's serotonin levels typically increase when they're promoted or moved into some sort of leadership position, while serotonin levels often crash when a person is demoted or moved out of a leadership position. Well, research also shows that athletes with higher serotonin levels often perform better in pressure-packed situations, since they're better able to relax and concentrate on the challenge before them. Now, in addition to things like public recognition and some dietary supplements, exercise and sunlight go a long ways to increasing serotonin levels. This is why buildings like the new FastCap facility are such a joy to visit and work in, since there's natural sunlight flooding the entire building, even the bathrooms. Lastly, getting sufficient sleep is very important as it pertains to serotonin. If you don't get enough sleep your body will struggle to create serotonin no matter the situation. Okay, well after serotonin we arrive at what many believe to be the most powerful chemical of all, oxytocin. And while you can receive oxytocin synthetically, which incidentally some women do during childbirth, oxytocin is typically released as a result of physical touch. This is why parents often hug their children when they're consoling them. Now oxytocin is also called the trust hormone, since researchers say it affects everything from the way we interact with strangers, to how we feel about our government. For example, if a stranger opens the door for you chances are good your oxytocin levels will temporarily spike and at least for the next few seconds your trust level of that stranger likely improved. And while I'm not 100% certain about this, I'm fairly confident oxytocin is released inside a Texas Rangers pitcher after Mike Maddux, their pitching coach, places his hand on their shoulder as he attempts to calm them down during a bad stretch of the game. And as it pertains to lean thinking research shows that high levels of oxytocin actually makes us better problem solvers, since we're more relaxed and feel safe to experiment. Well, this only makes sense if you think about it. If you trust your manager and coworkers and actually enjoy being around them chances are good you're more likely to want to make improvements. And last, but certainly not least, oxytocin even makes us healthier, since it can boost our immune system. In other words, it's definitely some powerful stuff. So the question is what can be done to increase oxytocin levels? Well first, like we talked about, any sort of physical touch definitely helps, so if a hug is appropriate, definitely give them. But when hugging someone isn't appropriate a simple handshake can help release oxytocin levels. And, if appropriate, using both hands during a handshake can be even more powerful, since you'll have even more physical contact with the person. Now research also shows looking at people when they talk to you can increase oxytocin levels. In other words, when someone wants to talk put your smartphone away and really focus on that person. Well, not only is this more respectful, you just may give that person an oxytocin boost, especially if you follow it up with a big hug or sincere handshake. Next, simply being kind and respectful to others can increase oxytocin, as can random acts of kindness. Now if you don't believe me, the next time you're buying food or coffee in a drive-through ask to pay for the person behind you. I can almost guarantee if you do this your heart will be racing and you'll feel incredible due to the flood of oxytocin and serotonin your body releases. And odds are this random act of kindness will likely make the person on the receiving end feel incredible as well, since they too will experience a burst of these same chemicals. Well, this is why oxytocin and serotonin are usually referred to as the selfless chemicals, since they're at their best when we help others in some way. Lastly, believe it or not, scientists have found that people's oxytocin levels almost always increase after that person spends some time on their favorite social media website. In other words, following Gemba Academy on LinkedIn just may give you that oxytocin boost you've been looking for. But, as we discussed earlier, doing this will also release dopamine when you start counting all your likes and followers, which can lead to selfish behavior. So be careful with this last piece of advice. All right, so those are all the feel-good chemicals. Well, the last one that we'd like to talk about in this module is the big C, cortisol. Now we saved this one for last, since it's the most dangerous chemical of all. You see, cortisol, which is a particular type of hormone, is released when we feel stress or anxiety or we're scared, nervous, or paranoid. So if people don't feel safe or valued cortisol is usually released. And the worst part is that cortisol is an oxytocin inhibitor, meaning if enough cortisol is released our immune systems can actually be compromised. Put another way, and this is some serious stuff, bad leaders of people who aren't trusted could potentially cause their employees to become physically sick or worse. Now with this said, when you feel stressed or worried, meaning your cortisol levels are likely high, there are a few things that you can do. First, listening to music can lower cortisol levels, since it's been found to have a calming effect on the brain. Now getting sufficient sleep is also very important. For example, researchers discovered a 50% increase in cortisol levels, which is a bad thing, when people only slept six hours versus eight hours. And lastly, meditation and prayer have been known to also lower cortisol levels. And if these aren't things that you personally do, a quiet walk will also help. So let's wrap things up with a short review of all these chemicals. Now endorphins exist to mask physical pain. Dopamine makes us feel good when we accomplish something. or achieve some sort of personal victory. Serotonin is the leadership chemical and is released when we're acknowledged in a positive way. And oxytocin makes us feel safe and appreciated. And cortisol does its best to tear us down by making us feel stressed and defeated. So now that we have a better understanding of what these chemicals do our challenge is to be aware of how our behaviors can impact others. In other words, the next time you praise a colleague in front of a group of people realize that you've likely made their day by flooding their system with serotonin, but on the flip side if you see others who seem stressed out or worried you now know that cortisol maybe overwhelming them, causing them to underperform and in severe cases, making them ill. You see, in order to truly create a culture of kaizen we must understand that in the end the most important thing we can do is respect one another and help one another perform at our highest levels. Put another way, it really comes back to the concept of treating others the way you'd prefer to be treated. Now if we can do this or at least attempt to become better at doing this the world will be a far better place. Okay, and that wraps up this module. In our next lesson we're going to build on what we just learned by exploring what's known as the SCARF model, which focuses on how to best collaborate with others. So we'll speak to you soon.