Work with Human Nature, Not Against it
Cracking Great Leaders know that under our veneer of sophistication we are quite primitive animals. For 99.8% of our history we have been tribal hunters and gatherers so it’s no wonder it is hardwired into us in so many ways. We still have the same human nature that existed 250,000 years ago when people first emerged on to the Savannah Plains, both the strengths and the weaknesses. This is important to remember because the world we evolved to be part of is profoundly different from the environment we now find at work.
One of the strongest drives we have built into us is the drive to belong. It is primal. Yet many managers seem to do their best to separate and control. To be efficient it’s tempting to eliminate meetings, lunch rooms, coffee breaks, conferences, Christmas parties and other face-to-face interactions, forgetting the missed opportunities to get closer to the people we work and interact with.
We are hardwired to feel strongly about a few people. This is why we still thrive in social groups of no more than 150 people and work groups of 10 to 15 people; yet many managers justify mergers, takeovers and expansion through 'economies of scale' and the benefits of bigness.
We are hardwired to connect with and trust people who work within a short distance of us. This is why short distances, even a few metres, make a big difference to who we are likely to be friends with; yet many managers separate themselves and others behind desks, walls and doors that are seldom open.
We are hardwired to be needed, included and to cooperate, yet many managers behave as though we were selfish and only out for ourselves.
We are hardwired to be concerned about relatively brief intervals of time. This is why it’s so difficult to get senior managers focused on long-term planning and why it needs to be scheduled into the processes of the organisation.
We are hardwired so our emotions rule but many managers overvalue the intellect and 'hard' processes.
This post is an extract from page 150 of the book: "Cracking Great Leaders". It’s about how to release human energy at work. It views people and organisations as energy fields, deeper and stronger than most managers understand - way beyond strengths to Genius.
To see the contents and the first few pages, just click on the word 'Preview' below the image of the book at: https://lnkd.in/bPv6Swn
One of the strongest drives we have built into us is the drive to belong. It is primal. Yet many managers seem to do their best to separate and control. To be efficient it’s tempting to eliminate meetings, lunch rooms, coffee breaks, conferences, Christmas parties and other face-to-face interactions, forgetting the missed opportunities to get closer to the people we work and interact with.
We are hardwired to feel strongly about a few people. This is why we still thrive in social groups of no more than 150 people and work groups of 10 to 15 people; yet many managers justify mergers, takeovers and expansion through 'economies of scale' and the benefits of bigness.
We are hardwired to connect with and trust people who work within a short distance of us. This is why short distances, even a few metres, make a big difference to who we are likely to be friends with; yet many managers separate themselves and others behind desks, walls and doors that are seldom open.
We are hardwired to be needed, included and to cooperate, yet many managers behave as though we were selfish and only out for ourselves.
We are hardwired to be concerned about relatively brief intervals of time. This is why it’s so difficult to get senior managers focused on long-term planning and why it needs to be scheduled into the processes of the organisation.
We are hardwired so our emotions rule but many managers overvalue the intellect and 'hard' processes.
This post is an extract from page 150 of the book: "Cracking Great Leaders". It’s about how to release human energy at work. It views people and organisations as energy fields, deeper and stronger than most managers understand - way beyond strengths to Genius.
To see the contents and the first few pages, just click on the word 'Preview' below the image of the book at: https://lnkd.in/bPv6Swn