Alive at Work: Activating the Emotions of an Agile Culture
70% of workers report disengagement from their work, and the 80% of employees feel that they cannot be their best at work. Why do most people feel the need to shut themselves off at work? Part of it is our biology. The brain has evolved an emotional “Seeking System” which creates a natural impulse to explore our worlds, to learn about our environments, and to extract meaning from our circumstances. The industrial revolution was not good for our Seeking Systems, as organizations were set up to eliminate experimentation and sense of purpose. Today, change happens more frequently, and many organizations are failing because they switch off the part of employees’ brains that produce curiosity, creativity, and enthusiasm.
There are three low-cost ways to activate people’s Seeking Systems:
- Express unique strengths and perspectives
- Prompt curiosity and learning through exploration
- Find a story about the why of work beyond the money
About Dan Cable:
Dan Cable is Professor of Organisational Behaviour at London Business School. Dan’s research and teaching focus on employee engagement, change, organizational culture, leadership mindset, and the linkage between brands and employee behaviors. Dan was selected for the 2018 Thinkers50 Radar List, The Academy of Management has twice honored Dan with “Best article” awards, and The Academy of Management Perspectives ranked Dan in the “Top 25 most influential management scholars.”
Dan’s newest book is Alive at Work, and his first book was Change to Strange. He has published two edited books and more than 50 articles in top scientific journals. His most recent research was published in Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review, the Academy of Management Journal, and Administrative Science Quarterly. This research has been featured in the Economist, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, CNBC, New York Times, and Business Week.
Dan’s clients include Carlsberg, Deloitte, EY, Estee Lauder, HSBC, Ikea, McDonalds, MS Amlin, NBC Universal, Porsche Consulting, Prudential, PwC, Rabobank, Roche, Sanofi, Siemens, and Twitter.