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Your brain at work - 11/6/2009 4:42:00 AM

Vendaval

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I am still trying to figure out what "the right level of stress" is and whether the entire concept is an oxymoron.

The points about social threats disrupting a person's ability to focus on their job are spot on.

"Business Books: The human brain in the workplace"
By Martin Langfield
Thu Nov 5, 2009 2:10pm, EST

"Rock, the founder of a company that applies the insights of brain science to leadership coaching, lists five areas in which our brain's threat mechanisms are easily triggered at work: status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness and fairness.
When we feel threatened in any of these spheres -- a superior displays power over us, rumors circulate about the future of our job, our work is micro-managed, we are excluded from colleagues' conversations, or our work is unjustly overlooked -- our brains focus our attention on the threat.
In doing so, the brain diverts scarce resources away from the prefrontal cortex (PFC), the area we use to set goals, make plans, control impulses, solve problems, visualize the unknown and think creatively -- in short, the part of our brain we use to do good work."

http://www.reuters.com/article/ousivMolt/idUSTRE5A42K220091105

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RE: Your brain at work - 11/6/2009 3:05:00 PM

sophia37

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Wow. This article is really right on. I was just having this conversation the other day with someone who works under this kind of "stress".

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RE: Your brain at work - 11/6/2009 9:38:32 PM

outlier

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Vendaval,

This was really interesting. I really enjoyed it.

But I confess I am biased because it supports
my unscientific feelings about work and productivity.

Thank you,
Outlier

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RE: Your brain at work - 11/7/2009 2:52:21 AM

Vendaval

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You are welcome, sophia37 and outlier. My own feelings about most work is rather unscientific too.

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RE: Your brain at work - 11/7/2009 5:04:04 AM

BrokenSaint

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I'd think it would bear scientific weight if studied further (which it likely has been). Too much stress makes people function poorly, those worried about their jobs tend to take that quite seriously, and it's not surprising that performance would fall. But by the same token, I've seen and done fantastic work in the few days before a deadline. The problem with determining the right amount is everyone's levels are likely to vary widely, even given the exact same threat and surrounding conditions.

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RE: Your brain at work - 11/7/2009 10:52:04 AM

rockspider

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There is really no news in the conclusion of the artikle. That has been common knowledge for years. The news to me is really why it is like it is. But don't forget that this is only one theory.

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RE: Your brain at work - 11/7/2009 10:57:53 AM

Passion8Kisser

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No wonder bad things; like burning stuff; are always happening in my workplace... I blame bad management.

we are certainly tired of not knowing what is expected and then being micro-managed.

And now we have very little hours as well; playing into the threat at least of job security.

Thus we do not focus on the multi-tasking always at hand because we are "stressed" and agitated, irritated or otherwise disgruntled.

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