Repairing and replacing a damaging workplace culture is tough--largely because people form and join cultures instinctively.
Neuroscientist Paul J. Zak set out to shed light on this cultural blindness by measuring the brain activity of people at work. His research uncovered the connection between the release of the feel-good neurochemical oxytocin and the experience of being trusted.
The oxytocin rush revved up recipients of trust to reciprocate by being trustworthy and more trusting of others. "Trust motivates a desire to make an extra effort to reach organizational goals," Zak attests. "A culture of trust is a powerful lever on human behavior--as long as it is properly implemented."
In TRUST FACTOR: The Science of Creating High-Performance Companies, Zak shows that building a culture of trust is essential for any organization that aims to be successful. An engineering guide to getting the "soft stuff" right, TRUST FACTOR identifies eight components of a culture where employees feel empowered, valued and happy, reinforeced by the acronym OXYTOCIN.
Work colleagues hate surprises. But two out of three employees are surprised by the feedback in their annual performance reviews. Compare that to how often supervisors check in with highly engaged employees: weekly. Those who get weekly feedback are rarely surprised.
Setting difficult but achievable expectations engages the brain's reward system so that meeting goals at work becomes highly engaging and enjoyable.
"One of the most potent of the weapons of influence around us is the rule for reciprocation. The rule says that we should try to repay, in kind, what another person has provided us." Robert B. Cialdini, author of The Psychology of Persuasion (William Morrow, 1993)
Source: Paul J. Zak: Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High-Performance Companies