Training Industry Magazine - September/October 2017 - 11

SCIENCE OF LEARNING
SRINI PILLAY, M.D.

BRAIN-BASED
CONVERSATIONS FOR
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT

On the surface, "strategic alignment" is
easy to understand. It simply requires
that people executing a business
strategy be on the same page. Many
leaders mistakenly believe that this only
requires a clear plan, communication
and a personal sense of responsibility
to complete it. While necessary, they
are rarely sufficient. Several other
unconscious biological factors play
a role in whether this alignment is
successful or not.
LEADERSHIP SYNCHRONY
Ideal alignment essentially requires
synchrony. In a recent study, investigators
asked, "What distinguishes leaders from
followers in a group?" By attaching
electrodes to the head of each person in
the group, they found that leaders will
initiate synchrony of their brains with
others within 23 seconds. Rather than a
dictatorial stance then, leading a team
requires brain synchrony. But how?
COMPONENTS OF SYNCHRONY
Daniel Siegel proposed a model
that clearly explains three important
components of synchrony: presence,
wholeness and resonance (i.e., much like
a member of an orchestra, leaders must
be present, self-possessed and resonate
with others). To help concretize how this
can be achieved, I developed a biological
model with suggested actions.
BIOLOGY OF PRESENCE
For a leader to be present, it helps
to connect empathically. Two brain
systems can help achieve this: the mirror
system (i.e., feeling what others feel) and
the mentalizing system (understanding
others' points of view). When these

systems are activated, a strategy will
not only be felt, but truly heard. And
when activated optimally, the leader's
presence has been registered.
Brain-based conversation suggestions:
Leaders may ask, "Is there anything that
conflicts with your expectations? How
can we resolve them? Is this achievable?
Let's discuss why or why not."

DAYDREAMING
WHEN STRATEGIZING
MAY HELP RATHER
THAN HURT.
BIOLOGY OF WHOLENESS
Feeling whole requires a strong sense of
self. Connecting with yourself requires
periods of unfocus throughout the day.
In this sense, unfocus is not a distraction,
but a pause that allows for the self-circuits
in the brain to activate. Intelligent pauses
for strategic alignment can be enhanced
by reverie, a state of mind that involves
contemplation rather than focused
communication. Your brain can only take
so much focus, making unfocus crucial for
the brain to function optimally.
Brain-based conversation suggestions:
Rather than devising a strategy and
communicating it, leaders should involve
employees from the very outset to
encourage buy-in. Strategy discussions
might involve questions, invitation
for suggestions, and an authentic
exploration of doubts and concerns.
Doing this early will prevent conflict
and allow leaders to be more effective.
Also, a certain kind of daydreaming
when strategizing may help rather than

hurt. Positive constructive daydreaming
requires doing something low-key like
walking, and then having positive and
wishful images of the outcome. (Note:
these are images, not just ideas of what
it could look like.)
BIOLOGY OF RESONANCE
Resonance implies that employees are
on the same page and feel connected
to the leader and the strategy. In the
brain, resonance implies that the brain
feels rewarded (i.e., the reward center is
activated), and that employees feel like
they are part of the strategy.
Brain-based conversation suggestions:
To achieve this, certain physical
activities can change brain activation.
For example, walking in tandem or even
dancing together makes people like
others more, remember them better
and even trust them more. Talking
about the strategy on group walks, or
incorporating dancing into a retreat
may be helpful in enhancing employee
resonance to improve alignment.
CONCLUSION
When there is strategic alignment, people
and their brains are on the same page. By
incorporating brain-based conversations
into strategic communication, alignment
will become much more likely because
the brains of leaders and their teams will
be aligned too.
Dr. Srini Pillay is the CEO of NeuroBusiness
Group. He is also assistant professor (parttime) at Harvard Medical School and
teaches in the executive education programs
at Harvard Business School and Duke CE.
Email Srini.

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24065936 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4942880/ https://www.hbr.org/2016/02/how-leaderless-groups-end-up-with-leaders https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4521297/ https://www.hbr.org/2016/03/the-science-behind-how-leaders-connect-with-their-teams https://www.hbr.org/2017/05/your-brain-can-only-take-so-much-focus http://www.trainingindustry.com/ezine.aspx

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