BY THE BOOK. Brain, Behaviour and Best Practices: Why ‘chemistry’ matters at work

There have been plenty of books on organisational culture and building engagement at the workplace. But Trust Factor comes at the subject from a different angle. Paul J Zak, founding director of the Centre for Neuroeconomics Studies, combines neuroscience with economics and psychology to decode what makes for a winning culture.

It’s not just any culture, but a culture of trust that generates powerful leverage on organisational performance, writes Zak.

When a person trusts another, the brain synthesises the chemical oxytocin. When there is more trust, there is more oxytocin, he explains.

“I call Oxytocin the moral molecule,” says the neuroscientist, “because when the brain releases it, we treat others well.”

Oxytocin and Zak’s lab studies around it are the starting point to this highly readable book. Zak uses oxytocin not only as the chemical reaction for trust but also as an acronym that binds the eight factors — Ovation, eXpectation, Yield, Transfer, Openness, Caring, Invest, Natural — that go into creating a high-trust, high-performance culture. Each of these factors is a chapter in itself.

It's an attention-grabbing technique, no doubt, to use Oxytocin as an acronym, but then each of these factors is explained convincingly through anecdotes and case studies. Each chapter has stories from companies such as The Container Store, Zappos, Herman Miller, Semco, Google and others to illustrate the point.

At every step, there is also a scientific explanation to what happens when you initiate something. Take the first factor, Ovation , which is the art of rewarding.

When an employee is rewarded, Zak says, there is direct release of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain. Dopamine increases focus and energy and provides a feel-good mood boost. So how do you increase the dopamine? Zak’s prescription is to make Ovation unexpected, tangible and personal, deliver it consistently and in a timely fashion.

eXpectation is all about setting goals and the brain’s way of dealing with it. Is there stress? How much does your testosterone – the body’s way of responding to challenges – go up? But challenge stress is good, one learns, when the brain blocks out distractions and focus. However, after a period of hyperfocus, there needs to be a break, before you take on the next challenge. Else, it could lead to chronic stress.

The next step is Yield , which is all about delegating and letting employees own the goal and control the work. Here, we have examples from Amazon, Ritz-Carlton and Whole Foods Market to show how autonomous functioning can improve performance.

Transfer is all about allowing employees to craft their own jobs and choose their teams. Openness is about a culture of transparency, and Caring is about building relationships. The final two elements, Invest and Natural, are about investing in employees’ personal growth and letting the leader’s natural persona, warts and all, shine through .

According to Zak, OXYTOCIN factors can explain 100 per cent of the variations we see in organisational trust. It’s a fascinating book because it gets into the chemistry and the science of how mood can affect behaviour and performance, and then offers prescriptions for every situation.

The book ticks all the boxes: it’s got actionable insights. It’s got relatable case studies. It’s highly original. And it’s an enjoyable read.

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