Neuroscience and business: cognition
When we talk about cognition, we are referring to those capacities that allow us to know the environment around us. Some examples are attention or memory.
Neuroscience has a lot to tell us about it, and from this arise multiple tips like the following:
- Our brain unconsciously directs its attention to anything that changes or moves. Knowing this, it is clear that to avoid distractions, ...we must eliminate any stimuli from the environment that fit this profile. For example, if one of our employees is brilliant but absent-minded, their performance will improve if their workspace is located away from any windows facing the outside, where birds, cars, or any other distracting stimuli might appear.
- Sustained attention fluctuates; it is impossible to maintain it Concentration at their maximum for an indefinite period. Generally, a couple of minutes of rest are advised for every thirty minutes of work, but this will vary depending on the person and the activity they are carrying out at any given time. What is clear is that, after that small break we give our brains, performance will be greater than if we do not take the pause that is demanding of us.
- When we have other worries on our minds, our brain splits its attention between the Attention and concentration between these and work. As a company, we can alleviate certain concerns for our employees. For example, a common concern is saving for certain expenses such as childcare or commuting to the office. Solutions such as Flexible remuneration can relax these emotional tensions and, with them, allow our employees' attention and concentration to be greater.
- Memory is another important variable in work. In fact, there is the term working memory To refer to the storage and retrieval of information for a brief period of time, the necessary amount to be able to carry out a task. It is the memory we use to keep a phone number we have just been given in mind until we write it down, or to remember that, after finishing task A, we must urgently move on to task B. Without a doubt, working memory is essential for any employee, so we must encourage training this capacity through games such as, for example, Simon.
Neuroscience and business: emotion
In relation to neuroscience and business, emotion is as important as cognition, perhaps even more so. If emotions dominate our brain, the cognitive part will not be able to function at full capacity and the productivity will decline.
Therefore, we offer the following tips relating to emotion, neuroscience and business:
- A positive working environment contributes to improving performance. When we are in a hostile environment, our brain focuses on avoiding potential threats and, therefore, cannot focus on working optimally. Cultivating a work climate where pleasant emotions such as joy reign should therefore be a priority for every Human Resources department.
- We must also know that the effects of painful emotions They last longer than the effects of pleasant emotions. This means that in response to a reprimand, employees will remain defensive for longer than they will remain in high spirits after a compliment. It is important to carefully consider how we manage reprimands and what words we use in them.
- The Stress It is one of the most common painful emotions in today's business world. However, what is not so well known is the fact that stress does not affect all people in the same way. Some feel stressed by a huge workload, but there are also those who get stressed, or bored, when the workload is light. Therefore, the Human Resources department must know each of its employees very well to adapt the level of demand to them.
We hope these neuroscience and business tips will contribute to improving performance in your business.
