i4 Tales 2015: Creating Brain Friendly Cultures

When we think of collaboration, we know it involves the coming together of two or more people to do work, undertake a project or achieve a common goal, but often we overlook that it is also where an exchange of energy, words and thoughts start. 

This collaborative exchange swiftly evolves into new attitudes and behaviours, thus creating what is usually known as “culture”, which for many years, has been defined as ‘the way we do things’ and is a very common expression used by management consultants and organisations around the world.

Many different models and evaluations have been used to understand and measure the effectiveness of the culture attributed to a group with the purpose of finding out what works and what doesn’t, and re-aligning if necessary.

The majority of these frameworks however, have focused solely on behaviours, ignoring the fact that behaviours are driven by what is happening inside our skulls, or to be more precise - our brains.

If we look at culture as a collection of brains working together, making decisions and influencing one another, we could easily reach the conclusion that if the individual brains are not operating optimally, the behaviours that will arise may lead to the development of toxic, disengaging and unproductive environments.

Thanks to the discoveries in the field of neuroscience, we now know that the health of our brain determines the health of our relationships (both personally and professionally).

So what does creating a brain-friendly culture mean?

The meaning behind this term involves understanding the relationship between our brain and our behaviours, and being willing to action new knowledge in order to improve how we interact with one another and deal with busy and stressful work environments - a skill that would be beneficial across the globe.

In collaboration with Vivid Ideas Sydney, our upcoming  event will involve the exploration of the , including the four key competencies: performance, collaboration, innovation and agility, and the underpinning pillars that make up each competency, from the perspective of the brain.

Join our incredible team of inspiring, thought-provoking speakers and experts who will lead us on a journey of discovery and exploration as we unravel the secrets behind improving culture and increasing productivity, engagement and balance in today’s workplaces.