You have analyzed production. You have improved customer service. You are hiring the right people. What else can you do to improve performance? Where is the leverage to take your company's performance to the next level?
The short answer: Your performance driver needs to come from the people and the company’s culture.
If you put people in a group, they will develop ways of interacting that may or may not move an organization's objectives forward. I spent eight years measuring brain activity while people worked in order to discover what aspects of culture provided the biggest impact on performance. More importantly, the research examined how to measure and manage culture to sustain high performance.
The research revealed that organizational trust has the greatest leverage in improving business outcomes. The study identified a set of eight policy categories that leaders can influence to create a high-trust culture. The science also shows precisely how to implement policy changes to create the largest impact on brain activity and colleague behaviors.
The eight building blocks of trust have the acronym OXYTOCIN:
- Ovation (recognize excellence)
- eXpectation (create challenges)
- Yield (delegate generously)
- Transfer (enable job crafting)
- Openness (share information broadly)
- Caring (intentionally build relationships)
- Invest (facilitate whole-person growth)
- Natural (be authentic and vulnerable).
Research in social neuroscience has sufficiently progressed so that we know how each of the eight factors can be implemented to effectively change the way people interact with each other at work.
Over the years, we’ve learned that brain chemical oxytocin is released when we are trusted by others, and oxytocin facilitates effective teamwork. By measuring and intervening to improve one or more of the OXYTOCIN factors, organizations can increase trust and substantially improve performance. In fact, an analysis of a representative sample of working adults in the U.S. found that those working in companies in the top quartile of trust, compared to those in the lowest quartile, have 106 percent more energy at work. In addition, they are 76 percent more engaged and 50 percent more productive. What’s more, they suffer 40 percent less burnout, and even take 13 fewer sick days.
Overall, employees in high trust companies are 56 percent more satisfied with their jobs. Those in high-trust workplaces report being 50 percent more likely to stay with their employer over the next year, and 88 percent would recommend their company as a place to work to family and friends. When one enjoys being at work, satisfaction with one's life outside of work also is higher. In fact, the data shows satisfaction is 29 percent higher for those who have the privilege of working in high trust companies.
Clearly, a culture of trust will improve the triple bottom line. In other words, trust is good for employees, improves organizational performance, and strengthens communities by creating happier and healthier parents, partners, and citizens.
Want to learn more? Join me at ATD 2018 International Conference & Expo for the session, The Neuroscience of Trust: Facilitating Culture and Behavior Change to Improve Performance. During the session with co-presenter Ken Nowack, I will delve deeper into the research and detail the eight building blocks of trust.
