Improve strategy, influence, and decision-making by understanding your brain | Evan LaPointe

Evan’s background (0s)

• The brain can be understood as having different departments, similar to a college campus.
• The speaker emphasizes the importance of engaging different parts of the brain, such as the "science" and "art" departments, to achieve more creative and effective outcomes.
• The speaker introduces Evan LaPointe, the founder of Core Sciences, who specializes in teaching individuals and companies how the brain works and how to apply that knowledge to improve teamwork, product development, business growth, and decision-making.
• LaPointe is a four-time founder, including the creation of Satellite, a successful analytics product acquired by Adobe.
• The conversation with LaPointe will explore how to understand the brain's functions and apply that knowledge to enhance vision, influence, meeting effectiveness, focus, and relationships within teams.
• The discussion will combine scientific theory with practical advice and actionable steps to improve work performance.

Understanding the brain’s complex systems (2m37s)

• The brain is a complex system with different departments or systems, similar to a college campus. These departments are responsible for different functions, such as open-minded experimentation (science department), creative thinking (art department), and retrieving existing knowledge (history department).
• The brain is designed to conserve energy, often relying on the "history department" for quick answers. However, engaging other departments, such as the "science" or "art" departments, can lead to more creative and innovative solutions.
• The brain also has pathways that influence the flow of thoughts. These pathways are influenced by personality traits, predisposing individuals to certain responses, such as anxiety or creativity.
• Self-awareness involves understanding one's preferences and intentionally steering thoughts down specific pathways to activate desired brain regions.

The three core brain systems: safety, reward, and purpose (7m17s)

• The brain has three core systems: safety, reward, and purpose. The safety system is activated when we feel threatened or unsafe, motivating us to seek security. The reward system is activated when we anticipate receiving something positive, driving us to pursue desired outcomes. The purpose system is activated when we understand the impact of our actions and care about the people affected by them, leading to a sense of meaning and fulfillment.
• Focus is another important aspect of brain function. It can range from open-mindedness to deep focus, influencing our ability to process information and make decisions.
• Ability is influenced by our connection to reality, reason, and imagination. The more context we have, the more we can reason and imagine, the higher our ability to make effective decisions and take action.

Applying brain science to team dynamics (11m3s)

• Individual differences in work styles can lead to frustration and conflict. People have different preferences for how they work, such as focusing on building, planning, data, or collaboration. These differences can cause misunderstandings and tension within teams.
• The idea that "we are more similar than we are different" can be harmful. This belief can lead to assumptions about others and hinder our ability to effectively work with people who are different from us.
• Understanding individual personality traits is crucial for effective teamwork. Personality traits influence how people process information, make decisions, and interact with others. Tools like the Big Five personality profile can help individuals understand their own strengths and weaknesses and how they might differ from others.
• Self-awareness is essential for effective leadership and teamwork. Just as a chef needs to understand their own preferences to create diverse and appealing dishes, individuals need to understand their own personality traits and how they might impact their interactions with others. This self-awareness allows for more effective communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution.

The role of personality in team performance (14m27s)

• Understanding one's own personality is crucial for effective teamwork and decision-making. Individuals should be aware of their communication style, thinking patterns, and tendencies to either lead or follow in group settings.
• Personality assessments, such as the Big Five model, Myers-Briggs, and DISC, can be helpful tools for self-awareness. While these assessments are imperfect, they can provide valuable insights into individual strengths and weaknesses.
• A growth mindset is essential when interpreting personality assessments. Instead of using the results to justify existing behaviors, individuals should use them to identify areas for improvement and develop more adaptable communication and collaboration skills.
• Understanding the personality differences within a team is essential for effective collaboration. By recognizing how different individuals think and react, team members can create a "mesh mentality" where ideas flow naturally and productively.
• Personality differences can explain challenges in communication, collaboration, and decision-making. By recognizing these differences, individuals can better understand why they may struggle to work effectively with certain people and develop strategies to overcome these challenges.

Creating effective work environments (17m27s)

• Creating an effective work environment is crucial for high-functioning teams. The text compares companies and teams to terrariums, emphasizing the importance of creating an environment that fosters productive thinking and interaction.
• The text highlights the mismatch between what science knows about human behavior and what businesses often practice. This gap can lead to dysfunction, particularly in traditional management structures.
• The text advocates for a shift from a management-centric approach to a coaching-centric approach. This shift aligns with scientific understanding of human behavior and can lead to increased performance and well-being. Examples of companies like Canva and Figma are cited as examples of organizations that have successfully implemented this approach.
• The text emphasizes the importance of imagination as a hypothesis generation engine. This involves not only generating ideas but also visualizing and exploring the potential outcomes of those ideas.
• The text suggests that by bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and business practices, companies can significantly reduce dysfunction and improve performance. This can be achieved through a variety of strategies, ranging from adopting a coaching model to fostering a culture of imagination and exploration.

The science of meetings and decision-making (23m16s)

• Meetings are a significant source of wasted time and money. The average person can save between half a day and a full day per week by improving their meeting practices.
• Meetings should be treated like products with a clear purpose and workflow. This includes intentional design and organization.
• Meetings are a combination of priming and decision-making. Priming involves setting the context and aligning everyone on the purpose, principles, and desired outcome of the meeting.
• Skipping the priming step is a common mistake. It leads to misaligned expectations and wasted time.
• Priming can be done in the meeting invite or at the beginning of the meeting. It should include a clear statement of the meeting's purpose, principles, and desired outcome.
• Many meetings get the priming and decision-making steps backwards. They start with decision-making and then try to prime participants later in the meeting.
• It is important to have a debate about principles before making decisions. This helps to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that decisions are made with a shared understanding of the context.

Enhancing strategy and vision (29m35s)

• Understanding Individual Brain Differences: Individuals have varying levels of "openness," which influences their tolerance for abstract, creative, and unconventional ideas. Those with lower openness may find it challenging to embrace visionary and strategic thinking, experiencing discomfort with abstract concepts.
• The Impact of Openness on Strategy and Vision: Openness plays a crucial role in how individuals approach strategy and vision. Lower openness can lead to resistance towards unconventional ideas, making it difficult to engage in brainstorming and envisioning new possibilities.
• Socializing Knowledge and Building Trust: Teams benefit from diverse perspectives, including those with varying levels of openness. Openly acknowledging individual strengths and weaknesses fosters a more collaborative environment. Individuals with lower openness can leverage their strengths in other areas, while seeking guidance and support from those who excel in visionary thinking.
• The Importance of Habitat: The environment or "habitat" within a team or organization significantly influences how ideas are received and discussed. A culture that values open communication, encourages exploration, and prioritizes experimentation fosters a more conducive environment for strategic thinking.
• The Role of Intellect and Instinct: Individuals can use their intellect to refine their instinctive responses to situations. This involves recognizing when instinctive reactions might be misaligned with the situation and making conscious choices based on a more balanced perspective.
• The Value of Translation: Individuals with different levels of openness may have different "native languages" for understanding ideas. Effective teams bridge these gaps by translating visionary concepts into more concrete terms that resonate with those who may struggle with abstract thinking.
• The Power of Strengths: Individuals can achieve success by focusing on their strengths and collaborating with others who complement their skillsets. This approach allows individuals to contribute effectively while acknowledging their limitations.
• The Importance of Self-Awareness: Self-awareness is key to navigating these differences. By understanding one's own strengths and weaknesses, individuals can make informed decisions about how to engage in strategic discussions and contribute effectively to the team.

Understanding personality traits in strategy and vision (54m46s)

• Individuals with different personality traits can contribute to successful strategy and vision development. While openness to experience is important for generating ideas, other traits like conscientiousness and agreeableness are crucial for different stages of the process.
• The initial phase of strategy and vision development involves idea generation, where individuals with high openness to experience can excel. These ideas should be shared openly and collaboratively, allowing for improvement and refinement by the team.
• As ideas mature, conscientiousness becomes more important. Individuals with this trait can focus on resource allocation, sequencing, and ROI analysis, ensuring the feasibility and effectiveness of the strategy.
• Agreeableness plays a vital role in coordinating and aligning the team, particularly during the implementation phase. Individuals with high agreeableness can facilitate collaboration, ensure everyone is on the same page, and maintain focus on project completion.
• Recognizing and addressing individual weaknesses is crucial for team success. While focusing on strengths is important, neglecting weaknesses can hinder progress and create inefficiencies. Teams should identify individuals who complement each other's strengths and weaknesses, creating a balanced and effective unit.

Tactical tips for increasing openness (58m58s)

• Reverse engineering for openness: To increase openness, especially for conscientious individuals, it is recommended to practice reverse engineering. This involves understanding the inputs required to achieve a desired outcome. For example, to win a market, one should identify and analyze the key inputs that contribute to success. This approach can also be applied to personal interactions, such as giving feedback. By considering the intended outcome of the feedback, individuals can tailor their delivery to increase the likelihood of achieving the desired result.
• Situational awareness for openness: Another tactic for enhancing openness is to cultivate situational awareness. This involves immersing oneself in the realities of the situation, including understanding the perspectives of those who are not directly involved. For example, executives should engage with customers to gain a deeper understanding of their needs and experiences. This approach helps ensure that decisions are made with a broader perspective and are not solely based on limited information.
• Reverse engineering for decision-making: Reverse engineering can also be applied to decision-making. By understanding the inputs that lead to successful outcomes, individuals can make more informed and effective decisions. This approach helps to avoid decisions that are disconnected from reality or based on assumptions that may not be accurate. For example, before implementing a product-led growth (PLG) strategy, it is crucial to assess whether it is a viable and relevant approach for the specific business and market.

Building influence and effective relationships (1h5m46s)

• Influence is a skill that can be developed and is essential for effective leadership and decision-making. It is important to consider the relationship between individuals before attempting to influence them, as a dysfunctional relationship will hinder any efforts.
• There are different approaches to influence, which can be categorized as characters or modes. These characters can be based on personality traits and strengths, such as compassion, logic, creativity, or enthusiasm.
• The speed of influence can be slow, moderate, or fast. Slow influence involves allowing individuals to learn through failure, while moderate influence involves teaching them new information and perspectives. Fast influence requires a supportive environment and clear communication.
• The Challenger Sale approach emphasizes teaching individuals new information to challenge their existing perspectives. This allows them to see the world differently and make more informed decisions.
• It is important to be intentional about one's influence style and to communicate it clearly to others. This helps to create consistency and predictability in interactions.
• Understanding one's own personality strengths and weaknesses can help to identify the most effective influence approach. For example, individuals with high compassion may be more effective at influencing through empathy and understanding.
• The business environment can be viewed as a game with a difficulty setting. This setting is influenced by the relationships and communication within the organization. By understanding and addressing the human element, businesses can create a more supportive and efficient environment.

The importance of trust and appeal in relationships (1h21m17s)

• Relationships are crucial for influence and decision-making. Strong relationships are built on trust and shared experiences, which are essential for effective communication and collaboration.
• Trust is a key component of relationships. Trust can be categorized into three levels:
  • Trust Level 1: Delegating simple, non-critical tasks with a reasonable expectation of completion.
  • Trust Level 2: Delegating tasks that require a high level of skill and competence, with confidence that the task will be completed as well as or better than you could do it yourself.
  • Trust Level 3: Delegating tasks to individuals with exceptional expertise, recognizing that they possess skills and knowledge beyond your own.
• Appeal is the most important factor in relationships. Appeal refers to the positive or negative experience you create for others when interacting with them. It is more important than ability or trust, as a negative experience can undermine even the most skilled and trustworthy individuals.
• To improve relationships, focus on the experience you create for others. Ask yourself: "What kind of experience am I for the people I work with?" If you are a negative experience, work on improving that aspect before focusing on other areas like ability or trust.
• A healthy habitat is essential for fostering trust and positive experiences. A habitat that rewards untrustworthy behavior will hinder the development of strong relationships and effective decision-making. Leaders and managers have a responsibility to create a habitat that encourages trust, collaboration, and positive experiences.

Creating a positive organizational habitat (1h36m47s)

• The importance of a positive organizational habitat: A positive organizational habitat is crucial for fostering a productive and fulfilling work environment. It is analogous to the culture of a company, shaping what employees believe is acceptable, permissible, and productive.
• Moving away from performative culture: Traditional approaches to culture, often based on inspiring mission statements, vision, and values, are ineffective. These approaches are performative, relying on inspiration rather than logic.
• Adopting a deductive approach: A more effective approach is to adopt a deductive, logically-driven approach. This involves understanding the company's role in the world, the value it creates, and the specific impact it has on customers and stakeholders.
• Defining value and changing the definition of "done": By understanding the company's role and the value it produces, teams can shift their focus from simply taking action to creating impact. This means prioritizing tasks that generate value, such as saving time, reducing costs, or opening up new possibilities.
• Addressing negligence in explaining "why": A common oversight in organizations is failing to adequately explain the "why" behind tasks and decisions. This negligence can lead to disengagement and a lack of commitment.
• The power of understanding "why": Clearly communicating the "why" behind work, particularly in terms of its impact on others, activates specific brain regions that enhance problem-solving and solution generation. This fosters a deeper sense of purpose and responsibility.
• Shifting from mission to role: Instead of focusing on a mission statement, emphasizing the company's role in the world can be more effective. This approach creates a sense of obligation and responsibility, activating brain regions that promote empathy and consideration for others.

Enhancing focus and productivity (1h50m35s)

• Focus is closely related to brain waves. There are three primary brain wave modes: Alpha (daydreaming), Beta (productivity), and Gamma (intense focus).
• Alpha is associated with a quiet brain, allowing for subconscious processing and creative ideas. It is often experienced during activities like showering, driving, or gardening.
• Beta is the mode for productivity and task completion. It is characterized by a busy brain and is often associated with activities like answering emails, attending meetings, and writing code.
• Gamma is the mode for deep thinking and learning. It is characterized by intense focus and is often associated with complex problem-solving, learning new concepts, and challenging existing frameworks.
• Most people spend too much time in Beta mode, neglecting Alpha and Gamma. This can lead to a lack of innovation and creativity.
• A 3x3 grid can be used to visualize different brain states. The grid has three columns (Safety, Reward, Purpose) and three rows (Alpha, Beta, Gamma). This helps to identify which brain states are being utilized and how to shift to more productive states.
• To encourage Alpha and Gamma, teams need to create a culture that allows for daydreaming and deep thinking. This means providing time and space for these activities and giving employees permission to enter these brain states.
• Spending even a small amount of time in Alpha and Gamma can lead to significant breakthroughs and innovation. Teams should experiment with different percentages of time spent in each brain state to find what works best for them.

Practical tips for deep work and gamma time (2h0m58s)

• Quarterly Cadences for Deep Work: It is recommended to dedicate a quarter of one's time to deep work, specifically focusing on Alpha and Gamma brainwave states. This can be achieved by scheduling quarterly off-sites or dedicated time blocks for deep thinking, analysis, and strategic decision-making.
• Benefits of Deep Work: Deep work sessions allow for a more focused approach to problem-solving, strategic thinking, and decision-making. They also help to reduce distractions and create a "black hole" effect for calendar invaders.
• Frequency of Deep Work: While a quarter of one's time is an ideal goal, it is recommended to start with smaller increments, such as a half-day or full-day per quarter. Additionally, incorporating shorter sessions of deep work, such as a couple of hours once a week, can be beneficial.
• Deep Work and "Don't Bother Me" Time: Deep work can be used to achieve both "don't bother me" time and a state of Gamma brainwave activity. This allows for focused work and deeper thinking, going beyond simply completing tasks.
• Importance of Experience: The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding one's own experience and how it impacts work performance. This self-awareness is crucial for identifying areas for improvement and setting realistic goals.
• Floor and Ceiling Risers: The speaker suggests using the concept of "floor risers" and "ceiling risers" to understand how improvements in areas like meetings and strategic thinking can impact overall performance. This involves identifying whether the goal is to raise the minimum level of performance (floor) or to reach a higher potential (ceiling).

Lightning round (2h7m11s)

• The speaker recommends several books that they have found valuable, including "Never Split the Difference" by Chris Voss, "The Person in the Situation" by psychological researchers, "The Cambridge Fundamentals of Neuroscience" series, "Misbehaving" by Richard Thaler, and "Human Nature" by Robert Greene.
• The speaker expresses a preference for products with good ergonomics, citing the example of Beehive, a well-designed newsletter platform.
• The speaker discusses their recent discovery that they resemble JD Vance, a political figure, and how this may impact their life, particularly during Halloween.
• The speaker encourages listeners to engage with their content on their website, Coreen.do.com, and on Twitter, where they are open to questions and discussions.
• The speaker emphasizes that the most helpful thing listeners can do is to apply the information they share to improve their own lives and teams.