A lack of autonomy is a threat

This is the third blog in a series about the science behind the right environment for success.� See the related posts at thebottom of this article for the others.

So, we are exploring the things that are scientifically (and physiologically) proven to force people into performing below their best.� Another thing that invokes the threat response is a loss of autonomy.

It is true, when we lose the feeling of control, our ability to problem-solve goes out the window.� In fact, there are some studies that suggest that even the thought of a controlling boss causes our effective IQ to decrease by 10 points!

The feeling of control also affects health.� People who feel �controlled� in their relationship (with their spouse, or their boss) are more prone to illness, and people who live in retirement homes that don�t allow choice and control over aspects of day-to-day activity actually live, on average, seven years less than those who do have control

The physiology of losing control

The loss of control (or lack of �agency� in psych-speak) creates all the performance-sapping physiology that we don�t want when we are leading people

• We shift resources from the most useful part of our brain to the �auto-pilot�
• We get significant spike in the brain�s �adrenaline�, causing us to pay a lot of attention to the stressor, but not the task at hand
• We get a significant decrease the amount of dopamine, leading to decreased problem solving and creative thinking

On the other hand, when we give people autonomy, the opposite of these things happen and we create a performance state for the people we are managing.� This is true even if you don�t manage people per se, but want to make people comfortable and allow them to perform at their best � whatever that means.

Perception of control matters more than actual control

Perception is a funny thing.� And the perception of control evokes the same �reward response� as actual control.� So the question becomes �How can I give control � however small � to my people so that they do their best work?�

In any interaction between subordinate and superior, there will be a degree of tight/loose management.� That is, some things are �tight�: they are not up for debate � but some things are �loose�: there is a degree of flexibility in how they are achieved.� The trick is to find this balance and realise that in the moments of the worst directives from head office (or even from yourself) there is always something over which people can take ownership.

It seems that we can even fool ourselves�.

Even giving ourselves the feeling of choice causes us to perform at our best.� Some recent research showed that when people thought attempting their goals, those who asked �Will I do this?� performed significantly better than those who said, �I will do this.�

So find as many things as possible to let your people have control over.� If they have to write a report, let them do things their own way.� If they have to move workstations, let them choose the colour of their desk chairs.� If your children simply have to wear shoes, let them pick their own socks � regardless of whether they match or not.� You will find people�s response in this situation is decidedly different from the alternative.� If you could see their brains, you would see that it responds differently too.

Almost regardless of what you do, it is impossible to avoid the 3pm slump.� It is actually hardwired into our systems as

our�circadian rhythm dictates our energy levels and our sleep drive.� To manage it try these things:

Take a walk. Re-oxygenating the brain helps us think clearer and the mild exercise can also mobilise some free fatty acids for extra energy

Get some sunshine. Sun is one of the key things that helps re-set our internal body clock.� While your natural sleep drive tells you it�s time for a nap, the extra does of sunshine will combat this

Have a protein snack. Protien fuels energy without making you drowsy.� It also stimulates the production of dopamine which helps you stay alert and interested

Do something menial. If you simply have to work, make sure it is something that you can do without thinking too much

Take a 20-30min powernap. A luxury, I�m sure and possibly not practical, but a quick powernap can boost energy levels and productivity by up to 25%

But, whatever you do, don�t schedule anything important.

The biology of why we do and don�t perform

We are always looking for new things that we can do to help people perform at their best in our teams.� And while we have a lot of �observational� or �behavioural� explanations from case studies and biographies, I want to give the scientifically proven things that will guarantee a tremendous chance of providing the environment for success.

Before I can do that, though, I need to explain why people do and don�t perform at their peak.� I�m not talking about scaling a cliff or running a marathon � I mean why people perform at their cognitive best; doing their best work for us day-in, day-out.� I want to show you what happens physiologically when we perform at our best.

To illustrate this along the lines of something we already know, I want you to cast your mind back to psych class or that weird facilitator you had once at a retreat, and I want you to remember the Stress-Performance Curve (otherwise known as the Yerkes-Dodson Curve).� It looks something like this:

The Yerkes-Dodson Curve: stress vs performance

Most people have seen this before.� There are three main components:

1)�� The left hand side of the curve where too little stress means that we are unable to perform at our best

2)�� The middle of the curve or the �performance zone� where there is just enough pressure for use to perform.� This is often called �eustress�, and

3)�� The right hand side of the curve where we get pushed over the �stress cliff� and it is here that too much stress impairs performance.� This is often called �distress�.

So as we travel from the left hand side to the right, what actually happens?� This is where it gets interesting��.

1) Underperformance � why no stress is bad news

We are inherently lazy creatures.� Humans, that is.� Evolution has made sure that we are wired to preserve as much energy as possible.� When we were roaming the Savannah, we didn�t know where our next meal was going to come from, we didn�t know if we were going to get a good night�s sleep, so we conserved as much energy as possible.

Because of this, where possible, we work on auto-pilot.� We rely on old instincts and old patterns that worked for us in the past.� These take relatively little effort and, as the name I have chosen suggests, are automatic.

This is the equivalent of driving home after a hard day at work.� You have relatively little energy and no need to really concentrate (after all, you�ve driven this route a thousand times before).� If you get a call from your spouse asking you to pick up some bread and milk, you most likely forget.� Your auto-pilot isn�t programmed to stop at the store.

2) The Performance Zone � when stress is just right

So it is with the application of a little bit of stress that we get our best results.� This extra drive makes sure the right chemicals and hormones are stimulated to switch on our pre-frontal cortex.� This is essentially the brains executive and does all that really valuable stuff like decision making, analysing, problem solving, prioritising � all the things that we need to thrive in today�s workplace.� The trouble is that this executive is hugely inefficient � it takes up a lot of energy � so we tend not to use it unless we have to.

Now, this is the equivalent of driving along on auto-pilot when suddenly you spot a cop car in the rear-view mirror.� You get a bit more analytical, you check your blind-spots, make sure you are indicating, keep checking your speed��..you just think more.

3) Performance Decline � over the stress cliff

Now what happens?� Well, imagine you�re driving home, doing the auto-pilot thing, then you see the cop car���but then you check your blind spot and as you turn around you see a truck from the opposite side of the road jack-knife and start sliding toward you.� What do you do?

Ok, now here�s where it gets hairy.� Higher amounts of stress cause the emotional centre of our brain to switch on and this tends to divert resources away from the executive and back to the auto-pilot.� Again, it�s a survival mechanism.� We want to act on instinct under pressure because it takes too much time to actually �think� and also we need to preserve that energy to either fight or flee.� Chances are in the above situation you don�t even know what you do � you just do it.

the biology of the Yerkes-Dodson Curve

The problem with going ‘over the edge’

The biggest problem in the final zone is that, while instinct and old patterns and previous behaviours served us well through evolution, in the information age this doesn�t help our performance.� We need to be constantly analysing and looking for new and better ways to think about problems.

So people don�t perform because of three very simple reasons.� Either A) there just isn�t enough pressure for them to do anything but act on auto-pilot, or B) they have run out of resources and can no longer engage that energy-intensive executive, or C) there is too much stress and they have reverted to auto-pilot once again. �Cognitive performance, therefore, is a resource problem.

I am going to take the approach that people actually want to succeed in their jobs.� And with this in mind, the rest of my posts throughout October are going to focus the scientific evidence about what creates just the right amount of stress to get people into the Performance Zone, but keep them from being pushed over the cliff. �How do we get the resources to the right areas at the right time?