This is Part Five of a six part series. For the rest of the blogs, click through from the ‘related posts’ below.

We love Consistency � it helps us perform

Read this paragraph once and tell me how many �F�s� you see.

FINISHED FILES ARE THE RE-
SULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIF-
IC STUDY COMBINED WITH
THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS.

How many did you find? 3? 4? 5? The answer is 6 (I hope no one found more than that!).

Chances are you skipped a couple � most likely the ones in �of�.� Why did this happen?� A problem exists that we can potentially overload with information coming into our already delicate brains.� To combat this, we don�t actually take in everything we see.� In many cases we rely on pattern recognition to tell us what is probably going to be there anyway.� You missed the word �of� a couple of times because you kind of knew it would be there, so you didn�t analyse it.

So we don�t really just see what we see.� We constantly predict what we are going to see and then expect to see it.

Physiology of Inconsistency

But when things don�t match with what we expect, then the signal in our brain (most likely the Anterior Cingulate Cortex, or ACC) jumps and send us a frustration alert.� This is characterised by an over-production of �brain adrenalin� and a reduction in some of the performance chemicals.� This makes sense from an evolutionary point of view.� We see something different, we go into high alert mode.� This is how important consistency is for our performance.

As a manager, if I don�t create consistency, I keep my people guessing far too much and they are constantly seeing things (or hearing things, or even perceiving things) that are not at all what they expect.� A frustration alert ensues and most likely a drop in performance as well.

Three Modes of Consistency

Consistency, as I�ve seen it from a management point of view, entails three things:

Fairness:

People like to be treated (and see others treated) fairly.� They don�t like favouritism and double standards.� When we detect unfairness, it actually sends a threat response to our body and brain.� This reduces performance dramatically, and can make people choose irrational action.� Just think of the stupid things you�ve done �just on principle�.

Delivering on Expectations

Managers who don�t deliver on their own commitments keep their people guessing.� And not in a good way.

I have written before that if we expect to get something we like, physiologically, we react exactly the same way as if we actually got that thing.� If I expect to get a $5000 bonus, my brain chemistry and physiology react exactly the same as if I actually get $5000.� Here�s the problem: that reaction includes a spike in our performance chemicals (dopamine, seratonin, oxytocin), BUT�..if I then don�t get the thing that I expected, the levels of these chemicals drop through the floor and performance suffers.

Keeping the goalposts still

Another way that consistency works for us is when we can rely on the goalposts always being where they are meant to be.� Now, I am not saying that you shouldn�t stretch people � of course you should � but when priorities, management fads and objectives change on a regular basis, our perception of consistency (and subsequently our ability to perform) decreases dramatically.

A little bit of surprise?

Ok.� So a little bit of novelty is good.� That ACC can pick up novelty and treat it with an increase in performance chemicals, especially dopamine, because �something different� can make us pay attention.� But the fine line here is your call.� What things are just novelty � things to keep people on their toes and engaged � and what things are just flat-out inconsistent?� Get that right and you�ll boost your team�s performance.

Not convinced? Here�s some science.

So much is said about how exercise helps us �think better�.� The majority of experiments involve testing sedentary vs active people on some kind of problem solving test and the active people always come out better.� There was an especially interesting piece where some scientists went to a primary school and doubled the frequency of one class� Phys Ed lessons.� In about three months that class outperformed all the others on cognitive ability and learning performance.

But why does this actually happen?� It seems like there are a couple of scientific explanations.

Oxygen for performance

The first has to do with oxygen.� Our brains (well, all of our cells for that matter) work better with a greater delivery of oxygen via the blood.� Exercise helps to improve the delivery of oxygen through our blood vessels and this seems also to be true in the brain.� With the increased oxygen, our brain cells can function more efficiently.� So, exercise = better delivery of oxygen = better thinking.

Increased activation = increased activation �

The second process might have to do with something that my friend was recently told about writing effectively.� This friend went to see a psychologist to work out how he could write faster.� In particular, he kept getting stuck searching for just the right word to put into a sentence.� The psychologist told him something he found strange � tap your pen.� Now, my friend thought this was a bit crazy but tried it out anyway.� Sure enough, he actually believes that it helps him come up with those elusive words faster.

There is plenty of research to suggest that the majority of our brain areas are heavily interconnected.� When we switch on one part, the stimulus can actually have a sort of �contagious� effect that helps to increase the activity in other parts.� Hence when I switch on my motor cortex (by moving) other parts of my brain might get switched on to a greater extent that they otherwise would have.� This could be another vital role played by exercise.

We evolved �moving�

The final reason is based more on common sense evolution.� As our brains evolved, we were moving across the plains of Africa (depending on your evolutionary theory).� We were literally programmed to �think on the move� as a nomadic species.� It wasn�t until much later that we began to colonise heavily.

So put these three things together and you might get the explanation as to why exercise is actually so good for our brain function.� Given that the 21^st Century necessitates the ability to use our higher cognitive functions in order to thrive in the workplace, there has been no better time to get moving.