Zoom-Out

Tag: teamwork

  • “Behaviour Equation” Zoom-Out

    “Behaviour Equation” Zoom-Out

    Seeing that bad behaviour does not equate to a bad person.

    We often equate a person’s behaviour completely to the person they happen to be.

    Bad behaviour = bad person.

    This is an easy way to see and think. A simple equation. But we’ve known for a long time that this is far too simplistic. Yet, it’s still such a common way of seeing others and reacting to them.

    Kurt Lewin, the father of Social Psychology, is famous among many things for this behaviour equation, which states:

    B = f(P, E)

    Where:
    B = behaviour
    P = person
    E = environment (sometimes quoted as S = situation)

    Verbosely:

    Behaviour = a function of (a Person, and their Environment)

    That is to say, a person’s behaviour is a product of who they are and the situation (or environment) within which they find themselves.

    This is a Zoom-Out in its own right. We often Zoom-In on the person and translate bad attitude to ‘bad person’; or poor performance to ‘poor person’. Resulting in the reaction of wanting to get rid of the person in a work context for example. I’ve personally seen this so many times.

    The Zoom-Out highlighted by Lewin is that we need to look at the broader perspective of the situation/environment. In fact, Lewin insisted that there are multiple levels and broader arcs of time we need to examine, both being further degrees of Zoom-Out in many dimensions including time and space.

    However, I can’t resist prizing this equation apart a little more to give:

    B = f(P, E, PV)

    Where:
    B = behaviour
    P = person
    E = environment (sometimes quoted as S = situation)
    PV = perspective held regarding the environment or situation by the person

    Verbosely:

    Behaviour = a function of (a Person, their Environment, and their Perspective)

    Clearly, the person’s perspective has an impact on behaviour and this is implicit in the original P of Lewin’s equation but from a Zoom-Out stance, it’s helpful to separate out the perspective. Thus making explicit, that if the person and situation remain the same but the person’s perspective alone changes then the person’s behaviour is correspondingly going to change.

    >> IN ACTION <<

    So BEFORE attempting to change or replace a person for poor performance…

    … First, ask:

    Q. Can we change the situation or environment?

    … Secondly ask:

    Q. Can we change the person’s perspective in a way that helps them and those around them?

    Further Watching…

    Simon Sinek tells the story of a barista at the Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas — a wonderful hotel because of the behaviour of the people that work there… but there’s a ‘Kurt Lewin twist’ to this tale…

  • “SCARF Model” Zoom-Out

    “SCARF Model” Zoom-Out

    David Rock highlights five key social factors that drive people towards or away from something.

    Dr. David Rock is a consultant and coach that tapped into the latest findings in neuroscience on how our brains operate in work situations. He coined the term ‘Neuroleadership’ and is the Director of the NeuroLeadership Institute.

    In his book “Your Brain at Work” (2009), he introduces the SCARF model, representing five social domains that influence human behaviour:

    • Status: Our relative importance to others.
    • Certainty: The ability to predict the future.
    • Autonomy: A sense of choice and control over events.
    • Relatedness: Feeling safe with others, sensing social connections.
    • Fairness: Perception of fair connections and exchanges with others.

    Perspectives plays a powerful role in this model. Our brain processes perceived social threats and rewards with the same intensity as physical ones. For example:

    • Status: A compliment or a criticism can change our perceived status even though no physical change has occurred (e.g. job role or rank).
    • Certainty: People’s comfort level for uncertainty and ambiguity varies. Providing a vision or plan for the future will be received with varying degrees of enthusiasm.
    • Autonomy: Giving people choice and the extent to which people feel they have choice are two different things.
    • Relatedness: This too is subjective. People can feel lonely in a crowd. People can feel highly connected to people on the other side of the world, more so than people physically close to them. A communication interpreted in a way that is different to what was intended could undermine a sense of relatedness.
    • Fairness: Again, fairness is subjective. What seems fair to one person may seem unfair to another. Personal values and expectations can have a significant influence.

    Two ways in which we can apply this model are:

    1) Our behaviour:

    Noticing when we are drawn towards something (approach a perceived reward) or withdraw from something (avoid a perceived threat).

    2) Other’s behaviour:

    Noticing when others are drawn towards something (approach a perceived reward) or withdraw from something (avoid a perceived threat).

    In each situation, we can use the SCARF model to zoom-out on a person’s behaviour, including our own, and explore what may be driving it: Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness or Fairness?

    Here’s a summary from the man himself: