Bored out of your mind at work? Your brain is trying to tell you something. | Dan Cable | Big Think

TL;DR

Our brain has a seeking system that drives us to explore and learn, but disengagement from work has become an epidemic, leading to lackluster performance for organizations.

Transcript

well about two years ago I stumbled on a piece of neuroscience that just stunned me as a psychologist I wish somebody had told me more about this but what I learned is that there appears to be a part of our brain called the ventral striatum that's the technical term or you also could call it the seeking system and that this system is urging us to e... Read More

Key Insights

• 🧠 The seeking system in our brain drives curiosity and urges us to explore and learn.
• 👷 Disengagement from work is a prevalent issue, affecting approximately 70% of people.
• 🥺 Disengagement not only harms individuals but also leads to lackluster performance and results for organizations.
• ▶️ The culture and expectations within an organization play a significant role in fostering curiosity and exploration among employees.
• 👷 Work disengagement can be attributed, in part, to management practices and control systems that prioritize efficiency over curiosity.
• 🔽 Smaller organizations tend to encourage curiosity and exploration, while larger organizations often restrict employees to predefined roles and responsibilities.
• 👷 Disengagement from work has become a humanistic issue as work consumes a significant portion of our lives.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the seeking system in our brain?

The seeking system, also known as the ventral striatum, is a part of our brain that drives curiosity and urges us to explore new things and learn.

Q: Why is work disengagement a problem?

Disengagement from work is a humanistic sickness that affects individuals negatively, but it also leads to lackluster performance for organizations.

Q: When did disengagement from work become prevalent?

Disengagement started to become more common when the idea of scaling up work efficiency emerged in the late 19th century, leading to the removal of meaning and curiosity from jobs.

Q: How does the size of an organization affect curiosity and exploration at work?

In smaller organizations, where roles are less rigid and everyone is involved in multiple tasks, curiosity and exploration are encouraged. In larger organizations, staying in one's lane and following predefined job descriptions becomes the norm.

Key Insights:

• The seeking system in our brain drives curiosity and urges us to explore and learn.
• Disengagement from work is a prevalent issue, affecting approximately 70% of people.
• Disengagement not only harms individuals but also leads to lackluster performance and results for organizations.
• The culture and expectations within an organization play a significant role in fostering curiosity and exploration among employees.
• Work disengagement can be attributed, in part, to management practices and control systems that prioritize efficiency over curiosity.
• Smaller organizations tend to encourage curiosity and exploration, while larger organizations often restrict employees to predefined roles and responsibilities.
• Disengagement from work has become a humanistic issue as work consumes a significant portion of our lives.
• Overcoming work disengagement requires a shift in organizational culture and the recognition of the importance of curiosity and exploration.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• There is a part of our brain called the ventral striatum or seeking system that urges us to be curious and explore.

• Approximately 70% of people are not engaged in their work, while 18% are actively disengaged.

• Disengagement is detrimental to both individuals and organizations, resulting in lower performance levels.