Podcasts about neuroeconomics studies

Paul J. Zak is a Professor and Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies at Claremont Graduate University. Paul is the Founder of Immersion Neuroscience a company that enables measurement of immersion in experiences in real-time. He has authored books including Immersion and The Trust Factor. Paul emphasizes customer lifetime value and the effect of creating extraordinary experiences for customers and employees. He discusses the neuroscience linking trust, psychological safety, and employee engagement to improved business outcomes. Paul highlights emotional fitness and how leaders creating empathetic, trust-based cultures enable employees to flourish, boosting their satisfaction and well-being.     TAKEAWAYS   [02:43] Paul studies mathematics, biology, and neuroscience to understand human behavior.   [03:21] ‘Why are we nice to each other?' has been a core area of study in Paul's lab.   [04:00] Humans are naturally group-oriented and thrive when working collaboratively.   [05:35] Creating extraordinary employee experiences is key to engagement and performance.   [06:52] Paul focuses on Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) supported by strong employee engagement.   [07:40] Improved customer service helps customers and can boost employee satisfaction too.   [10:12] Businesses must focus on retaining talent by fostering employee growth and satisfaction.   [11:15] Paul advocates for a coaching model of leadership that encourages autonomy.   [12:06] Trust with psychological safety allows employees to be comfortable and burn less neurologic energy.   [13:46] Leaders must create environments for people to flourish, not expecting consistency.   [14:39] The "Whole Person Review" is forward-looking focusing on professional, personal, and spiritual growth.   [16:56] With empathy and trust closely related, leaders best recognize employees as humans with emotions and personal lives.   [18:12] Paul enjoys daily huddles fostering team connection and alignment at work.   [19:04] Leaders benefit from in-person interactions to build and sustain relationships.   [22:04] What experiences do people value? Offer the office as a social emotional hub.   [24:24] Six peak immersion moments per day lasting three minutes build emotional fitness.   [24:56] Adding a social layer to any experience increases neurologic immersion and satisfaction.   [25:32] Video conference interactions achieve 50- 80% of the value of in-person interactions.   [28:35] Leaders need to understand brain responses to nurture psychological safety.   [29:20] Teams of 15-20 perform better because individuals can maintain strong connections.   [30:09] Creating an environment where people can flourish and be fully engaged at work and outside work.   [32:18] Eight factors generate peak immersion moments so employees can adjust assignments with their supervisor.   [33:09] A Google employee finds she loves coaching and moves to Facebook to mentor developers.   [34:38] Crafting jobs that challenge people—to do what is hard to master but achievable.   [35:40] Conversations about investing in professional development—a key trust factor.   [37:50] Train extensively then delegate generously to give people control over their work lives.   [38:41] Autonomy and job satisfaction improved when hospital nurses had more decision-making power in patient care.   [41:12] Leaders should model behaviors they want to see.   [43:52] Stress is not bad—manageable challenges can stimulate engagement and bonding.   [44:42] Paul's skydiving experiences and his oxytocin and stress levels inverted over time.   [46:05] Challenges at work enable employees to perform at their best and achieve satisfaction.   [47:02] Create environments where employees can flourish, be safe, have immersion moments, and connect with each other.   [49:14] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: For a longer happier life, invest time in things that excite and engage you to build up emotional fitness and resilience. Emotional fitness motivates people to exercise more, eat and sleep better which improves health and extends life span.       RESOURCES   Paul J. Zak Ph.D. on LinkedIn Paul's company Immersion's website Paul's books “Immersion”, “The Trust Factor”, “The Moral Molecule”       QUOTES (edited)   “If employees do not love what they're doing, they're just not going to perform as well. So how do I create this environment where employees can really flourish and share that with customers?”   “You have this kind of inverted pyramid where leadership is at service of the individual--employees who are creating value. Then you see this great connection with the company's purpose.”   “If we can create an environment where employees have this real sense of mission, they're connected to the purpose of the organization, they're working in an environment where they really can flourish professionally, then when they come home, they actually are more satisfied with their lives outside of work.”   “If I understand an employee as a leader—you're not human capital, you're a human being—you have emotions, you have a personal life. Hopefully, you love what you do here, you feel like you're fairly compensated and you're excited about how we improve our customers' lives. If I recognize all of that, then I'm going to be much more of a guide or a coach and less of a top-down micromanager.”   “I have to have this empathy of intolerance for the kind of weirdness of human beings!”   “Am I creating this environment of psychological safety where people are sufficiently comfortable, so they have the brain bandwidth to be fully in on the tasks they're doing?”   “From a psychological perspective, when people have control over their work lives, they have greater job satisfaction. They don't get burned out as often. And when an employee is trained, then they need some discretion on how they execute their job.”

In this episode, we chat to the incredible Dr. Paul Zak on the fascinating topic of understanding human social behaviours. Paul is an American neuroscientist and neuroeconomist, as well as the founding director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies at Claremont Graduate University. Paul chats to us about his numerous studies into how humans are able to co-operate effectively and easily, and essentially what makes people tick. We also chat about how to create amazing experiences, the link between trust and wealth, his work with legendary ad man Josy Paul, as well as his favourite Ted Talk, and company that creates immersive experiences. Finally he also gives us some insights into how a nasal spray can help people get along better - you'll just have to give this podcast a listen to find out. Enjoy! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/42courses/message

Today, we are diving deep into a topic that's pertinent in our fast-paced, hyper-connected world… no not AI, taking a break from that haha - Talking about escapism, and the importance of disconnecting from work. On the show we like to balance the hard martech topics but also the human angle. This is an episode that feels quite timely. In a time where being 'always-on' is the norm, and our work Slack is just a ping away, it's crucial to understand the significance of stepping back. Escapism isn't just about dodging reality or ignoring responsibilities; it's about giving our minds the necessary break to recharge and rejuvenate. I'm a big fan of fiction and love sharing top TV show and book picks and always wanted to find an excuse to do this on the podcast so what better way to do it then an episode about the benefits of escapism and detaching from work. So stay tuned later in the episode for my fav TV shows and books.Here's today's main takeaway: When used properly, escapism through fictional narratives is an essential aspect of maintaining our mental health, enhancing our overall creativity and helping us become better humans. The irony of recording this episode on the weekend isn't lost on me, but this is my hobby and we're having our best month ever on the podcast so I wanted to keep the momentum going and continue giving JT a bit of a break. Here's a quick outline of what I'll cover today: Definitions, what is escapism, what is healthy, escapism and what's the difference between meditation The importance of disconnecting from work and how to successfully do this What happens to your brain when you indulge in fictional narratives  Strategies for healthy escapism My top TV shows and my top books How to strike a balance and avoid over-reliance  I'll start off by confessing that I didn't always think this (that escapism is an essential aspect of maintaining our mental health and enhancing our creativity). In my younger career, I fully embodied the idea that an hour spent on learning things that can't help your career is an hour wasted. If I read a book, it was about business or marketing.If I was listening to a podcast, it was about marketing automation.If I was reading a blog or a newsletter, it was about martech.If I was watching Youtube videos it was Photoshop tutorials.While this is great and likely contributed to increased performance at work, it didn't give my brain the break it needed to disconnect from work topics.Movies and TV shows were the exception though. If I watched a movie it was sometimes a documentary about consumerism or psychology but movies were where I got my main dose of fiction. I grew up an avid movie buff and watched all the classics and most of IMDB's top 250 movies of all time. I didn't grow up in a household with workaholic parents but they did love their work. My dad, specifically a photographer and video editor, spent a lot of his down time watching youtube videos and tutorials following industry tech and other photographers. He's definitely a source for instilling this growth mindset in me. But what he also did was read a lot of books. Some non fiction biographies, but lots, lots of fiction. John Sandford, Ian Rankin, Peter James. I guess it kind of instilled this idea that you can be amazing at your craft, but still indulge in fiction.I've had several jobs that you could describe as high expectation, high pressure. I remember when the shift to remote work began a few years back. Working from home was initially exciting. No commuting, being in the comfort of my own space, it sounded amazing. But soon, the boundaries between my work life and personal life began to fade. My home was my office, and my office was my home. I found myself answering Slack messages on the couch and at dinner time and checking email campaign reports late into the night.The expectation to almost always be online to answer questions for teammates that work in different time zones was real. Reflecting back, my health took a hit, my personal relationships suffered and my anxiety grew.Some days were always more stressful than others, but I think aside from learning to build boundaries and deleting Slack on my phone, one of my coping mechanisms and what inspired my ability to separate work from home was the ability to disconnect, mainly through fiction.DefinitionsI should've started with this disclaimer, I'm not a psychologist or a counselor. I do work for a startup conquering addiction that employs a large group of clinicians and counselors, but I'm not an expert. I'm not saying, watching movies and reading books and ignoring your life responsibilities is the key to managing stress. It's worth unpacking the positive and negative lights of escapism.  Let's start with defining the concept of escapism. What is escapism?The common definition of escapism is a psychological concept where a person distances themselves from the realities of life, often as a coping mechanism to alleviate stress. This disengagement from reality can take on various forms, including immersive experiences in music, books, movies, video games, or other hobbies. I like to think of escapism less as an escape from reality and more as the ability to seek solace in alternative realities to give you a different perspective on your current reality instead of just focusing on the unpleasant or mundane aspects of everyday life and work. It's a way of stepping outside of yourself, so to speak, to get distractions or find relief from real life. Healthy escapismMore simply, escapism is temporarily diverting your attention from the routine of daily life. That's what many refer to as healthy escapism. Healthy escapism isn't about avoiding reality, but taking necessary breaks to recharge. These breaks diving into fiction stimulate different areas of the brain, promoting overall mental well-being. But remember, the key is balance. All forms of escapism can be beneficial when used mindfully and in moderation.Escapism vs mindfulnessThere are several psychologists who perceive escapism negatively. Often thought of as a way to avoid responsibilities. Excessive escapism could cause individuals to become increasingly disconnected from reality. It can become a crutch that inhibits personal growth and problem-solving, and in extreme cases, it can escalate into addictive behaviors. It's worth calling this out. Some even argue that escapism is the opposite of mindfulness (source).While it's true that escapism can be a diversion from facing reality and seemingly at odds with mindfulness, it doesn't have to be seen in such a negative light. Engaging in a good book, video game, or movie, can provide a needed break from reality, which is not only healthy but necessary in managing stress. It gives us time to recharge and provides a mental buffer to deal with life and work.I'll make the case more in depth in a bit about how escapism can also enhance our creativity by immersing us in different worlds, cultures, or perspectives and that this broadening of the mind can promote empathy, understanding, and a more nuanced worldview… these are all beneficial attributes that mindfulness also seeks to cultivate. I don't see escapism as an escape from reality, for me it's more of an exploration of alternative realities, adding to our cognitive toolkit.Also, I don't think mindfulness and escapism need to be mutually exclusive.It's all about balance Like I said, it's about balance and self-awareness, knowing when escapism becomes a crutch instead of a relief. In moderation, escapism can coexist with mindfulness, serving as a form of mental exploration while mindfulness keeps us grounded in reality. This balance allows us to navigate the challenges of life, the unpredictable world, in a more resilient, adaptable, and emotionally robust manner. So rather than viewing escapism solely as a negative trait, we can acknowledge its potential for providing respite, promoting creativity, and aiding personal development when used responsibly alongside mindfulness practices.The importance of disconnecting from workI think it goes without saying, everyone knows that despite how challenging it might be to delineate the boundaries between our professional and personal lives, disconnecting from work is not only important; it is vital for our holistic well-being.A former boss once compared our brains to engines in race cars. Just like race cars need several pit-stops for fuel and maintenance, our minds need periods of rest to maintain optimal performance. When we are constantly engaged in work-related tasks and it bleeds into our sleep and our dreams, we are essentially driving that vehicle non-stop, increasing the risk of burnout - the equivalent of an engine breakdown.Disconnecting from work allows our minds to shift gears, leaving the high-speed freeway of work stress and entering the scenic route of relaxation and recovery. It offers space for our brains to breathe, recover, and re energize. It provides room for creativity to flourish, as our brains are free to wander and explore new ideas outside the realm of work-related concerns.Moreover, this disconnection reinforces our identity outside of our work roles, nurturing our relationships, hobbies, and interests that make us who we are beyond our professional titles. In essence, disconnecting from work reaffirms the often-forgotten truth spoken by the wise Dalai Lama: we are human beings, not human doings. How to successfully disconnect from workWe've covered the topic of how to successfully disconnect from work in previous episodes. In fact, at the end of every guest interview, we ask how do they remain happy and successful in their career, how do they find balance between all the things they're working on while staying happy? In episode 50, we rounded up the answers from all of our guests and it features fascinating strategies. Strategies include ways to change your perspectives, how to think about autonomy, prioritizing family, exercising, ditching everyone else's definition of success… but if I was to interview myself for this question, I think I'd at least give credit to escapism. Just like disconnecting from work allows us to regain our balance, reaffirm our personal values, and revive our inner spark, returning to work refreshed, revitalized, and ready for new challenges. It's a restorative process.Engaging with fiction and escapism plays into this restorative process. When you read a book or watch a movie, your brain engages in a form of mental simulation. You immerse yourself in different worlds, empathize with characters, and often problem-solve along with the plot. Let's have a closer look at how fictional escapism activates different areas of the brain, stimulates imagination, and can even help develop empathy and emotional intelligence.What happens to your brain when you read or watch fictionIt turns out that fiction stories help us become better humans. They can make us more empathetic, kind, and socially aware. They stimulate different parts of our brain, helping us communicate, learn, and collaborate better. Stories can even influence our behavior, improve our emotional skills, and enhance our mental health. Plus, by identifying with characters, we can shape our own attitudes and understanding of others. In essence, stories help us grow and connect in meaningful ways.But don't take it from me.Transportation and prosocial behaviors According to Paul J. Zak, the director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies at Claremont Graduate University, when we read or watch a story, we can become more empathetic and generous because we emotionally resonate with the characters, a phenomenon called "transportation." Zak's study also claims that fiction promotes prosocial behaviors. While engaging with fiction, they identified oxytocin, a neurochemical responsible for empathy and narrative transportation. Oxytocin has been found to enhance sensitivity to social cues and often motivates prosocial behavior, such as charity and generosity. This points towards the role of engaging narratives in fostering positive social behaviors. (source).Simulation and theory of mindAccording to Steven Pinker, Canadian author and psychologist, reading fiction produces changes in the areas of the brain involved in language comprehension, speech formation, and compassion. It allows us to live out a reality that we construct in our brain using written words. Fiction reading stimulates the same neural networks in our brain that are activated when humans are subjected to any kind of simulation. Pinker also claims that reading literary and romantic fiction has shown the highest correlation with increasing Theory of Mind (ToM), which is the ability to put oneself in others' shoes… the foundational craft of marketing. (source).Neural couplingAccording to a study by Physics and Neuroscience professors at Princeton University, when we see or hear a story, the neurons in our brain fire in patterns similar to those of the speaker's, a process known as "neural coupling." This can induce a shared contextual model of the situation. The benefits of neural coupling extend to almost all areas of human interaction, enhancing our ability to communicate, empathize, learn, and work together. (source).Emotional stimulationAccording to a study by the Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, stories stimulate the brain and even change how we act in life. Brain scans reveal that many different areas of the brain light up when someone is listening to a narrative, not only the networks involved in language processing but also other neural circuits involved in emotion and movement. The study suggests that by stimulating multiple brain areas, stories can enrich emotional intelligence, promote learning, influence behavior, improve social skills, support memory and mental health, and foster cultural understanding. (source).ImmersionAccording to Timothy Broom, lead author of a psychology study on Game of Thrones characters conducted at The Ohio State University, engaging with fiction can confer several potential benefits to the human brain, specifically in relation to self-perception, empathy, and personal development. The ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vMPFC), a region of the brain that is active when thinking about oneself, also shows heightened activity when one identifies with fictional characters. This suggests that our engagement with fiction can subtly shape our identities, attitudes, and self-beliefs. This can be particularly beneficial in broadening our perspectives and understanding of diverse personas, cultures, and worldviews. (source).Engaging with fiction provides an escape from the immediate pressures of work and life, offering a form of mental vacation. Just as a physical vacation can leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, a mental break provided by engaging with fiction can have similar effects.Strategies for healthy escapismFiction you may have noticed, particularly science-fiction, is my preferred form of escapism, but it doesn't have to be limited to fiction.Strategies for healthy escapism include: Creative activities like creative writing, painting, coloring, or cooking and baking Playing video games Discovering new music Physical activity and anything outdoor Lawn maintenance and gardening Painting and drawing or prompting midjourney Social activities, reaching out to friends and family Mindfulness.. I know we said escapism is the opposite of mindfulness but I added it here because it's still taking a break and breathing and centring yourself, you're still disconnecting from all the business of life But yeah, my favorites are reading and watching movies/tv shows.One thing I've started struggling with in my older age, is remembering what I've already read and watched. How many times have you selected a movie on Netflix and gotten a third way through only to realize… yeah I've totally watched this already haha… How to manage your escapism endeavorsPeople closest to me know that I love a good spreadsheet but also a good Trello board. Many aspects of my life are managed in a Trello board, this podcast, my newborn baby and parenting tasks… but also the TV shows I'm watching and the books I'm reading.Mainly so I don't re-watch the same things, but also so that I can take notes on what I loved and or hated about it. It's allowed me to become a source of trusted recommendations amongst friends.If you've listened this far and are curious, I'll be happy to share my Trello templates with you :) I'll leave you with some suggestions for now, if you're not into thrillers or science fiction, feel free to skip this section.Top TV ShowsI think TV shows are way more popular these days than movies. I'll hit you with some of my fav of all time.The Leftovers (Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta)https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2699128/ This is a thought-provoking and emotionally captivating television series that explores deep existential themes. The story is set in a world where 2% of the population mysteriously disappears, the show follows incredibly well-developed characters as they navigate personal struggles and grapple with the devastating loss that has befallen humanity. There's 3 seasons and 28 episodes that tackle profound topics such as life, death, love, family, and the meaning of existence, offering a masterful blend of intellectual and philosophical exploration. There's exceptional writing, acting, directing, and a remarkable soundtrack, this show is a true masterpiece. It challenged me to contemplate the mysteries of life and I've never felt stronger emotions while watching a show. Despite being underrated and overlooked by some, it has garnered a devoted following and is considered one of the greatest television series ever created.Mr. Robot (Sam Esmail)https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4158110 This is a unique and captivating show that explores the world of hackers and conspiracy. It follows the story of a young developer who works at a security firm during the day and becomes an elite hacker vigilante at night. The show is praised for its stylish visuals, compelling storytelling, and accurate portrayal of hacking techniques. The 4 seasons and 45 episodes dive into themes of existentialism, mental illness, addiction, and personal journeys, focusing on highly complex characters. It is hailed as a groundbreaking and thought-provoking series that pushes the boundaries of serial drama. Highly recommended for both tech-savvy viewers and those looking for a unique and engaging television experience.The rest of my ranking is less certain. Those two shows stand far above anything else I've ever watched. I could give you popular shows to fill out the list like Sopranos, The Wire, Breaking Bad, Lost, Black Mirror and Game of Thrones, but I wanted to give you a few that you may have not heard of.Dark (Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese)https://imdb.com/title/tt5753856/ Dark is probably my favorite series on Netflix. This is an incredibly gripping and mind-blowing show that captivates you with its phenomenal storytelling and exceptional acting. This is a minor spoiler but I'd say that the series revolutionizes time travel storytelling and is hailed as one of the most smartly and consistently written shows of our time. The 3 seasons and 26 episodes dive into complex themes and explore the interconnectivity of characters and their experiences. The show is visually stunning, with beautiful cinematography and a haunting soundtrack that adds to its atmospheric quality. "Dark" is praised for its meticulous attention to detail and its ability to keep viewers on the edge of their seats with shocking revelations. The German language and subtitles are recommended for an immersive experience. It is a must-watch for fans of mystery, sci-fi, and complex narratives, and is regarded as a true masterpiece in the realm of television.These next two shows are still running, so unclear where they will sit on my list when they wrap up.Yellow Jackets (Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson)https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11041332/ This is an intense and enthralling show that combines teenage angst with adult drama, exploring themes of trauma, survival, and the lasting impact of a harrowing experience with creepy undertones. The series follows a group of high school girl soccer players and their complex relationships before a tragic event leaves them stranded in the wilderness. The show masterfully jumps between timelines, building upon layers of drama and suspense. They just started airing their second season at the time of recording but season 1 has exceptional acting, including veteran actresses Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci, and Melanie Lynskey. It's a must-watch for fans of survival stories and character-driven dramas.Severance (Dan Erickson)https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11280740/ This is a captivating and unique show that combines bits of thriller, mystery, psychological sci-fi, and dark comedy. The first season is pretty epic, it explores themes of trapped workers, human interest, capitalism, and the complexities of the corporate world. The excellent cast, compelling storytelling, and powerful writing makes this stand out among formulaic shows and offers a refreshing viewing experience with many symbolic thought provoking metaphors. While initially appearing slow, the show gradually builds suspense and keeps viewers engaged with its unpredictable nature. Fans of shows like "Black Mirror" and psychological sci-fi will find "Severance" to be a must-watch. The series has made a really strong impression on me and I can't wait for season 2. Top fiction booksI'll give full credit to my wife for reinvigorating my love for books. On a vacation to Vancouver, she convinced me to take a break from podcasts and read a science fiction book called Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. Not only is this one of my favorite books of all time, it catapulted me into a niche of thriller science fiction niche, and I haven't looked back since.Dark Matter, Blake Crouchhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27833670-dark-matter This is a science-fiction thriller. It's a mind-bending book that combines action, philosophy, and deep introspection. The story follows a physics professor whose life takes a drastic turn when he is abducted, leading him to question the choices he has made. It explores concepts like the multiverse theory, parallel universes, and the mathematics of identity. Definitely a page turner and a mind blowing ending. The Gone World, Tom Sweterlitschhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33413556-the-gone-world This is another mind-boggling, breathtaking, and dense blend of science fiction and crime thriller. The story follows a special agent with the ability to travel into possible futures to investigate crimes. Her murder case involves the impending end of the world, interconnected mysteries and the question of alterable destiny. It explores time travel, space travel, alien life forms, conspiracy, time paradoxes, and more. Definitely thought-provoking and complex with unexpected twists and well-explained science and physics. Project Hail Mary, Andy Weirhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54493401-project-hail-maryThis is less of a thriller compared to the two former books, but still a very smart and engaging science fiction story set in space. The story follows a disgraced molecular biologist, who's part of a last-ditch effort to save humanity. Earth is facing extinction due to an unknown organism that is stealing energy from the sun. The novel is filled with humor, wit, and plenty of attention to scientific detail. It explores friendship, redemption, and the resilience of the human spirit. A story that I absolutely loved and remember fondly. We Are Legion, Bobiverse Series, Dennis E. Taylorhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32109569-we-are-legion-we-are-bob This is the first book in the Bobiverse series, definitely the best. It's a smart and humorous science fiction story that follows a recently deceased software company owner who wakes up in the future as an uploaded consciousness in a computer. He embarks on a mission to save humanity and explore the universe. The book combines well-thought-out science and technology with pop-culture references, humor, and an engaging narrative. It explores AI, space exploration, and the replication of the human mind. The scientific accuracy and plausible concepts make it appealing to both science enthusiasts and general readers. It's a highly enjoyable read with relatable characters, witty humor, and thought-provoking ideas.Recursion, Blake Crouchhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42046112-recursion The last book I'll leave you with is another one by Blake Crouch. This is another thrilling and mind-bending sci-fi novel that explores the nature of memory and its impact on identity. The story follows a detective investigating a mysterious phenomenon known as False Memory Syndrome, and a neuroscientist working on a technology that can preserve memories. The story covers the implications of memory manipulation, the nature of reality and the consequences of altering the past. Like Dark Matter, the storytelling keeps you on the edge, blending elements of thriller and sci-fi seamlessly. It explores thought-provoking questions about time, memory, and the choices that shape our lives. The plot is incredibly gripping and the characters super well developed. Definitely a captivating read. How to use these forms effectively without over-reliance The thing we want to avoid here is over-reliance. Routines have been effective ways of limiting my screen time and how much I dive into books and tv shows.Setting boundaries and following a routine.As a new dad, my routine is wildly different from last year haha. I don't have as much down time to pick up a book these days, especially if I still want to dedicate time for the podcast. My wife and I are playing around with routines, especially as I get back to work mode from parental leave. Still though, I'm finding good slots of time for audiobooks and podcasts during other tasks. Audiobook while I water the lawn and walk the dog and do groceries Podcast during my morning routine and wash + sanitize the baby bottles Music while I fold laundry and vacuum the house TV shows when we finally have the little one asleep for a few hours at the end of the day I like having variety.This is a nice tactic in preventing over-reliance. Sometimes I dive into video games. Like when The Last of Us was coming out on HBO and I binge played both games to get caught up on the story again. Changing hobbies and activities around and mixing it up is a way to be less likely to become overly dependent on a single activity for relaxation.Real life experiences.I love a good book or a TV show, but nothing beats social interaction or going on a family trip… despite how introverted I think I am. While it's good to take breaks from reality, it's also important to actively engage in your real-life experiences. Remember, the key is moderation.Especially with TV and video games. Escapism becomes a problem only when it starts interfering with your ability to live your life fully. When used properly, escapism is an essential aspect of maintaining our mental health, enhancing our overall creativity and helping us become better humans. So while escapism gets a bad reputation and fiction and fantasy are often thought of as “simply escapism”... I'll leave you with a quote from GRRM:“The best fantasy is written in the language of dreams. It is alive as dreams are alive, more real than real ... for a moment at least ... that long magic moment before we wake.Fantasy is silver and scarlet, indigo and azure, obsidian veined with gold and lapis lazuli. Reality is plywood and plastic, done up in mud brown and olive drab. Fantasy flies on the wings of Icarus, reality on Southwest Airlines. Why do our dreams become so much smaller when they finally come true?There is something old and true in fantasy that speaks to something deep within us, to the child who dreamt that one day he would hunt the forests of the night, and feast beneath the hollow hills, and find a love to last forever somewhere south of Oz and north of Shangri-La.They can keep their heaven. When I die, I'd sooner go to middle Earth"You heard it here first folks:When used properly, escapism through fictional narratives is an essential aspect of maintaining our mental health, enhancing our overall creativity and helping us become better humans. —Intro music by Wowa via UnminusCover art created with MidjourneyMusic generated by Mubert https://mubert.com/render 

How can businesses create extraordinary experiences for customers, employees and learners? Through 20 years of neuroscience research, Dr. Paul Zak has discovered what it takes to create it. Find out what characteristics define extraordinary experiences, how immersion is being used by movie studios and business, and its application in creating effective learning and training.     Dr. Paul Zak is the founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University. He is a regular TED speaker and his most recent book is titled Immersion: The Science of the Extraordinary and the Source of Happiness. Dr. Zak is ranked in the top 0.3% of most cited scientists with over 180 published papers and more than 19,000 citations to his research. Dr. Zak is a recognized expert in oxytocin. His lab discovered in 2004 that oxytocin allows us to determine who to trust. This knowledge is being used to understand the basis for civilization and modern economies, improve negotiations, and treat patients with neurologic and psychiatric disorders.

Intro Paul Zak is an American neuroeconomist. He is the co-founder of Immersion Neuroscience, which creates technologies that enable human flourishing. His specialities include neuroeconomics, neuromarketing and neuromanagement. Paul is also a professor at Claremont Graduate University (for over 27 years), where he currently is the Director at the Centre of Neuroeconomics Studies. In this episode with Swami and Vignesh, Paul discusses the role of Oxytocin and Dopamine, how the human brain responds to trust, the risk of AI in interpreting human emotion, the concepts of neuroeconomics and neuromanagement, hybrid experience as the future of brand interactions and gives us a glimpse into his upcoming book “Immersion: The science of the extraordinary and the source of happiness”.

Please subscribe via the Podcast links aboveDo you have high performers on your team? How would you feel if they went to work for your competitors? I guess you'd prefer if they stayed and worked with you? So, how do you create the conditions so people can thrive, enjoy what they're doing and perform at their best? These are just some of the topics I covered in my conversation with this week's guest, Paul Zak. Apart from having a TED talk with nearly 2 million views, Paul has written two best-selling books and there's a third one on the way. He is also the founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and a Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University in California. His former colleagues included renowned scholars such as the late Peter Drucker and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.Paul is also a co-founder and Chief Immersion Officer of the firm Get Immersion. During our conversation, Paul explains what he's learned from his extensive research and provides tangible tips and advice that any of us can implement straight away. So, why not head over to your favourite podcast channel and dive in...Meet your host, Gerry MurrayShow LinksConnect with Paul Zak on LinkedIn Buy Paul's book "Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High Performing Companies"Buy Paul's book "The Moral Molecule: How Trust Works"Check out Get ImmersionMake Better Talent decisions with Wide Circle

Welcome to another episode of the DNA Of Purpose Podcast.Here's a question for today – what if purpose has nothing to do with an individual's pursuit for meaning, but instead is a quality that is symbiotic with our innate desire to belong to a tribe? What if the reason the idea of purpose can be tricky to conceptualise is because we don't understand what factors enable purpose to thrive. Drivers such as trust, connection and belonging.To frame this up we live in a world where we have been exposed to an invisible narrative of seek out success over significance, pursue the promotion over the purpose, and stay on that rat wheel chasing those golden carrots, because if you do your reward at the end is a ‘meaningful life'. Sadly for many people this equation leads to burn out rather than brilliance.Within that race we often miss the moment by moment meaning makers. The acts of kindness and connection. The moments where we can empower co creation, and invite conversation that enable us to view the world through a different lens.What if we chose again and within that, and started to think about purpose through a new lens? Infact, what if the possibilities for a more purposeful life were not about ego, and instead completely reliant on the unique contribution we make within our tribes.And in leading on from those questions: What can science tell us about how our brain responds to attributes such as trust, belonging and our desire to give back to others? Could it be that ‘purpose' itself is evolutionary? Today's good conversation is a good one and I can't wait to dive in.Today's guest is Paul Zak. Paul is the founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University. He is also the founder of Immersion Neuroscience. For more than two decades his research has taken him from the Pentagon to Fortune 50 boardrooms to the rainforest of Papua New Guinea. All this in a quest to understand the neuroscience of humans of what makes humans tick.Paul has been obsessed with human connection for as long as he can remember. His focus on understanding connection led to his ground-breaking research on oxytocin. And all of this work led to the best title ever: nope, it is not PhD or keynote speaker, it is Dr. Love.His latest book, Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High Performance Companies, uses neuroscience to measure and manage organizational cultures to accelerate business outcomes. His 2012 book, The Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity, recounted his unlikely discovery of the exact neurochemical that drives trust, love, and human morality.On that note, get ready to dive into the wonder and the magic of what I am going to call Neuro Purpose...with the one and only Paul Zak.

Paul Zak is the founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University, as well as founder and Chief Immersion Officer of Immersion Neuroscience. Paul’s two decades of research have taken him from the Pentagon to Fortune 50 boardrooms to the rainforest of Papua New Guinea, all in a quest to understand the neuroscience of human connection, human happiness, and effective teamwork. Listen in as we dive into how to create trust using science-backed insights, how immersive experiences factor into trust, and what companies can do to cultivate immersion and use it to their advantage. Paul also shares the precursors to creating a great experience and explains why Maslow’s hierarchy of needs always wins—and what that means for creating stellar experiences. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3hZVfGa

Here’s a question for today – what makes someone trustworthy? What do you look for? If you had to pin it down to a single trait, or indicator, what would it be?Think about how many people we trust in our lives just for a second – with our vision, our businesses, our children, our finances, the health and wealth of our Nation.Yet how do we ever really know if someone can be trusted - essentially their moral code – until it’s tested. Essentially until – potentially – it’s too late. Which brings me on to my next question, and ultimately the focus of today’s episode. Is there a reliable i.e. scientific way that we can predict and therefore design for trustworthy behaviour? A way of being able to trust who we can trust in a way.Now let’s take that to the next level, if there is. If there are repeatable factors behind trustworthy behaviour – how could we use it to influence ourselves? Our own likelihood of behaving in a way that fits with our intentions – with the vision of the human being we want to be on our best days. When I first started diving into this topic, the marriage of combining science with trust seemed like an unlikely one. Human beings are mysteries right? We’re a walking soup of contradictions, hormones and reactions. Any attempt to predict our behaviour usually fails.And yet – this simple force – trust – is the glue that holds together every single fundamental part of the world that we know. Society, democracy, marriage – they all rely totally upon its existence.So, it would seem about time that we dived a little deeper into the mechanics of it.My guest on today’s episode has done exactly that, but he’s also taken it a step further. He’s identified the actual molecule responsible for trust – and found a way it can be used to predict behaviour with up to 80% accuracy.Paul Zak is the founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University. Paul’s two decades of research have taken him from the Pentagon to Fortune 50 boardrooms to the rain forest of Papua New Guinea. All this in a quest to understand the neuroscience of human connection, human happiness, and effective teamwork. His latest book, Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High Performance Companies, uses neuroscience to measure and manage organizational cultures to accelerate business outcomes. His 2012 book, The Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity, recounted his unlikely discovery of the exact neurochemical that drives trust, love, and human morality. In todays episode we dive into…Why human beings are the only creatures with a fully developed moral code – and how we use it to predict behaviour and essentially keep ourselves safe.The moral molecule – what it is, how it works and how it can be harnessed to increase the likelihood of trustworthy behaviour.The link between trust and prosperity – and why understanding the science of trust might be the key to alleviating poverty How Pauls career and experience in this field has impacted his own approach to building trust – as both a leader and a parentAnd finally – probably the part that blew me away the most – what all this information tells us about the future of storytelling. Including exactly how to structure a story – in order to trigger the chemicals in the brain that are directly responsible for people taking action. On reflection, the part of this conversation that probably stuck with me the most is the concept of ‘time ins’ as a trigger. The essential idea being that when people behave in a way that leads us to disconnect – either as a leader, a partner, a friend or a parent – often our instinct is to give them a time out. Set them apart, make an example, reinforce the rules through separation. In most countries we have based an entire criminal justice system upon this one guiding principle. And yet… in many of those occasions, what’s actually needed is a time in. A bringing closer into the fold. An acknowledgement that - given the wrong combination of situations, chemicals, hormones and moments in time – we can all (and will all to varying degrees) lose sight of our best selves. On that note, hunker down – or hide out somewhere quiet if you’re still in lock down – and soak up both the science and wisdom of the incredible Paul Zak. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Paul ZakPaul is the founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University. He has degrees in mathematics and economics from San Diego State University, a Ph.D. in economics from University of Pennsylvania, and post-doctoral training in neuroimaging from Harvard.Paul's two decades of research have taken him from the Pentagon to Fortune 50 boardrooms to the rain forest of Papua New Guinea.  All this in a quest to understand the neuroscience of human connection, human happiness, and effective teamwork.  His academic lab and companies he has started develop and deploy neuroscience technologies to solve real problems faced by real people.His latest book, Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High Performance Companies, uses neuroscience to measure and manage organizational cultures to inspire teamwork and accelerate business outcomes.  His 2012 book, The Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity, recounted his unlikely discovery of the neurochemical oxytocin as the key driver of trust, love, and morality that distinguish our humanity.   In another obsession, Paul's group uses neuroscience to quantify the impact of movies, advertising, stories, and consumer experiences.  Along the way, he has helped start several transdisciplinary fields, including neuroeconomics, neuromanagement, and neuromarketing.

Quarantine has forced us to be even more mindful and creative about how we spend our day. In this episode, Thomas Fratkin, shares how he maintains his well-being with a routine called ‘Mind-Body-Soul-Spirit-Human Connection', and how to cultivate a state of Flow by discussing what actually happens in our brain in that state. You can learn more about the neuroscience of Flow in this video (https://bit.ly/2DwIMbu). Thomas (@pure_thomas) has a vast experience in Neuroeconomics: he was a Behavioral Economics Specialist, interned at the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies at Claremont, California with the Neuroeconomist, Dr. Paul Zak, and recently graduated a MSc in Business Economics with a specialization in Neuroeconomics at the University of Amsterdam. Thomas also hosts a podcast called Round Table Chats, meditates, and composes with the piano. If this episode has been inspiring for you, please follow on Spotify and subscribe to Apple Podcasts, and share it with your loved ones. Thank you!

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Paul Zak. You may have heard Dr. Paul Zak’s name mentioned in the same sentence as the word “trust” before. He is the author of the “Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High-Performance Companies”. He also wrote the “The Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity”. In this book, he recounts his unlikely discovery of the neurochemical oxytocin as the key driver of trust, love and morality.  In fact, Paul Zak’s research on oxytocin and relationships has actually earned him the nickname Dr. Love. And I can tell you, Dr. Love suits Paul a ton. You're going to see why in this episode. He is just such a fun, great guy and Steven and I had an absolute blast kicking it with him when we were recording this episode.  In today's episode with Paul, we draw on the ideas that underscore the work that he has done with everyone from the Pentagon to Fortune 50 companies to working with tribes in the rainforest of Papua New Guinea.  We talk about everything - from how to dump more oxytocin into your brain, to tools needed to become a high trust leader as well as the difference between faith and trust from a neurobiological perspective.  We go broad, and we go wide on the topic of trust, and how it relates to flow and peak performance. It’s a super fun one.  And we really began to hit our stride about halfway through the episode. So make sure that you stay tuned until the end. ABOUT THE EPISODE In this episode, you will learn about: What happens to oxytocin in the era of physical and social distancing and increased remote work?  (4:00)Background and details on oxytocin (8:10)The relationship between the size of a group, community, company or country and trust (12:30)The eight foundations for organizational trust (14:10)Vulnerability is a very effective way to induce oxytocin release (21:10)How to create candor and transparency in an organization (24:10)Social bonding and love at work (36:50)Trust, oxytocin and group flow (45:00)Social media and oxytocin (49:00)The dark side of our social nature (54:20)ABOUT THE GUEST Paul is the founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University.  He has degrees in mathematics and economics from San Diego State University, a Ph.D. in economics from University of Pennsylvania, and post-doctoral training in neuroimaging from Harvard.  He runs an academic lab, consumer neuroscience company, and neuromanagement company. He also serves as a senior advisor to Finsbury, a global leader in strategic communications that advises many of the world’s most successful companies. RESOURCES Web: Dr. Paul Zak’s WebsiteBook: Trust FactorBook: The Moral Molecule

Paul J. Zak is definitely not afraid of getting it wrong. Because, he says, when you get it wrong, you learn. And it’s taken a lot of learning to lead Paul to where he is today. Before he was an entrepreneur, founder and Chief Immersion Officer of Immersion, a Neuroscience as a Service platform, Paul spent two decades researching and studying oxytocin and the neuroscience of human connection. He’s also the founding director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University. Plus, he’s earned mathematics and economics degrees from San Diego University, holds a Ph.D. in economics from University of Pennsylvania and has post-doctoral training in neuroimaging from Harvard. In this episode, we hear what led this scientist, author and speaker to become interested in human connection, how he’s using his research to now predict outcomes and gauge unconscious emotional responses to content and how we can create those needed connections despite physical distance. You'll also hear: Why he’s happy to be seen as “stupid or naive”What Neuroscience as a Service is and how it’s changing the entertainment industryHow business leaders can create the serendipity of an in-person workplace even when everyone’s working remotelyLearn more about Immersion at GetImmersion.com and Paul’s academic lab at NeuroeconomicsStudies.org.

This podcast interview focuses on product innovation that has the power show what people really think and feel so we can create experiences that matter. My guest is Paul Zak, CEO of Immersion.Paul is a scientist, entrepreneur and author of several books.His newest book is "Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High Performance Companies."Paul’s two decades of research have taken him from the Pentagon to Fortune 50 boardrooms to the rain forest of Papua New Guinea. All this in a quest to understand the neuroscience of human connection, human happiness, and effective teamwork. His academic lab and companies he has started develop and deploy neuroscience technologies to solve real problems faced by real people.Paul is the founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University. He has degrees in mathematics and economics from San Diego State University, a Ph.D. in economics from University of Pennsylvania, and post-doctoral training in neuroimaging from Harvard.In 2017 he founded Immersion which is on a mission to build a platform that would democratize neuroscience and make everyone of us look like a hero.That inspired me, and hence I invited Paul to my podcast. We explore why so many resources and efforts are wasted because of the challenges we face in understanding what people really think and feel. We discuss what can be when we use technology to augment people in understanding these experiences and how that helps to create better products, better services and high-performing organizations.Here are some of his quotes:80% of movies out of Hollywood lose money. Last year, Netflix spent almost $10 billion, creating content that did not hit strong enough to warrant a second season. So how do we not know at this stage of humanity if a movie is going to be great or not, or if a series on Netflix will be great or not. That's a lot of effort put into content that isn't creating real value for humans. It's a lot of wasted energy and focus.What we've done is we created technology, a small wearable, like an apple watch or Samsung (although we can take signal from all those things), and understand what your brain really loves and what frustrates you, and do that with really high frequency.You can see exactly what brains are doing in real time. So, you can pivot, you can audit what you've done in the past, and you can create higher impact experiences.During this interview, you will learn three things:How to create better products and experiences if we stop asking, and instead using technology to get unbiased feedback from people.What exponential impacts we can create when we not only know what people really care about, but actually be equipped to adjust instantly to give them experiences they really care about Why more data is not always better to create results that impact. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We've heard the stories and methods for building good relationships but they don't always make us better at it. Maybe we need a different viewpoint? Dr. Paul Zak, Professor and Founding Director of the Center of Neuroeconomics Studies at Claremont Graduate University joins host Bill Coppel, Managing Director and Chief Client Growth Officer at First Clearing, to discuss how biology impacts the way we trust and build relationships. In this episode, you'll hear: The meaning of neuroeconomics and how it varies from economics. Key reasons and factors why companies with high trust are more productive. How building trust is impacted by video conferencing and the virtual environment. Two important factors for building relationships one-on-one. Which traits are highly valued among team leaders. The keyword advisors should consider when putting customer needs first. Dr. Paul Zak is Founding Director of the Center of Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology, and Management at Claremont Graduate University. He also serves as Professor of Neurology at Loma Linda University Medical Center. Dr. Zak is a scientist, prolific author, entrepreneur, and public speaker and has degrees in Mathematics and Economics from San Diego State University, a PhD in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, and post-doctoral training in neuroimaging from Harvard. He is credited with the first public use of the term of neuroeconomics and is a leader in the vanguard of this new discipline.   Disclosures: This content is provided for general informational purposes only. The views expressed by non-affiliated guest speakers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of First Clearing or its affiliates. First Clearing and its affiliates do not endorse any guest speakers or their companies and therefore give no assurances as to the quality of their products and services. This channel is not monitored by First Clearing. First Clearing is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. Copyright 2020 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC. All rights reserved. First Clearing provides correspondent services to broker-dealers and does not provide services to the general public. 0320-04649

Scientist, entrepreneur, educator, and author Paul Zak sits down with Ben DiPietro, editor of LRN's E&C Pulse newsletter, to talk about the science behind creating trust, why oxytocin is the key to creating trust, and the need to combine this with purpose to build human connection and strong teams. His two decades of research have taken him from the Pentagon, to Fortune 50 boardrooms, to the rain forest of Papua New Guinea, all this in a quest to understand the neuroscience of human connection, human happiness, and effective teamwork. His academic lab and the companies he has started develop and deploy neuroscience technologies to solve real problems faced by real people. He is founder and chairman of Immersion Neuroscience. His latest book, “Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High Performance Companies,” uses neuroscience to measure and manage organizational cultures to inspire teamwork and accelerate business outcomes. Zak and his team use neuroscience to quantify the impact of movies, advertising, stories, and consumer experiences. Along the way, he has helped to start several transdisciplinary fields, including neuroeconomics, neuromanagement, and neuromarketing. Zak serves as the founding director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies, and is professor of economics, psychology, and management at Claremont Graduate University. He has degrees in mathematics and economics from San Diego State University, a Ph.D. in economics from University of Pennsylvania, and post-doctoral training in neuroimaging from Harvard.   What You’ll Learn on This Episode: [0:57] What was the path Paul took to become a scientist, a businessman, an author, and an educator? [2:50] What does neuroscience teach us about how trust works to forge relationships between people, teams, and organizations; and what role does oxytocin play in all of that? [4:38] If oxytocin is the link in all of this, is there some way that we can get that to people to increase trust, or is it not a deliverable drug in the way that other drugs are? [6:38] Does one exhibit trust by trusting others or by being trustworthy themselves? [7:41] Can that trust start with something as simple as a smile? [9:28] Is trust enough to get people to be their best and what role does purpose play in bringing that about? [11:03] How can organizations combine those two things together to foster these ethical cultures that they want based on values, integrity, and accountability? [12:18] Paul’s research has uncovered eight factors that form the foundation for a culture of trust. What are those factors? [13:36] How can organizations measure for those factors to see where their employees are or what they need to improve or focus on? [14:21] As the workplace gets more automated and machines begin to work alongside people, can these same techniques be used to build trust between humans and machines, or is that going to take a different formula? [15:19] There are ethical considerations for the use of some of these things. Is it possible to get people to trust things or people that are bad for them, and, if so, how do we ensure that this is used for good outcomes and not bad ones?    

Today my guest is Paul Zak, scientist, prolific author and public speaker. Paul is - what I just love, he wrote the book, The Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity in 2012, and literally, he discovered oxytocin. Now what is oxytocin? This was a landmark neurochemical that he discovered was the driver of trust, love and morality. That was a key differentiation for our humanity, and so this made him very popular and he's gotten the nickname Dr. Love. Now, what does this mean for his latest book called, Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High-Performance Companies? As a scientist, his decades of research have taken him from the Pentagon, to research with the three-letter agencies, to the rain forests of Papua New Guinea - all in the quest to understand the neuroscience of human connection, human happiness and effective teamwork. It's through his lab and testing that he's developed and deployed neuroscience technologies to solve real world problems experienced by people, especially in this today's times of exponential technologies. What I love is that those things that we had a hunch about now, he's validating through technologies. Now, what's this about trust? Because there's a big thing going on now that this is the most disengaged workforce in a long time. Much of it is because of the lack of trust. So, what is oxytocin? Experiments have shown that when you have a higher sense of purpose stimulates oxytocin production, as does trust. Trust and purpose, then mutually reinforce each other, providing a mechanism for extended oxytocin release, which produces happiness. So joy on the job comes from doing purpose-driven work with a trusted team. I could go on and on, but I want to let Dr. Paul Zak do most of the talking related to this. Because I think that for leaders, that this is super important. Leadership now, especially for many of the CIOs and technology and digital transformation leaders, the imperative for leaders today is to create this engagement within their teams and within their people. I've had a pattern now with a couple of different podcast interviews talking with people that are top in their field. Here is one of the top scientists in the this field that is talking about how to do this. One of it is creating this peak immersion. Creating an immersion can be contagious and leaders; of course can't just bestow immersion on people. Leaders must embody it, they must be plugged into it themselves. This creates this factor, which allows an organization to take on this resonance, which differentiates you and your organization and your teams within the business and within the marketplace. One of it is creating this peak immersion. Creating an immersion can be contagious and leaders; of course can't just bestow immersion on people. Leaders must embody it, they must be plugged into it themselves. This creates this factor, which allows an organization to take on this resonance, which differentiates you and your organization and your teams within the business and within the marketplace. Well, I want to bring you Paul today because Paul is going to give you practical examples, practical tools and really get you thinking about this topic deeply. So with that, I want to introduce you to my conversation with Dr. Paul Zak. What You Will Learn From This Interview Key Factors in Motivation to Take Action: Paying Attention Emotionally resonant - Real caring so that it impacts the brain These Keys get people into a flow state in which Peak Immersion can be measured People are attracted to those who are engaged. Immersion is Contagious Leaders Must be Plugged in Neural Job Crafting How to Build a Culture of Trust The role of neurochemical Oxytocin Work-life Integration vs Work-life Balance Trust is a Leading Indicator of Engagement A high trust culture doesn't mean you don't have high accountability, daily check-ins, daily huddles, etc Examples of 'Whole Person' Reviews that you can use in your company Creating feedback loops for people Satisfaction vs Happiness High Expectations, striving for better results, Going 'all-in', complete focus is great and letting go and shedding stress is great too About Paul Zak Human connection. Paul’s two decades of research have taken him from the Pentagon to Fortune 50 boardrooms to the rain forest of Papua New Guinea.  All this in a quest to understand the neuroscience of human connection, human happiness, and effective teamwork.  His academic lab and companies he has started develop and deploy neuroscience technologies to solve real problems faced by real people. His latest book, Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High Performance Companies, uses neuroscience to measure and manage organizational cultures to inspire teamwork and accelerate business outcomes.  His 2012 book, The Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity, recounted his unlikely discovery of the neurochemical oxytocin as the key driver of trust, love, and morality that distinguish our humanity.   In another obsession, Paul’s group uses neuroscience to quantify the impact of movies, advertising, stories, and consumer experiences.  Along the way, he has helped start several transdisciplinary fields, including neuroeconomics, neuromanagement, and neuromarketing. Here are his specs: Paul is the founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University. He has degrees in mathematics and economics from San Diego State University, a Ph.D. in economics from University of Pennsylvania, and post-doctoral training in neuroimaging from Harvard.  You can check out his academic lab, consumer neuroscience company, and neuromanagement company. He also serves as a senior advisor to Finsbury, a global leader in strategic communications that advises many of the world’s most successful companies. Paul’s research on oxytocin and relationships has earned him the nickname "Dr. Love."   That’s cool.  He’s all about adding more love to the world. Interesting facts: Zak is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and has created and voiced science dialog for movies, including The Amazing Spiderman. He is a regular panelist on the Discovery Science program Outrageous Acts of Psych. News organizations often request his expertise on neuroscience. His TV appearances include Fareed Zakaria's GPS on CNN, the John Stossel show on Fox Business, the Dr. Phil show, TakePart Live on Pivot TV, Fox and Friends, Good Morning America, and ABC World News Tonight. The Full Transcript can be read here Ways to Connect with Paul Zak: LinkedIn    Website – personal Website - business Twitter  Resources Discussed in this Interview: Academic Lab: com Consumer Neuroscience Company: Zestx Labs.com Neuro-management Company: com (measuring engagement company) Books: Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High Performance Companies by Paul Zak. Published by American Management Association, January 2017. The Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity by Paul Zak. Published by Penguin Group, Inc., 2012. This episode is sponsored by the CIO Innovation Forum, dedicated to Business Digital Leaders who want to be a part of 20% of the planet and help their businesses win with innovation and transformation. Music provided by Ben’s Sound: http://www.bensound.com/ Other Ways to Listen to the Podcast:                iTunes | Libsyn | Soundcloud | RSS | LinkedIn    If you enjoyed this episode, then please consider leaving an iTunes review here.  Click here for instructions on how to leave an iTunes review if you’re doing this for the first time. Bill Murphy is a world renowned IT Security Expert dedicated to your success as an IT business leader. Follow Bill on LinkedIn and Twitter.          

Did you know that every interaction you have with someone releases chemicals in their brain? And if you can release the right chemicals, you can increase, trust, cooperation, performance in significant ways? Paul’s two decades of research have taken him from the Pentagon to Fortune 50 boardrooms to the rain forest of New Guinea. His latest book, Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High Performance Companies, uses neuroscience to measure and manage organizational cultures to inspire teamwork and accelerate business outcomes. His 2012 book, The Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity, recounted his unlikely discovery of the neurochemical oxytocin, which we'll cover a lot in this episode, as the key driver of trust, love, and morality that distinguish our humanity. Here are his specs: Paul is the founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University. He has degrees in mathematics and economics from San Diego State University, a Ph.D. in economics from University of Pennsylvania, and post-doctoral training in neuroimaging from Harvard. Paul’s research on oxytocin and relationships has earned him the nickname "Dr. Love." He’s all about adding more love to the world.Paul and I are going to discuss:Small things anyone can do to create more trustWhat you can do if you are not the leader of your team to increase trustHow long it takes to create a culture of trustWhy over half of all change management initiatives failThe business case for increasing trust in your companyWhy the way most companies do annual performance reviews damage culture and trustImportant Links for the Show:The fitness tracker that helps you make positive changes in your life: https://www.whoop.com/ and use code DIANA at checkout for 15% off!The bank that creates a lot of trust with its customers: http://nbkc.com/diana - get a box of awesome Professional AF stuff for signing up!Get 1/2 of your daily fruits and vegetables in a convenient shot!: https://superfoodshot.co and use code DIANA at checkout for 30% off.Paul J. Zak: https://www.pauljzak.com/Professional AF Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/943925015810362/Diana online: www.DianaKander.com

Human connection. Paul's two decades of research have taken him from the Pentagon to Fortune 50 boardrooms to the rain forest of Papua New Guinea. All this in a quest to understand the neuroscience of human connection, human happiness, and effective teamwork. His academic lab and companies he has started develop and deploy neuroscience technologies to solve real problems faced by real people. His latest book, Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High Performance Companies, uses neuroscience to measure and manage organizational cultures to inspire teamwork and accelerate business outcomes. His 2012 book, The Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity, recounted his unlikely discovery of the neurochemical oxytocin as the key driver of trust, love, and morality that distinguish our humanity. In another obsession, Paul's group uses neuroscience to quantify the impact of movies, advertising, stories, and consumer experiences. Along the way, he has helped start several transdisciplinary fields, including neuroeconomics, neuromanagement, and neuromarketing. Here are his specs: Paul is the founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University. He has degrees in mathematics and economics from San Diego State University, a Ph.D. in economics from University of Pennsylvania, and post-doctoral training in neuroimaging from Harvard. You can check out his academic lab, consumer neuroscience company, and neuromanagement company. He also serves as a senior advisor to Finsbury, a global leader in strategic communications that advises many of the world's most successful companies. Paul's research on oxytocin and relationships has earned him the nickname "Dr. Love." That's cool. He's all about adding more love to the world. About The Project EGG Show: The Project EGG Show is a video talk show that introduces you to entrepreneurs from around the world. It is broadcast from studios in Metairie, Louisiana to online platforms including YouTube, iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and Stitcher, and hosted by Ben Gothard. Our goal is to give you a fresh, unscripted and unedited look into the lives of real entrepreneurs from around the globe. From billionaires to New York Times best selling authors to Emmy Award winners to Forbes 30 Under 30 recipients to TEDx speakers – we present their real stories – uncensored and uncut. Subscribe To The Show: https://projectegg.co/podcast/ Get Access To: 1. Resources: https://projectegg.co/resources/ 2. Financing Solutions: https://projectegg.co/epoch/ 3. Payment Solutions: https://projectegg.co/sempr/ 4. Services: https://projectegg.co/resources#services 5. Courses: https://projectegg.co/resources#courses 6. Software: https://projectegg.co/resources#software 7. Book: https://projectegg.co/resources#books --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/projectegg/support

------------------Support the channel------------ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedissenter PayPal: paypal.me/thedissenter ------------------Follow me on--------------------- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedissenteryt/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDissenterYT Dr. Paul Zak is an American neuroeconomist, who is known as a proponent of the field. His current work applies neuroscience to build high performance organizations and to understand and guide consumer decisions. Dr. Zak is the founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University. He has degrees in mathematics and economics from San Diego State University, a Ph.D. in economics from University of Pennsylvania, and post-doctoral training in neuroimaging from Harvard. He's also the author of books like The Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity, and Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High-Performance Companies. In this episode, we talk about neuroeconomics, and the role that oxytocin plays in attachment, and in promoting trust among people that are part of the same organization or society. We go through how oxytocin evolved, and the kinds of prosocial behavior that it mediates. We also refer to other hormones, like testosterone and cortisol, and how they interact with oxytocin and might change its behavioral effects. And, finally, we talk about how we can foster trust in companies and other sorts of human organizations, reduce stress, increase productivity, and empower employees. Time Links: 00:55 What is neuroeconomics? 02:34 The sorts of things Dr. Zak studies 05:32 Oxytocin 10:57 How oxytocin influences behavior 16:40 The evolution of oxytocin 20:39 How other hormones (testosterone, cortisol) interact with oxytocin 25:40 Sex differences in levels of oxytocin and other hormones, and behavioral traits 32:21 Promoting trust among people in the same organization 38:36 Money doesn't work well as an incentive 41:42 Reducing stress in work environments 45:32 Self-empowerment 47:35 Follow Dr. Zak's work! -- Follow Dr. Richerson's work: Faculty page: https://tinyurl.com/y8ctlfue Personal website: https://www.pauljzak.com/ Ofactor: https://ofactor.com/ Books: https://tinyurl.com/ydygmv95 -- A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS: KARIN LIETZCKE, ANN BLANCHETTE, JUNOS, SCIMED, PER HELGE HAAKSTD LARSEN, LAU GUERREIRO, RUI BELEZA, MIGUEL ESTRADA, ANTÓNIO CUNHA, CHANTEL GELINAS, JIM FRANK, JERRY MULLER, FRANCIS FORD, HANS FREDRIK SUNDE, BRIAN RIVERA AND ADRIANO ANDRADE! I also leave you with the link to a recent montage video I did with the interviews I have released until the end of June 2018: https://youtu.be/efdb18WdZUo And check out my playlists on: PSYCHOLOGY: https://tinyurl.com/ybalf8km PHILOSOPHY: https://tinyurl.com/yb6a7d3p ANTHROPOLOGY: https://tinyurl.com/y8b42r7g

Do you want your team to be more productive, innovative or engaged?  Basketball legend Michael Jordan says it all “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”  If you want to know how you, as a leader, can leverage neuroscience to increase trust and vulnerability to build and sustain a high performing team, this is the podcast for you. Paul Zak is my guest, his two decades of research have taken him from the Pentagon to Fortune 50 boardrooms to the rain forest of Papua New Guinea.  All this in a quest to understand the neuroscience of human connection, human happiness, and effective teamwork.   His academic lab and companies he has started develop and deploy neuroscience technologies to solve real problems faced by real people. His latest book, Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High Performance Companies, uses neuroscience to measure and manage organizational cultures to inspire teamwork and accelerate business outcomes.  His 2012 book, The Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity, recounted his unlikely discovery of the neurochemical oxytocin as the key driver of trust, love, and morality that distinguish our humanity.   In another obsession, Paul’s group uses neuroscience to quantify the impact of movies, advertising, stories, and consumer experiences.  Along the way, he has helped start several transdisciplinary fields, including neuroeconomics, neuromanagement, and neuromarketing. Paul is the founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University. He has degrees in mathematics and economics from San Diego State University, a Ph.D. in economics from University of Pennsylvania, and post-doctoral training in neuroimaging from Harvard.  He also serves as a senior advisor to Finsbury, a global leader in strategic communications that advises many of the world’s most successful companies. Paul’s research on oxytocin and relationships has earned him the nickname "Dr. Love."   That’s cool.  He’s all about adding more love to the world. Thank you Paul so much for being with us and Paul is going to talk about trust and vulnerability for leaders and how important that is and also the science behind it and some tips that you as leaders can use for yourself and your organization. So thank you Paul. So Paul, tell us what is the science behind trust and vulnerability for leadership? I spent most of my professional life running neuroscience experiments to understand why some teams perform at high levels and other teams not so much. And we found that two components are necessary. One is having a trusted team and the second is your purpose. If you know where you're going, it marshals brain resources that motivates you to draw on social resources like people around you to reach goals, particularly when those are difficult but achievable stretch goals. And so when we started looking at the underlying factors that produce trust between teams, we identified eight components and one of those which I call natural, is really being yourself at work. And a key component of that is being vulnerable. So it turns out that many studies have shown that people who are, too beautiful too perfect, we kind of hate those people because we can't believe anyone can be that great and most people aren't that great. They're putting on this mask. And so when you let that mask fall and you say, hey, you know what team, we want to do this thing, you guys are experts in this, not me. I know it's important to us. Here's why. Yeah, take a couple of weeks and start exploring whether we can do this or not. So, a concrete example, you know, my lab, we collect terabytes of brain data and we build predictive models of them and we've started investing in machine learning. So I read some books on machine learning. I'm roughly, you know, acquainted with the different techniques, but I don't have time to learn how to do them. So I have a team and I said, you guys are super smart. You're all learning about machine learning. Here's a couple of giant data sets. Go see if you can improve our predictions using machine learning. And then all of a sudden they want to tell me about, well, we did this and support vector machines. I like, I don't even want to know if it works. Then you explain it to me. If it doesn't work, I don't care, I don't want to waste my brain power. So really empowering those people in my group to say "you are the experts in this, not me." And then come back even though I'm the leader, come back and teach me something and that's a whole different ballgame than "we have to do this and you guys have got to make this work and blah blah blah." So I think the punchline for the work we've done on building high trust teams is that everyone should be treated as a volunteer at work. Everyone's choosing volitionally to be at this organization. So if you're a volunteer, then you need to ask them to do something you can't demand. You need to explain why they're doing something, not just scream at them to get something done. And at the end of the day, they should be thanked for the extra effort they're putting in to move the organization's goal forward. And so that's really being a servant leader or a vulnerable leader. It's a really effective way to achieve high performance in teams. I love that example of not giving the answer, but letting the team come up with that. So why is that so much more valuable then leaders telling them what to do? I think a lot of that is what we've seen in the past, that type of authoritative leadership. I need to know the answer, if I tell them I don't know, I'll appear weak. What is it that happens for employees that makes them more willing to volunteer and be creative when you're asking them to come to the solution versus telling them what to do. Right? This is where the neuroscience comes in. So the work we've done in particular on a brain network is activated by a neurochemical called oxytocin, shows that when we asked for help as social creatures, we almost always are motivated to respond in kind. So if you asked me to do something as opposed to demand or in an aggressive way forced me to do something, most of us get this kind of defensive approach like, Hey, what the hell? I mean, even if you're my boss, don't be intimidating me dude! My recent book "Trust Factor" has a lot of Peter Director in there, who was on the faculty with me at Claremont for years. And you know, Peter is the one who's coined the term knowledge worker. He said if you're a knowledge worker, you need to be your own CEO. Well everyone is a knowledge worker today, literally everyone. So if you're year own CEO and some dude is screaming in the office and I've worked for screamers, you'd probably have too Jill. I don't like it. And the first thing I want to do is get the heck out of there. So we all are our own CEO, so we should treat people like that. Like I'm thrilled that you decided to work for our group. Am I going to push you? Yeah. Am I going to challenge you? For sure. Am I going to talk to you when you're missing your goals? For sure, right? There's no sense in which people are not being held accountable, but I really want to have people give this intrinsic effort and I can't do that, that's internal to the employee. So by the way, I don't even like the word employee, I like colleague or team mate. I think we should get rid of this kind of weird Marxian hangover of capital and labor being at conflict somehow. So anyway, so I don't want to ask colleagues or to force them to do the things I want them to do. I want them to be passionate about what we're doing. If they're passionate about it, they're going to hit the ball out of the park, if I give them the tools to do that and help them learn how to hit the ball. So anyway, I think in the world we're in with an unemployment now, 3.9%, I think I just saw in the US, just getting bodies on board is hard enough, but getting high performers, if I want to do that, I've got to create a culture where people can really thrive and if you are authoritative, if you're aggressive, it's just not going to work and people will go elsewhere and we know that money is a very weak motivator for performance. So let's create the conditions, the social conditions, that drawn our social brain, and in particular induce the release of oxytocin - make us want to work for the team goal. And when we do that it's anti aggressive, it's inclusive and accepting. It's challenging and it's going to be hard and we're going to make mistakes. But guess what? If I'm a leader, I'm going to make mistakes too. And I'd love feedback from you guys as well, but just all try to get better at this thing. So one of my great examples of this actually from the book is where I live near Silicon Valley. They have many, many tech companies have monthly "Congratulations, you screwed up celebrations" Let's get pizza and beer and let's talk about the mistakes we made this month and see who screwed up the biggest because if you want to innovate, you've got to make some mistakes and when you celebrate, you also share those with the company. So if everyone is seeking to innovate that we know everyone's making mistakes, right? Jeff Bezos has said this, "one or two out of 10 of the bets we take pay off, but they pay off big enough that we could do lots of small scale experiments." So yeah, let's talk about how we screwed up. Let's make sure everyone knows so no one else makes that mistake and let's make it fun. So if you want to innovate, try some new stuff and empower those, trust those people around you to make decisions that are going to drive performance up. If you're just going to scream at people they make a mistake, then you're going to get status quo and your going to get a lot of turnover. Yes, they keep the best for themselves when you do that, right? Yeah, for sure. So you shared that there is two things that you found for really high performing teams, a trusted team and purpose. Can you talk a little bit more about purpose? Thank you. Yes, so I think there's two kinds of purposes within organizations. One is the sort of transactional purpose, the processes that you've got to set up to run a company efficiently. I'm talking about a different kind of purpose, which I call transcendent purpose, which is why the organization exists at all and according to Drucker and Edward Deming. at its core organizations exist to improve people's lives. And so companies that embrace that, a sense of service to their client, service to their community, are much more productive and in experiments we've run, we've shown much higher oxytocin release when we have a social purpose, what we're doing, much higher productivity and more enjoyment. So again, I think every organization can find that core purpose that tells us why we're working so hard. Right? Yeah, I need the paycheck. Um, yeah, probably I liked some of the people I work with, but when I got a long day when I've worked my butt off and I realize I'm doing this because I'm saving patients lives or because I'm making my customers day a little better. Doug Rauch, who took Trader Joe's national, he just retired from them, said that when he was taking Trader Joe's national, he realized that they were not a grocery store. They were an organization that was designed to make people happy. They just happen to do that by selling interesting, funky food. But it was all about making people happy. So that's when they started. If you go to Trader Joe's, if you ask the question to one of their colleagues, they walk you down the aisle to find the thing you've asked about. They will do everything. They'll walk the stuff out to your car. They will do everything until you are extraordinarily happy. So that's a really cool approach, right? It means that everything that you're doing has got to fit into that core purpose. It also means if you're doing stuff that doesn't fit their core purpose, you shouldn't be doing it. I love that. I love that example as well with Trader Joe's that is a fun store to go into, definitely. You talked a little bit about how you use this with your team personally. What is one thing that leaders could do if they want to really improve on getting that high performing team? I hear that a lot - high performing team, trust, purpose and especially purpose. So what are the one or two things that a manager could do? I mean it sounds like we're in kindergarten, but it's really simple. Say please and thank you. My group works a lot on project basis, so we have a funded project come in and instead of assigning that task to somebody we say, hey, who would like to do this task? It is a whole different approach. Again, this is done a lot in the silicon valley world. Here's the project, who wants to take lead on this? Who wants to build a team and work on this thing for three months or six months? Who's got capacity? Who's interested? Who wants to stretch themselves and a lot of celebrations. So from the neuroscience perspective, anything that happens more than about a week in the future is almost irrelevant in terms of setting up a feedback loop. So when goals are met, even kinda midterm goals, right? Maybe milestones, have a celebration. do the debrief, get some feedback. I think of that celebration is a chance to have the community of people that you work with come together to celebrate high performance and then you set up aspirations among the entire company for high performance, right? If we're celebrating this. And also if performance goals are not met, celebrate in public, but critique in private. So, very good neuroscience showing that if I dress you down in public, all of a sudden I've shamed you in terms of your social group, that is a guaranteed recipe for disengagement. So you're not meeting your milestones, I will sit down and say, "Hey Jill, you know what, the last couple of weeks you seemed to be behind on where you're supposed to be. Let's talk about why you seem to be missing these milestones and what we can do to help you get around that". And then if, you know people you can't serve remediate, then we have to have a discussion about maybe this is not the right fit for you. But again, I think the explosion of neuroscience in the last 15 years has really allowed us to make specific well tested predictions about how to manage the humans who are around you at work and they're complicated, they're beautiful, very diverse, and they make mistakes and they do extraordinary things and so all of those I think are part of building this high trust high performance team. Yeah, I think those are great tips and just because it seems simple doesn't mean it's easy or maybe we think that it has to be more complex to really make it work. So what else are you working on right now, thinking about or having your team look into to help leaders and teams and organizations be more effective? We've been doing work for the last about 12 years on persuasion, on the neuroscience of persuasion, so how do we create messages both internally to teams and externally to clients that engage them, get them to act, whether that's a purchase post, share word of mouth, and we have identified neurologic signals that are very accurate at allowing us to predict whether messages are effective or not. And recently we rolled out wearable wireless sensors, worn on the forearm in which we can pick up this data coming out of the brain and see in real time how effective a message or an experience is at really engaging people both intentionally, but also emotionally. Do you care about this thing or not? So very exciting, we just released this in January and now working with companies ranging from movie studios and TV producers to large management consulting companies to increase the effectiveness of messaging, of training, of education and just making overall experiences great. So that's what we really want. We live in the experience economy now and so if we want to create great experiences both for our employees but also for our clients, we've got to have measurement tools, otherwise we're just counting on our fallible intuition. So anyway, we're real excited about rolling out these wireless sensors so people can contact me and find out more. That's great. So the wireless sensors you're working on helping organizations, use those to test with their customers or potential clients? How does that work? Both, yeah, with clients we are doing a lot of work on effective messaging, but doing a lot of live events, corporate training events, everything from onboarding recently did some work to help company with employee recruiting. So how do I get people to actually apply for my jobs at my company? And then really on communication in general. So how do we create an effective narrative that tells our company's story or purpose narrative and our narrative to customers, but lots of work in advertising. And I worked on movie trailers, you know, it's amazing at this age and time we live in that a movie studio will spend 100 million or more producing a movie and then you know, they look at some trailers and they go, ah, I like, I liked number one and number seven, let's release that. There's no science there, you know, so it's really blending the art and the science, the art of creation. We can't do that. But from a testing perspective we can get better than just intuition. So that's what we're getting to - having a real tool and doing it in real time was hard. Gosh, was that hard, a lot of signal processing has to go on and cloud computing. So anyway, as you can tell, I'm really excited about having a real time neurosensor that is predictive of what people will do. Very fascinating. Yeah. We are lucky to have all these breakthroughs and ability in technology that allows us to so quickly be able to gather this and use it for good. Right? Absolutely. Yep. Well thank you. So any last words from you? Any specific tips that we didn't cover or anything that you think is really important for leaders to understand as they focus on building trust and transparency with their team. Thank you. Yeah, it's been great to be on with you. I think really understanding that in the world we live in today with really looming labor shortages and a real need to keep the highest performers in your organization, it's the human factors that matter. Vulnerability also means letting your emotions show, being honest, really being a human. I think when you let your humanity show you also absorb the humanity of those people around you and that's what we really want when we work in teams and when we're stretched and we work hard. Human beings are fascinating species I've discovered in my experiments, so really being a great leader means being fully human, accepting your humanity, accepting emotions and letting them show and making mistakes. No one's perfect. We all make mistakes and owning those mistakes too, so no need to be perfect and no-one is a little god at work. As long as we're trying our best and we'll make some progress, it's all good. That's great. Yeah. Take that stress off of trying to be perfect or thinking you are because like you said, you get more out of people when you're not and you're honest about that. That's great. I really appreciate that. Well, thank you so much for sharing this and I hope to have you back as you start doing more work on the neuroscience of persuasion and we get to learn a little bit more about what you're learning and how leaders can use this as well. So thank you and I hope you have an amazing week. Thanks so much Jill. Closing I hope that you have enjoyed this and can start using some of these great ideas build high performing teams.  Make sure to subscribe to be alerted to ongoing podcasts. I work with leaders and their teams to apply these concepts, grow themselves, their teams and their business.  Schedule a free 30 minute consultation here to see if I can help you, your team or your organization.  You can reach me, Jill Windelspecht, directly by email at jillwindel@TalentSpecialists.net and visit my website at www.TalentSpecialists.net. Get in touch with Paul:  Paul's Website  

In this episode we discuss the groundbreaking research behind the ancient molecule that fuels peak performance, the foundations of neuroeconomics, how our brains react during social interactions, we examine how our brains are designed to connect and built to work cooperatively, we dig into the power of oxytocin and how you can increase it in your life, and much more with Dr. Paul Zak.     Dr. Paul Zak is founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology, and Management at Claremont Graduate University. He was also among the team of scientists who were the first to use brain imaging to identify the role of oxytocin as a key driver of trust, love, and morality that distinguish our humanity. Paul is the author of the new book Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High-Performance Companies and has appeared on ABC World News, CNN, Fox Business, and more.    Paul founded the field of Neuroeconomics - what is that? How are humans able to interact with total strangers when that is impossible in the animal kingdom? How do our brains balance the risks of meeting a stranger vs the benefits of increased social influence? Our brains live in this soup of chemicals, none of which we are aware of consciously How Paul’s groundbreaking research transformed what scientists thought about the production of oxytocin and how humans build trust  Oxytocin is an on/off switch Paul challenges the listeners to a fight!  Our brains naturally help us adapt to the environment we are in How do we get people in groups to perform at their highest level How you can train your brain to release more oxytocin Learn how to read the emotional state of the people around you How “listening with your eyes” can help boost your oxytocin and help you become more in sync with people The “evil trick” you can use to get tons of information when you meet someone (it’s NOT what you expect!) Our brains are designed to connect, we want to be connected. We are naturally open to touch. Our brains are built to work cooperatively.  Strategies you can use in your daily life to increase your oxytocin  How companies can measure and manage their culture for high trust and high performance The 8 key building blocks leaders can use to build trust and improve high performance Paul focuses on measuring brain activity and use that to solve real problems that humans have. The neuroscience firmly demonstrates the power and vital importance of sleep  How you can implement concrete changes to get the biggest bang for your buck in building a culture of high performance We trust people more who are their real, vulnerable, natural selves Why you should replace “how was your weekend” with “hey you look really ” to build deeper relationships Almost no human can survive on their own - we only survive in groups - we must understand how to engage the groups that we are constantly around Science predicts, and data strongly supports, that people want to be and enjoy being part of high performance groups Why isn’t work an adventure? How can we make a work an adventure Connecting, touching, giving a gift - give the gift of connection, empowerment, love, to someone around you Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Paul Zak is the author of the new book “TRUST FACTOR: The Science Of Creating High-Performance Companies”, is founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology, and Management at Claremont Graduate University. He was part of the team of scientists that first made the connection between oxytocin and trust. His TED talk on the topic has received more than 1.4 million views. Paul is also the author of “The Moral Molecule”, has appeared on ABC World News Tonight, CNN, Fox Business, Dr. Phil, and Good Morning America. What you’ll learn about in this episode Dr. Zak’s background Why Dr. Zak believes that it’s our decisions that make us interesting How any positive social interaction will trigger the release of oxytocin The importance of managing your energy Why Dr. Zak believes that there is no work-life balance – only work-life integration How getting up & walking around can profuse your brain with fresh, oxygenated blood Why it’s so important to know where you are going How empowering individuals around you to be successful can free you up to have more cognitive space The importance of listening more as you become more successful Why it’s so important to have a good culture fit when hiring people Why Dr. Zak believes that the most difficult part of managing an organization is the people How to create a high trust organization & the benefits of having one How to best connect with Dr. Zak: Website: www.pauljzak.com Resources: Book: “TRUST FACTOR: The Science Of Creating High-Performance Companies” Free Tools: ofactor.com

Paul Zak is the founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University. Pauls’s two decades of research have taken him from the Pentagon to Fortune 50 boardrooms to the rain forest of Papua New Guinea.  All this in a quest to understand the neuroscience of human connection, human happiness, and effective teamwork. His academic lab and companies he has started develop and deploy neuroscience technologies to solve real problems faced by real people. His latest book, Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High Performance Companies, uses neuroscience to measure and manage organizational cultures to inspire teamwork and accelerate business outcomes. In this interview, we discuss the key role trust building plays in enhances performance.

Paul Zak illuminates how the brain chemical oxytocin relates to how we can develop a higher trust, lower-stress work culture. You'll Learn: How to measure and manage trust in the workplace The benefits of a high trust workplace Why hugs should be the new handshake   About Paul: Paul J. Zak, PhD, is founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology, and Management at Claremont Graduate University.  He was part of the team of scientists that first made the connection between oxytocin and trust – his TED talk on the topic has received more than 1.4 million views. Paul is the author of the new book Trust Factor: The Science Of Creating High-Performance Companies. Also the author of The Moral Molecule, he has appeared on ABC World News Tonight, CNN, Fox Business, Dr. Phil, and Good Morning America.  He lives in Claremont, CA. View transcript, show notes, and links at http://AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep124

Paul Zak illuminates how the brain chemical oxytocin relates to how we can develop a higher trust, lower-stress work culture. You'll Learn: How to measure and manage trust in the workplace The benefits of a high trust workplace Why hugs should be the new handshake   About Paul: Paul J. Zak, PhD, is founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology, and Management at Claremont Graduate University.  He was part of the team of scientists that first made the connection between oxytocin and trust – his TED talk on the topic has received more t

Shivani and Melissa sit down with Paul Zak, founding director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies, to talk about his work with oxytocin (the "moral molecule").

Paul Zak is a scientist, prolific author and public speaker. His book The Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity was published in 2012 and was a finalist for the Wellcome Trust Book Prize. He is the founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University. Dr. Zak's work on oxytocin and relationships has earned him the nickname "Dr. Love." His current work applies neuroscience to improve marketing and consumer experiences, and to build high performance organizations. On this episode of Bulletproof Radio, Dave and Dr. Zak talk about corporate culture, different reactions to oxytocin, empowerment, trust, decision-making and more. Enjoy the show!

Paul Zak is a scientist, prolific author and public speaker. His book The Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity was published in 2012 and was a finalist for the Wellcome Trust Book Prize. He is the founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University. Dr. Zak's work on oxytocin and relationships has earned him the nickname "Dr. Love." His current work applies neuroscience to improve marketing and consumer experiences, and to build high performance organizations. On this episode of Bulletproof Radio, Dave and Dr. Zak talk about corporate culture, different reactions to oxytocin, empowerment, trust, decision-making and more. Enjoy the show!

Paul J. Zak is a scientist, prolific author, and public speaker. His book The Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity was published in 2012 and was a finalist for the Wellcome Trust Book Prize. He is the founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University. Dr. Zak also serves as Professor of Neurology at Loma Linda University Medical Center. He has degrees in mathematics and economics from San Diego State University, a Ph.D. in economics from University of Pennsylvania, and post-doctoral training in neuroimaging from Harvard. He is credited with the first published use of the term “neuroeconomics” and has been a vanguard in this new discipline.He organized and administers the first doctoral program in neuroeconomics. Dr. Zak’s lab discovered in 2004 that the brain chemical oxytocin allows us to determine who to trust. His current research has shown that oxytocin is responsible for virtuous behaviors, working as the brain’s “moral molecule.”This knowledge is being used to understand the basis for civilization and modern economies, improve negotiations, and treat patients with neurologic and psychiatric disorders.Dr. Zak’s work on oxytocin and relationships has earned him the nickname “Dr. Love.” His current work applies neuroscience to improve marketing and consumer experiences, and to build high performance organizations. .

April promises to bring a dynamic show for us on the 13th.  Paul J. Zak is a scientist, prolific author, and public speaker. His book The Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity was published in 2012 and was a finalist for the Wellcome Trust Book Prize. He is the founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University. Dr. Zak also serves as Professor of Neurology at Loma Linda University Medical Center. He has degrees in mathematics and economics from San Diego State University, a Ph.D. in economics from University of Pennsylvania, and post-doctoral training in neuroimaging from Harvard. He is credited with the first published use of the term "neuroeconomics" and has been a vanguard in this new discipline. He organized and administers the first doctoral program in neuroeconomics. Dr. Zak's lab discovered in 2004 that the brain chemical oxytocin allows us to determine who to trust. His current research has shown that oxytocin is responsible for virtuous behaviors, working as the brain's "moral molecule." This knowledge is being used to understand the basis for civilization and modern economies, improve negotiations, and treat patients with neurologic and psychiatric disorders. Dr. Zak's work on oxytocin and relationships has earned him the nickname "Dr. Love." His current work applies neuroscience to improve marketing and consumer experiences, and to build high performance organizations.  Join us at 2pm for an amazing show.

Facts are stacked like bricks to become a tower. Do you see it?But a story is a wave that takes you on a journey and leaves the memory of the tower far behind.Facts are solid. Stories are seductive. You will find the facts in the paragraphs below. You will find the stories in http://mondaymemo.wpengine.com/rabbithole/ (the rabbit hole.) A Harvard graduate, Maria Konnikova received her Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia. She is the recipient of the 2015 Harvard Medical School Media Fellowship and is a Schachter Writing Fellow at Columbia University's Motivation Science Center. Let me put it a little more “Texan.” Harvard Medical School believes in Maria enough to give her money. The Motivation Science Center believes in her enough to give her money. These big-league institutions are helping to fund her research. Conclusion: Maria Konnikova is neither a poser nor a lightweight. In her new book, The Confidence Game, Maria explains how cognitive scientists are proving that stories are the most effective way to get people to change their minds. Eric Barker of Wired magazine was impressed with Maria's book and followed it up with an interview. He talks about it in his blog, http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2016/02/how-to-tell-if-someone-is-lying/?utm_source=%22Barking+Up+The+Wrong+Tree%22+Weekly+Newsletter&utm_campaign=b3611feb85-lying_2_07_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_78d4c08a64-b3611feb85-56764633 (Barking Up the Wrong Tree.)  “When people tell us stories we tend to let our guard down. We don't think we're being ‘sold' something, so we tend to go along for the ride. We quietly lose motivation to detect lies.” “When psychologists Melanie Green and Timothy Brock decided to test the persuasive power of narrative, they found that the more a story transported us into its world, the more we were likely to believe it… The more engrossed a reader was in the story, the fewer false notes she noticed. The sweep of the narrative trumped the facts of logic. What's more, the most engaged readers were also more likely to agree with the beliefs the story implied.” – Maria Konnokova, The Confidence Game Eric Barker's additional research included the following nuggets,“Nothing beats a story when it comes to convincing you of something…” “Our brains are wired to respond to stories…” “Paul Zak, the director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies, has found repeatedly that nothing changes our emotions and behavior like the flow of a good story…” “Keith Quesenberry at Johns Hopkins studied more than 100 Super Bowl ads to determine what the most effective ones had in common. The answer? They told a story.” Will you give me a couple of extra minutes today if I promise to teach you something valuable?I want to help you understand what is – and is not – a story. I want to help you attract more customers. I'd like you to compare this week's MondayMorningMemo – the one you're reading now – to last week's memo, Herbert and the Bullfight. http://mondaymemo.wpengine.com/herbert-and-the-bullfight/ (Herbert and the Bullfight) tells a story. This week's memo does not. This week's memo uses simile, “Facts are stacked like bricks…” and metaphor, “a story is a wave…” to make statements of fact more colorful. But it takes more than color to tell a story. You met several characters in this memo – Maria Konnokova, Eric Barker, Melanie Green, Timothy Brock, Paul Zak and Keith Quesenberry – but none of those characters took you on a journey. You never felt what they were feeling or saw the world through their eyes. You never identified with any of them. Nothing happens to them, so they remain unchanged. A story…1. has a character2. with whom you identify3. and a pivotal moment. (The best stories have a series of them.)4. As a result of these moments, the character...

"Ocytocin motivates social interaction by reducing the appropriate stress response we have when we interact with someone who’s new"... The words of scientist, Paul J Zak, known as the 'King of Trust'. Paul is the founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and he’s Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management. Dr. Zak also serves as Professor of Neurology and is a Senior Researcher at UCLA. Dr. Zak is a recognised expert in oxytocin. His lab discovered in 2004 that oxytocin allows us to determine who to trust. This knowledge is being used to understand the basis for civilisation and modern economies, improve negotiations, and treat patients with neurologic and psychiatric disorders. Paul shares in this in simple ways what oxytocin is, how it works, and how to use it to recude your social anxiety. He shares 10 simple brain hacks to reduce social anxiety and also shares fascinating insights and studies that help you understand your anxiety better, and make quick progress. QUOTE: It’s the reciprocal release of oxytocin that bonds us to other people. Expert's show notes page (www.social-anxiety-solutions.com/paulzak) My homepagewww.social-anxiety-solutions.com Contact me directly: www.social-anxiety-solutions.com/contact/ Warm regards,Sebastiaan van der Schrier

Dr. Paul Zak of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies joins The Business of Story this week to discuss the implications of the scientific proof that we are biologically wired for story. For more information on Dr. Paul Zak, you can visit his website.  The Business of Story is sponsored by ACT! and Zignal Labs ACT! helps individuals, small businesses, and sales teams organize prospect and customer details in just one place, ultimately driving sales. Visit http://actstory.com and enter to win a pair of BOSE noice-cancelling headphones.  Zignal Labs is a real-time cross-media story tracking platform to make your life easier to see relevant data and reach your customers where they are. Stay ahead of what the world thinks with a free trial at http://zignallabs.com/story. In This Episode Oxytocin, or the moral molecule, and its acute, chemical effect on the brain What the neuroeconomy is, and how to apply it to your business What you need to know as a business communicator to release oxytocin in your audience Steps to build stories that have a distinct chemical effect on the brain and influence others The ZEST score, and how to use this mathematical equation to predict your story's success Resources Paul J. Zak TED Talk Paul’s short video: Empathy, Neurochemistry and the Dramatic Arc Future of Storytelling website Paul’s book, The Moral Molecule ZESTxLabs Visit http://bit.ly/BizofStory for more insights from your favorite storytellers.

Join Carlos as he explores the moral molecule with Dr. Paul Zak. What is oxytocin? Do people have an on and off moral switch ? Is being moral unique to humans? Is morality innate?TED speaker PAUL J. ZAK, Ph.D., is professor of economic psychology and management at Claremont Graduate University. As the founding director of Claremont's Center for Neuroeconomics Studies, he is at the vanguard of neuroeconomics, a new discipline that integrates neuroscience and economics. He has a popular Pyschology Todayblog called The Moral Molecule. He makes numerous media appearances, and his research has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Scientific American, Fast Company, and many others.Also, at the end of the show, listen to our featured singer for this month, Rebecca Jade.