I’m kind of a geek when it comes to studies of the human brain.

I find the research fascinating and love applying it to my career and life. One of my favorite books on the topic is Social Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. In it he shares new knowledge from the emerging field of social neuroscience. The latest brain research can be so revealing when applied to office dynamics. Neuroscience now proves that our effects on one another—both good and bad—are significant. As Goleman demonstrates, we are indeed social beings who respond on a chemical level to other people.

For example, the act of being kind to another person raises serotonin levels in both the giver and the receiver of the kindness. More surprising is that just witnessing an act of kindness raises the serotonin level of the observer an equal amount. (Serotonin has been dubbed the Happiness Molecule, and is a neurotransmitter directly associated with mood. Higher levels of Serotonin put a big old smile on your face.)

Here’s a useful takeaway: If you have something good to say to an employee, when appropriate, do it in front of the whole team and let everybody share in the hormonal rush.

Conversely, negativity breeds more of the same. We all have mirror neurons, brain cells that sense another person’s feelings and prepare us to imitate what they are feeling. That’s why it’s important to dump any bad apples that may have landed on your team. Once you’ve determined they can’t be brought back from the dark side, then they simply have to go. Sadly, once employees become actively disengaged they drag the whole team down. Even worse, neuroscientists can now see that stressful relationships have a negative effect on our immune systems. Fewer bad apples may indeed equal fewer sick days for the whole team—and that includes you! As Goleman states it: “…toxic relationships can act like slow poison in our bodies.” There’s a whole section in my book Finding Joy In Your Job that examines how to handle bad apples, with tips to help you determine if they can be salvaged.

Another fascinating finding of new research is how plastic our brains are, how able we are to learn new things and even grow new brain cells at any age. That’s comforting to this older dog, that we can still learn new tricks after all. But an unexpected result of our malleable brains is that we shape them throughout our lives by the relationships we maintain. As Goleman explains, “…being chronically hurt and angered, or being emotionally nourished, by someone we spend time with daily over the course of years can refashion our brain.” Again, the implications for our work lives—and beyond—are immense.

You simply must make it a priority to move your team into thrive mode as quickly as possible.

We live in an exciting age when we can finally learn and apply the latest brain science. I’m always reading books on this subject, so I’ll continue to share what I discover with you—and help you find ways to implement some of these ideas. For starters, be kind to your team today!

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