The model that will change the way you manage people

In this piece I will tell you about a little known model to allow you to better manage people. The model has many advantages. It is simple, and easy to keep in mind, and covers some social need that influence people's behavior. Use it to improve the work environment, and propensity for collaboration in your organization. You will be able to understand more easily how to stimulate intrinsic motivation, and get results in a short time.

This model was created by David Rock, CEO of the NeuroLeadership Institute, researcher, and author of articles on management, and neuroscience, and four management books. His model is called SCARF

To understand how to use the SCARF model, I need to tell you about the principle on which it is based. It will not take long. It's called the approach-avoid principle. According to this principle, the brain classifies stimuli into two classes: risk, and benefit. How the stimulus is classified influences the probability that the person will adopt approach or avoidance behavior. Those are subconscious intuitions that come into play very rapidly, because they are linked to the survival instinct. The SCARF model is based on Neuro Social Sciences, which shows how social threats, and rewards are processed by the brain in neural circuits similar to those for threats, and rewards physical.

The SCARF model classifies social threats, and rewards into 5 areas: Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relationship, Justice. In each of these areas it is possible to identify whether an action or a social interaction can represent a threat or a social benefit.

I will now take you through these domains, one by one, however, keep in mind that some situations may fall in more than one domain at the same time.

Status

Social status is very important for survival for both us, and our primate cousins. Social status influences our longevity, and health more than education, and wealth. Humans are a social animal, and for them the social hierarchy is very important.

People perceive higher status when they consider themselves better than another person, and an improvement in status is perceived in the same way as a financial reward. An increase in status causes a reaction in the brain's reward circuit by increasing the level of dopamine.

Do you remember how you felt when you passed a job interview? You were chosen among many candidates, and therefore judged better, and your status grew. A beautiful emotion!

Instead, the possibility of a potential reduction of status is experienced as a physical threat, and research in neuroscience indicates that a neurological reaction similar to that of < em>physical pain.

Being rejected represents a reduction in status. Do you know someone who has been rejected, divorced, or fired, and remember how much they suffered? It's very bad!

I believe that status is the most important social need in the SCARF model.

Reduce status threats

It is important to reduce threats to status, precisely because they can produce strong reactions, and it is very easy to trigger them accidentally. Just give advice or instruction in the wrong way or make a comparison with other people.

This explains why one of the worst things you can do is to criticize a person publicly, especially in front of those who belong to one of their social groups. Criticism, and judgment are always a threat to the status of the person criticized (and sometimes that person will be you), and these situations are inevitable, but it is possible to ensure that they do as little damage as possible by having the foresight to recognize the positive things that the person has done, and frame the criticism as an opportunity to improve, and therefore improve the status.

This should make you think about how important it will be to think in advance about what consequences the adoption of the European directive on salary transparency will have because the salary level is an important status signal.

Reward with status

Organizations know well that status is an important reward, and many managers use promotions to reward collaborators. Promotions, however, can lead to unwanted situations where capable, and smart people get coordination, and responsibility positions without having the essential aptitudes, and interpersonal skills. Can you think of a manager who has the tecnical skills, but not the organizational, and relational ones?

Fortunately, the collaborators' status can be increased in other ways. People feel an increase in status when they bleieve that they are learning, and improving, and that the improvement is recognized. People therefore compare themselves with themselves instead of comparing themselves with others, and recognize that they are better than themselves in the past. This explains the importance of positive, and frequent feedback.

Certainty

The brain is very good at recognizing patterns for predicting what will happen. This saves energy for solving problems in contexts that are familiar. By recognizing a pattern, the person already knows what the correct strategies might be to deal with a situation. Furthermore, one highly developed feature by humans compared to animals is the theory of mind, the ability to understand, and predict the actions, and intentions of others by making hypotheses about mental state of people, and knowing how to behave.

Reduce uncertainty

The uncertain times full of unknowns in which we live is are source of anxiety, and fear. It is not possible to remove this uncertainty from the world, just as it is not possible to eliminate get rid of it from the workplace. But you can implement some strategies to reduce the feeling of threat that comes from uncertainty.

In situations of uncertainty you can create, and illustrate scenarios explaining what could happen in different situations, and establish clear expectations for the various situations.

When situations are very chaotic, and unpredictable you can create an anchor of certainty by creating a ritual, a series of actions that are always repeated in a given situation, and that offer a sense of familiarity. This is a strategy widely used in sport by athletes who repeat the same sequence of actions before each race to allow them to be centered, and get in the flow.

Increase certainty

A smart strategy that you have probably been able to experience yourself is to install traffic lights with a countdown to the red signal, the display with the minutes until the bus or the subway arrives. Knowing how long you have to wait increases the sense of certainty, and reassures you.

Even at work it is possible to increase the sense of certainty, which is experienced as a social benefit. You can anticipate what is about to happen, share objectives, and strategies, set up periodic check-ins. This need for certainty also clarifies why it is important to give frequent feedback to people, even if nothing new has happened.

Autonomy

Exercising control over the environment is a specifically human characteristic, and it is not surprising that it is part of this list of social needs. In social relationships, autonomy is extremely important, and contrasts with the need to belong to an organization, and collaborate towards a common goal. At work it is inevitable that a part of autonomy must be sacrificed in order to work in a team.

A reduction in autonomy is perceived very badly by the people who experience it as a threat that reduces the feeling of control, and belonging to the workplace. To understand it better, just think of a friend who suffered the micromanagement by a superior, and how much it made him suffer.

Reduce threats to autonomy

At work, and in organizations, it is normal for tasks to be assigned, and to be necessary to faithfully follow procedures. It happens to you too. However, you can reduce the perception of lack of autonomy by associating the assignment of a tasks, and responsibilities providing some space tfor some choice. Choosing some methods, some tools, some timing, and asking for feedback on the assignment.

Increase the sense of autonomy

Finding ways to provide a feeling of autonomy in an organization can be difficult, but the end result in terms of involvement, pride, and ownership of one's role in the organization is worth the effort. This is why flexible working hours, autonomy in organizing one's work, and in defining objectives are so important in companies. To succeed in this, companies must find the right balance to clarify within which boundaries it is possible to move autonomously in carrying out a task. If these degrees of freedom are codified in the procedures, then a certain degree of autonomy is always present.

Relationship

Humans are a social animal, and in groups they can achieve exceptional results. This is why a feeling of belonging is so important in organizations, and deserves your attention. The relationship defines whether one belongs to or is outside of a social group. The effects of marginalization, the lack of sense of belonging in the workplace have an high impact, think for example of mobbing, the negative effect on the psychology of the marginalized person.

People collaborate better when they feel they are part of a group, and are distrustful of those who are not part of it.

Reduce the sense of isolation

In an organization it is easy to reduce the sense of isolation because it's purpose is exactly to make people work together. Bringing together physically people who work remotely for long periods of time reduces feelings of isolation. Physical presence makes the difference.

Contact, and physical closeness stimulate the production of oxytocin, a hormone that promotes the creation of interpersonal bonds. In general, physical contact stimulates the production of this hormone, and explains why it is important to shake hands, and respectfully get in contact with people.

Organizing moments of socialization between people is important, it is part of the job, and avoids the feeling of isolation.

Increase relationship

To create a group, and a feeling of belonging you can use three important tools: symbols, myths and ceremonies. To make you understand better I will use the example of fans. Symbols let people immediately recognize which group they belong to. They trust, and feel similar to those who display the same symbols. This happens for the fans of a sports team, the fans of a brand, like Apple. Myths are stories that tell episodes of the collective life of a group, and their values. Sports fans tell stories about their Formula 1 team, football team or a skiing champion. Ceremonies are collective rites where the sense of belonging, and the will to act is strengthened. The fans are at the stadium, the fans at the concert, the Apple enthusiasts at the presentation of new products.

In your organization you can create a symbol for your team, a name, and colors. You can organize moments to remember episodes from your team's history. You can organize a special day for your group where they celebrate following a ritual. Be careful not to create rivalries with other teams in your organization because they are always against producers.

Equity, and Justice

In social relationships, fairness, and justice are very important. An injustice can spark a revolt, and many people sacrifice everything to restore equity. Public figures, both historical, and even those in stories, elicit hatred and disgust when they are unfair, and unjust. Non profit organizations are a way to restore some fairness to our world.

Reduce injustice

But the world is not fair. For this reason, rules, and values are very important in organizations, and allow us to reduce the feeling of injustice. Make sure the rules are clear. Apply the rules equally to everyone, and be the first to respect them, setting an example. Values, and rules that are only proclaimed, and not acted upon by the organization are counterproductive, and judged hypocritical, and unfair.

Do everything you can to be transparent, and communicate clearly in all company matters.

Increasing equity

It is possible to increase the sense of fairness, and justice. Make expectations, and consequences clear for every situation, whether it's a meeting or a contract. Make sure trades are fair.

You can also make sure to involve your team in defining the rules.

Conclusions

In this article you read about a method that helps you recognize people's social needs. It can help you take the necessary measures to improve the climate in the company, at school, in other organizations. It can also help you understand your reactions to different social situations.

If you think this model could be useful to someone, share this article.

I'm Ugo and I created a method to recover employee engagement and recharge: Re-Powering . If this topic interests you, contact me because I can help you.