How To Change Mindset According To Neuroscience

Mindset change is often the lynchpin in organizational changes. No one will argue that mindset drives behaviors. But is it possible to change mindsets?

The answer is yes, and neuroscience backs this claim. Dr. Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist and a Stanford University School of Medicine professor, explains the science in his podcast The Huberman Lab. Here are several takeaways from what I’ve learned and what you can do in your mindset change efforts.

Photo by Marek Uliasz

What The Science Says

According to Dr. Huberman, the brain and mind are interchangeable. To change the mind, we must first understand how the brain works.

1. Behaviors can change the brain

Our nervous system controls everything we do — sensations, perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and actions. Some are negotiable, but some are not. For example, sensations are not negotiable. We automatically sense the things that happen around us. However, perceptions are negotiable. You can shift someone’s attention by placing a spotlight on the topic. As for thoughts, Dr. Huberman teaches us that it is simply useless to try to change them.

To change what people think, start by changing their experiences through actions that they need to perform. Performing activities that are different creates an experience that changes the way people feel and think. While we know that the brain controls behaviors, neuroscience shows that actions can change the brain.

Think about the last time you tried to change your team’s mindset. Did you provide a different experience through specific actions? Or did you first try to change their thinking?

2. The brain needs a neurochemical cocktail to change

The ability of the brain to modify itself is known as neuroplasticity. The process involves three neurochemicals:

• Acetylcholine is released when we focus.
• Norepinephrine brings about a state of alert or agitation. It can also feel like discomfort.
• Dopamine is the reward component that energizes.

In other words, we need this neurochemical cocktail to drive the virtuous cycle of learning a new action or behavior. When we do something new, norepinephrine gets us going and keeps us alert. Intense focus releases acetylcholine. When we reach a milestone, dopamine pushes the norepinephrine down, giving our brain energy to focus more.

3. Focus triggers plasticity in the brain

Ever wondered what makes children learn with so much ease? Children’s brains are highly malleable. But adults can also trigger neuroplasticity. We need to pass the first gateway of discomfort caused by norepinephrine. Once we start focusing, we enable the brain to secrete acetylcholine. These two neurochemicals then merge to mark the brain for a change.

However, while the intense focus is the trigger, we only form new neural pathways during sleep or deep rest.

What does this teach us? Leave sufficient bandwidth for your people to focus on performing the new actions. But make sure to promote and support their well-being for optimal learning. Keeping things too intense all the time will be counter-productive.

4. Making errors signals the brain to change

The human brain seeks to do things reflexively. When a pattern becomes familiar, it feels effortless. But when we do something unfamiliar, our brain continually tries to figure out 3 things — how long an action takes, what needs to be done, and what outcome to expect. As Dr. Huberman points out, one reason the pandemic has been tiring is that we needed to figure out new ways to operate. Another reason is the uncertainty: we have no idea how long it will last.

But errors are also signals for the brain to change. As soon as our brain senses an error in our actions, it tries to figure out the correct pathway. What this means is: errors are an essential part of learning. Suppose you’re leading an organizational change that requires people to work differently: it is vital to leave room for errors as part of the learning process.

Neuroscience also shows that the adult brain is more tolerable of minor errors. Leverage the science by emphasizing incremental learning in your strategies.

5. Urgency increases our brain’s ability to adapt

How else can you intensify the mindset shift? Create an absolute need for change. Our brain learns faster when doing something vital. It’s why deadlines are effective.

What will happen if we don’t adapt? Answer this question to create a necessity for your people. Our brain adapts quicker when the need is critical and urgent. Just look at how companies around the world adapted to remote working a year ago. There was no other option.

6. Dopamine gives us the energy to keep focusing

When we reach our goal, dopamine is released and makes us feel energized. Dopamine pushes norepinephrine down and gives our brain energy to continue working. As a result, we can focus more.

Organizational changes usually take months, if not years. To sustain the focus over a long period, divide your ultimate goal into small or micro milestones. Celebrating the achievement of each milestone will then release dopamine that gives people the energy to continue.

However, Dr. Huberman warns against the danger of making our internal dopamine system entirely dependent on external rewards. Motivate people to learn as an essential life skill. Learning how to learn has many intrinsic benefits.

What else releases dopamine? Laughter. It turns out having fun is a good thing for the brain. So laugh a little, remind people not to take themselves too seriously, especially as they struggle to adjust. Laughing will give the brain more energy.

What Does This Mean For Your Change Plan?

Changing mindsets is one of the most challenging undertakings for leaders. But you can reframe how you lead the change journey by incorporating the learnings from neuroscience. Here are some suggestions:

1. Communicate the science: Educate people on neuroscience to create more awareness of how change and learning happen in the brain. It can provide a healthy perspective on discomfort about an impending change.
2. Start with actions: Start with concrete actions that people need to perform. Don’t try to change what they think. Introduce new thoughts. Use a different spotlight to create new perceptions. With enough practice, the experience of engaging in new activities will change how people feel and think.
3. Create a sense of urgency: Creating a sense of urgency for each person is one of the hardest things to do in change programs. The message people hear must enable them to say to themselves, “If I don’t change, I will ____ .” What fills in the blanks has to be impactful enough to motivate action. It’s human nature — people adapt much quicker if there is a vital need.
4. Leverage incremental learning: The adult brain benefits from incremental learning. Implement learning actions in small chunks.
5. Make room for errors: Training the brain to function differently requires practice. Be kind. Create a safe space to encourage people to “try and fail” until the new behaviors become reflexive.
6. Emphasize well-being: The brain changes only during sleep and deep rest. Care for the well-being of your people to help their learning and change process.
7. Reward the process: Break down the ultimate goal into smaller milestones. Celebrate milestones achieved to energize people to continue. But focus on the process and not just the outcome. You will cultivate the practice of continuous improvement.
8. Laugh a little: Change can be uncomfortable and frustrating. But laughter reduces tension and agitation. A little bit of fun can go a long way.

Inspire A Growth Mindset

In her book Mindset, Dr. Carol Dweck’s example of a group of 10-year-olds should make you pause for thought. What drove the children to keep solving unsolvable puzzles? What made them say incredible things like, “I love a challenge!”

People with a growth mindset believe talents blossom if they invest enough effort. On the contrary, those with a fixed mindset believe their abilities are fixed and cannot be improved. If your business operates in a continuously changing environment, developing a growth mindset is one of the most strategic moves that you can inspire.

So what can you do when you next hear, “I don’t believe we can change the mindset of our organization,”

Don’t try to change what the person thinks. Don’t write the person off either. Invite the individual to experiment with doing something new. Remember, this is how the human brain changes — by engaging in different experiences that ultimately change the way we think and feel.

What about your experience with changing mindsets? What has worked? What would you do differently?

Valerie Tan Ronchail specializes in Organizational Strategies and Leadership Coaching. She’s also an avid photographer who’s on a quest to create her first NFT. You can connect with Valerie at valerie@mingz.co