There
are four distinctive 'brain drivers,' or ways of thinking and behaving. These drivers
are based on brain chemicals such as dopamine, serotonin, testosterone and
estrogen. Although these chemicals are present in everyone's brain, people tend
to express them to varying degrees.
Once
you understand which brain driver someone uses, you can begin to reach them in
the world they live in. I have spent a better part of my coaching career
conducting extensive research into how biology, environment, axiology, neuroscience,
and quantum physics combine to shape the way people think about and respond to
others.
People
whose brain driver is heavily influenced by dopamine (D) tend to be
risk-taking, novelty seeking, curious, spontaneous and somewhat irreverent.
Those
influenced by serotonin (S) tend to be calm, self-controlled, frugal,
managerial and steady.
Those
influenced more by testosterone (C) tend to be analytical, logical,
competitive, rank-oriented but defiant.
And,
those influenced by estrogen (I) tend to be imaginative, compassionate, verbal
and intuitive.
Deloitte,
one of the BIG 5 consulting firms, has begun recently to
incorporate this philosophy, with its senior partners and executive leaders to
determine their own brain drivers and learn how to communicate more effectively
with people who have different brain drivers.
If
your brain driver is predominantly S and you are meeting with a client whose
brain driver is an I, then you need to focus on things like listening actively,
finding points of agreement and smiling more. We can act out of character. It
is tiring; but, we do it.
Do
you know what your brain driver is? Contact me if I can be of help to make you
a much more effective communicator and be successful in your business or life,
in general.
If
you are in a business or job to help others solve a problem and if you are able
to listen to your clients actively and understand the context of their problem,
you will be in a much better position to help them – it will give you an edge
in helping to solve the problem.
