PARTICIPANT WORKBOOK

Module One: Improve Everyday Interactions

FOR SALES MANAGERS

 Connect Participant Workbook
© 2016 NeuroLeadership Institute. All rights reserved.

This workbook and the techniques described in it are

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Program Information

Welcome to Connect: The Neuroscience of Quality Conversations

Objectives Teleclass Etiquette

Significantly increase
the effectiveness of
conversations that
Improve everyday
interactions
Grow and
develop others
• Ensure you are in a quiet place, with your phone unmuted
• Join the call five minutes early for roll call
• Use a fixed landline when possible
• No speaker phones or conference phones, please
• Turn off all digital devices
• Don’t answer other calls during the sessions
• Be ready to be called on at any time
• Say your name before speaking

Facilitate Expectations of You

behavior change • Maintain confidentiality
• Participate fully
• Give us permission to call on you
• Be willing to be stretched and challenged
• Maintain a focused pace
• Have one conversation at a time
• Complete the weekly assignments

Logistics
• A short, pre-recorded webinar to watch
• Three x 90-minute sessions to attend
• Assignments to complete between each session
• Additional resources sent by email after each session

© 2016 NeuroLeadership Institute — Connect — Module One 3

 Module One

Improve
Typical Workplace Conversations

Everyday Easier Stuff

(mostly)
Harder
Stuff

Interactions
Set goals Give feedback
Change attitudes
Plan
or behaviors
Big Ideas
Improve
Make decisions
Define what we mean by performance
a “quality conversation” Share information Collaborate
Solve familiar Solve complex
Understand the key motivators problems problems
of performance
Discuss
Increase creativity
operational issues
Create the right environment
Engage and
for quality conversations Get project updates
motivate others

Quality Conversations Defined

How would you define a quality conversation?

How often do you have a quality conversation with your individual Sales Reps?

4 © 2016 NeuroLeadership Institute — Connect — Module One

 What would you add?

oth Tim
esb s sp e w
g ie en e
ga part t

ll
En
S u p p orts o wth

refl ws for
and g

A QUALITY

on
CONVERSATION

e c ti
r
lea

o
A ll
rn
in
g

F ocuses
o n insig ht

What is a current challenge you are working on – something that you are at an impasse on?

Ask About ASK

the Solution Rescuing, counseling Coaching, developing
Personal,
TAPS Model TM
Emotional,
Complex

PROBLEM SOLUTION

Technical,
Procedural,
Linear Management, consulting Training, mentoring

TELL

© 2016 NeuroLeadership Institute — Connect — Module One 5

 The Key Motivators
of Performance
Brain’s Primary Organizing Principle
The brain classifies the world around you into things that will
either hurt you or help you stay alive.
“Everything you do in
When the brain detects a threat that could endanger your life is based on your
life, you experience a “primary threat” and non-consciously brain’s determination
take action to stay away from that threat. Primary threats
include seeing a ferocious dog; feeling hungry, hot, or
to minimize danger or
thirsty; or even seeing an angry face in a photograph. maximize reward.”
When the brain detects something that could help you Rock, 2009
survive, you experience a “primary reward” and non-
consciously take action to move toward that reward. Primary
rewards include food, money, love, or even a familiar face.

Impact of a Threat Response on Performance

Perception
Field of view
Away Toward
Threat Cognition Reward
Working memory
Creativity
Insights
Collaboration
Work with others

(Gordon, INTEGRATE Model, 2000)

6 © 2016 NeuroLeadership Institute — Connect — Module One

Bad is Stronger than Good

Toward
Reward
Away
Threat

Notes

© 2016 NeuroLeadership Institute — Connect — Module One 7

 Create a Toward State
The SCARF® Model
Explain social experience
The SCARF® model (Rock, 2008) summarizes
important discoveries from social cognitive “We don’t expect someone with
neuroscience about the way people interact a broken leg to ‘just get over
socially. The model is built on three central ideas: it.’ And yet when it comes to
• The brain treats many social threats and the pain of social loss, this is a
rewards with the same intensity as physical common response. We intuitively
threats and rewards
believe social and physical pain
(Lieberman & Eisenberger, 2008).
are radically different types of
• The capacity to make decisions, solve
experiences, yet the way our brains
problems, and collaborate with others is
generally reduced by a threat response treat them suggests that they are
and increased under a reward response more similar than we imagine.”
(Elliot, 2008).
Matt Lieberman, Social.
• The threat response is more intense and
more common, and often needs to be
carefully minimized in social interactions
(Baumeister et al., 2001).

Five Primary Triggers of Social Threat and Reward

AWAY THREAT TOWARD REWARD

STATUS
CERTAINTY
AUTONOMY
RELATEDNESS
FAIRNESS
Threat Is Stronger Reward Is Better

8 © 2016 NeuroLeadership Institute — Connect — Module One

 Status Less than or better than others

“We desire status because it signifies that others value

us, that we have a place of importance in the group
and therefore are connected to the group.”
Matt Lieberman, Social.
• Status relates to comparing ourselves to others
• It also relates to comparing ourselves to ourselves
• Status is determined by what the individual or group
identifies as of value
• There are three brain regions involved in tracking your
status to others

Certainty Ability to predict outcomes

“The brain likes to know what is going on by recognizing

patterns in the world… [it] likes to think ahead and picture
the future, mapping out how things will be, not just for
each moment, but also for the longer term.”
David Rock, Your Brain at Work.
• Certainty is the ability to predict what’s happening
moment to moment and in the long-term
• Uncertainty or ambiguity can have a stronger impact
than physical threat
• Ambiguity, such as a lack of clarity about someone’s
intentions, is particularly challenging

Autonomy Sense of control

“A perception of reduced autonomy—for example, because

of being micromanaged—can easily generate a threat
response… Presenting people with options, or allowing
them to organize their own work and set their own hours,
provokes a much less stressed response...” David Rock,
Managing With the Brain in Mind.
• Autonomy is a feeling of being in control of our thinking
and actions
• Autonomy also relates to a feeling of choice and options
• The perception of finding more choices is deeply rewarding

© 2016 NeuroLeadership Institute — Connect — Module One 9

 Relatedness In-group or out-group

“Social connections are essentially the original Internet,

connecting different pockets of intelligence to make each
pocket more than it would otherwise be by itself.”
Matt Lieberman, Social.
• Everyone is categorized as in-group or out-group
• In-group are processed using the same brain networks
as thinking about yourself
• Out-group members are processed with different
networks and in more a shallow way
• We feel minimal empathy for out-group members
• We are motivated to see in-group members win and
out-group members fail
• The best way to create in-group is to build shared goals
and shared experiences

Fairness Perception of fair exchange

“The extent to which employees perceive decisions to be

fair in their place of work can account for 20 percent of
the differences in their productivity.”
Matt Lieberman, Social.
• Fairness is the experience of being treated equitably and
with respect
• A drop in fairness, as with the other domains, activates
the pain centers
• A sense of being treated fairly is intrinsically rewarding

10 © 2016 NeuroLeadership Institute — Connect — Module One

SCARF® Multiplier and Offsetting Effect

Example: Supply chain constraints are impacting your ability to close an opportunity.

MULTIPLIER EFFECT OFFSETTING EFFECT

When more than one SCARF® domain is You can offset a threat in one SCARF® domain
triggered, the threat or reward can become by offering rewards in others, turning an
an overwhelming experience. overwhelming threat into something more
manageable.

MOST LIKELY SCARF THREAT IDEAS TO REDUCE THE THREAT

Status Status
Resources being taken away can make Highlight the value each person brings and
people feel less valued. ask for their input on how to move forward.

Certainty Certainty
Reduced resources means people don’t Be clear on expectations; talk about
know how they are going to meet their what you know and what you don’t
deliverables. know.

Autonomy Autonomy
People may feel that this is being done Help them find choices in how things
to them and that they have no say in will proceed from here.
resource allocation.

Relatedness Relatedness
Teams may feel this is a decision made Acknowledge their feelings and discuss
by management without hearing their how you can support them.
concerns.

Fairness Fairness
The sales team may feel that they are Be transparent with process and allow
being asked to do more with less (for no lots of time for questions.
personal benefit).

Away Toward

Threat Reward

© 2016 NeuroLeadership Institute — Connect — Module One 11

 Moving From Overwhelming to Manageable Threat
It is not always possible to minimize the threat. In this case, you can offset threat in one domain with
a reward in another. The idea is to find the SCARF® domain(s) that would be easiest to move toward
reward (Rock et al., 2009).

Away Toward

Threat Reward

Overwhelming Manageable
Most SCARF® domains in threat Some SCARF® domains in reward
++ Options shut down ++ Peak performance for short periods
++ Reactive thinking ++ Engaged and motivated
++ Minimal creativity or collaboration ++ High focus

Example Scenario
Scenario One: At the end of the quarter, several field reps are asking you to attend several customer
briefings in order to close opportunities. However, these meetings conflict with each other and you
are being forced to prioritize.

MOST LIKELY REWARD TO

ACTION TO OFFSET
SCARF® THREAT OFFSET WITH

Take time to meet with

reps and understand
the business outcome
SELF Autonomy Certainty
for the meetings so you
can prioritize with more
confidence.

Explain conflict to each

rep as well as reasons for
OTHERS Status/Fairness Relatedness your decisions. Offer to
support in other ways as
needed.

12 © 2016 NeuroLeadership Institute — Connect — Module One

Practice Scenarios

Scenario Two: You have taken over leadership of a new sales team. However, one of your team
members was also in the running for the position and still feels she is better qualified than you.

MOST LIKELY REWARD TO

ACTION TO OFFSET
SCARF® THREAT OFFSET WITH

SELF

OTHERS

Scenario Three: You currently are losing a Sales Rep due to an organizational change. You will need
to ask someone on the team to pick up the extra account workload for the next few months.

MOST LIKELY REWARD TO

ACTION TO OFFSET
SCARF® THREAT OFFSET WITH

SELF

OTHERS

Scenario Four: You have an employee with low productivity and want to have a discussion around
time management.

MOST LIKELY REWARD TO

ACTION TO OFFSET
SCARF® THREAT OFFSET WITH

SELF

OTHERS

Scenario Five: Another HPE business unit (pricing, BU counterpart, partner, etc.) who is key to
achieving your team’s annual goal is slow in making key decisions for a sales opportunity. You need
to obtain their commitment for timely decision making.

MOST LIKELY REWARD TO

ACTION TO OFFSET
SCARF® THREAT OFFSET WITH

SELF

OTHERS

© 2016 NeuroLeadership Institute — Connect — Module One 13

 A Quality
Check-In Conversation
What Reviews current progress
toward short-term goals
When Regular scheduled Why To identify progress and
interactions or as needed roadblocks with a focus on
anytime learning and growth

• Thanks for making time to catch up today.

1. Create a Toward State
• Let’s focus on progress as well as
Build rapport, connect, put outcomes.
the other person at ease.
• What would you like to discuss today?

2. Identify Progress
• What outcomes are you working towards?
Get a clear idea of where
they are with tasks or goals. • How much have you completed, out of ten?
Focus on progress as well • How do you feel about your progress so far?
as outcomes.

3. Clarify Learning
• What has been working for you in this area?
Find out what people
have learned, improved, • What else have you learned this week?
or developed in their • What are you considering doing differently?
thinking or performance.

4. Agree On Next Steps • How clear are you on next steps?

Help them get specific about • What would help you achieve these steps?
next steps towards their goals. • How can I support you in the coming week?

If they are not on track to achieve their goals:

• Bring people to their own insights about how to improve.
• If needed, suggest ideas that the person might be missing while minimizing threat.

14 © 2016 NeuroLeadership Institute — Connect — Module One

Practice Scenarios

Scenario One: You are sitting down for a meeting with a team member. You know they have
experienced a very challenging week on an important opportunity. The team member has lost a
large forecast opportunity.

Scenario Two: You have a regular meeting with a team member who is often quick to agree to
assigned tasks, but regularly misses deadlines and doesn’t meet expectations.

© 2016 NeuroLeadership Institute — Connect — Module One 15

 Next Steps: Assignments
from Module One
Read
Read the article Managing With the Brain in Mind by David Rock, and the
SCARF® Research Summary (p18-19) and capture your top three insights for each.

Practice
Schedule a 30-minute call with your assigned partner. Using the SCARF® Worksheet (p17)
and SCARF® Practice Tool (p20), take turns to help each other plan an upcoming meeting
or 1:1 conversation. Discuss the circumstances and the people involved to identify
potential SCARF® threats, possible SCARF® rewards, and an action you can take to
offset the threat. The individuals may have different primary threats and rewards, so plan
accordingly. Capture your insights here.

Apply
Use the Check-In Conversation Guide (p14) in meetings with your team members.
Capture your insights here.

16 © 2016 NeuroLeadership Institute — Connect — Module One

SCARF® Worksheet
Instructions: Planning allows us to pre-empt potential SCARF® threats and ensure we create enough
opportunity for reward where needed. Use the worksheet to help you prepare for meetings or
conversations where SCARF® threats are likely to occur. Identify the possible SCARF® threats using the
list below and your knowledge of the people and circumstances. Then come up with different ways to
offset the threat with reward.

SCARF® POSSIBLE SCARF® OFFSET WITH

EXAMPLE SCARF® THREATS
DOMAINS THREAT REWARD

Status • Your input is not sought

is about • Your expertise is downplayed
perceived
• You are not kept informed
relative
importance • No development opportunities
to others

Certainty • Last minute changes to plan

concerns • Lack of communication
being able
• Your leader is unpredictable
to predict
outcomes • Unclear role expectations

Autonomy • No opportunity for input

provides • Micro management
a sense of
• Your time is not your own
control over
events • Top-down control

Relatedness • Not invited to meetings

is a sense of • You work in a virtual team
safety with
• Special projects or promotion
others—of
friend rather • Changes to team interaction
than foe

Fairness • People take your ideas

is the • Workload increases
perception
• You’re not part of decisions
of fair
exchanges • Differentiated packages
between
people

© 2016 NeuroLeadership Institute — Connect — Module One 17

 SCARF® Research Summary
As many as five times a second your brain scans your environment for social threats or rewards (Rock,
2008). The SCARF Model maps this monitoring, and its social impact, across five domains.
®

AWAY THREAT STATUS TOWARD REWARD

CERTAINTY
AUTONOMY
RELATEDNESS
FAIRNESS
Threat Is Stronger Reward Is Better

Status Certainty Autonomy Relatedness Fairness

Is about relative Concerns about Provides a Is a sense of Is a perception
importance to ability to predict sense of control safety with of fair exchange
others the future over events others: friend, between people
not foe

THE MODEL IS BUILT UPON THREE CENTRAL IDEAS

1 The brain treats many
social threats and rewards
with the same intensity as
physical threats and rewards
(Lieberman et al., 2008).
2 The capacity to make
decisions, solve problems,
and collaborate with others is
generally reduced by a threat
response and increased by a
reward response (Elliot, 2008).
3 The threat response
is more intense, more
common, and often needs
to be carefully minimized
in social interactions
(Baumeister et al., 2001).

The SCARF Model provides a way of bringing conscious awareness to your interactions. It helps alert
®

you to people’s core concerns (which they may not even understand themselves) and shows you how to
adjust your words and actions for a more positive impact.
Listed on the next page:
Additional information about threat and reward, The SCARF Model and its applications.
®

18 © 2016 NeuroLeadership Institute — Connect — Module One

SCARF® Research Summary

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THREAT, REWARD, AND THE SCARF® MODEL

What is threat and reward?

Threat circuits in the brain are those systems that help us detect and avoid dangers. Reward circuits
in the brain are those systems that let us know we are on the right track and to do more of what was
working.

How does threat and reward impact getting
things done?
When we experience strong threat or reward,
these brain systems tend to take over. And,
when we experience too much threat or
reward, our more automatic, primitive brain
systems drive our behavior. Under conditions
of high threat, it becomes hard for the newer,
evolved frontal regions of the brain to operate
(Arnsten, 1998). We rely on those newer and
more frontal parts of the brain for things
like self-control, planning, making tough
decisions, and staying focused on what we
What are the SCARF® domains?
It turns out that feeling socially threatened or
socially rewarded affects the brain in many of
the same ways as physical threat or reward
(Lieberman et al., 2008). This is where the power
of understanding threat and reward become most
important. Just as you wouldn’t put someone in
agonizing pain and then expect them to perform
well, so too, you shouldn’t put them in strong
social pain and expect them to perform well. To
many parts of the brain, there is no difference
between social and physical threat.
The SCARF Model holds the five most common
®

want to focus on (Arnsten et al., 2005). These

social domains in which we can most easily feel
are precisely the types of tasks that we want
threatened. It is a tool for thinking about the ways
people to be skilled at in most jobs.
socially threaten and reward others, whether
However, there is an imbalance that is we mean to or not, and the ways they socially
important to keep in mind. It is very easy to go threaten and reward us.
too far with threat, and is a lot harder to go too
far with reward. When presented with potential Status: Less than or better than
threat, we respond more powerfully and
quickly (Baumeister et al., 2001). This is to say, Certainty: Perception of familiarity
that threat is a more strong and urgent system Autonomy: Perception of choice
than reward. At the same time a threatened
brain has a hard time being creative, opening Relatedness: In-group or out-group
to ideas and input, and coming to new insights Fairness: Perception of fair exchange
(e.g. Jung-Beeman et al., 2008).
A rewarded brain, by contrast, has an easier
time with collaboration, creative thinking,
insight and cognition in general. Thus limiting
the experience of threat and moving towards
an experience of reward is often what we
want to do to help people be mentally well
equipped for the challenges at work.

© 2016 NeuroLeadership Institute — Connect — Module One 19

 SCARF® Practice Tool
A guide to help you apply the principles of SCARF with others.
®

The SCARF Model describes the five social domains that can activate strong threats or rewards. The
®

brain responds more frequently and strongly to a threat, and yet we are generally more effective when
we are in a reward state.

To generate less threat and more reward, try the ideas below (where relevant for you):

DO LESS DO MORE

Challenge people publicly Have complex conversations privately

Withhold positive feedback Praise for growth, especially publicly
Tell people their ideas are wrong Collaborate for alternative solutions
Status

Be unclear with expectations Clarify expectations often

Keep information to yourself Communicate frequently and openly
Change plans at the last minute Stick to agreements
Certainty

Micro manage every step Provide choice on how to proceed

Make decisions for the group Make decisions as a team
Disregard ideas that are not your own Be open to the ideas of others
Autonomy

Make people compete with each other Encourage and focus on shared goals
Allow people to work in isolation Foster shared experiences
Focus only on business Promote positive social interactions
Relatedness

Play favorites Respect expertise and experience

Solicit ideas from a few select people Gather input widely (when possible)
Take credit for other people’s work Recognize people’s contributions
Fairness

®
To practice applying SCARF individually or as a team, try the optional ideas below (where relevant for you):

INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY
Think about how SCARF drives behavior in your team interactions. What’s working? What would
®

you like to change? Share what you’ve noticed regarding SCARF with someone.
®

TEAM ACTIVITY
Write down which element of SCARF is most important to you, then ask your team to do the
®

same. Discuss how this knowledge may change how you interact with each other.

20 © 2016 NeuroLeadership Institute — Connect — Module One

Notes

How will I improve my everyday interactions with my individual Sales Reps?

What are some actions I will take starting today?

© 2016 NeuroLeadership Institute — Connect — Module One 21

 References
Arnsten, A.F.T. (1998). The Biology of Being Frazzled. Science 280, 1711-1712.

Arnsten, A.F., & Li, B.M. (2005). Neurobiology of Executive Functions: Catecholamine Influences
on Prefrontal Cortical Functions. Biological Psychiatry, 57, 1377-1384.

Baumeister, R.F., Bratslavsky, E., & Vohs, K.D. (2001). Bad is Stronger Than Good.
Review of General Psychology, 5(4) 323-370.

Elliot, A. (2008). Handbook of Approach and Avoidance Motivation. New York: Psychology Press.

Gordon, E. (2000). Integrative Neuroscience. Amsterdam: Harwood Academic Publishers.

Jung-Beeman, M., Collier, A., & Kounios, J. (2008). How Insight Happens: Learning From the
Brain. NeuroLeadership Journal, (1), 20-25.

Lieberman, M.D. (2013) Social: Why Our Brains are Wired to Connect. New York: Crown Publishers.

Lieberman, M.D., & Eisenberger, N.I. (2008). The Pains and Pleasures of Social Life,
NeuroLeadership Journal, (1) 38-43.

Rock, D. (2008). SCARF: A Brain-Based Model for Collaborating With & Influencing Others.
NeuroLeadership Journal, (1) 44-52.

Rock, D. (2009). Your Brain at Work. New York: Harper Collins.

Rock, D., & Tang, Y. (2009). The Neuroscience of Engagement. NeuroLeadership Journal, (2) 15-22.

22 © 2016 NeuroLeadership Institute — Connect — Module One

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