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Am I Safe?

WHAT THIS NETWORK DOES: The biology of anger and fear

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The Reptilian network is the brain's most ancient, managing everything your body does without you thinking about it – heart beat, breathing, blinking, etc. Because of its central role in your survival, this network is focused on your safety; looking for threats, predicting responses and slowing down your brain until you choose an action:

fight, flight or freeze.  

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Evolutionarily this made sense.

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If we are in the woods and hear a noise, the question, “what was that?” is central to survival. If we guess squirrel and it turns out to be a bear, our fate is sealed as is our ability to pass along our genetic code. We are descendants of those who, right or wrong, guessed “bear.”


Unfortunately, this network is largely binary and not sophisticated enough to tell the difference between a snarling bear and your snarling boss. Your brain produces the same chemicals in similar amounts no matter the threat.

 

The other unfortunate trait of our Reptilian network is that everything passes through it first on its way to higher functions. As a result, you can’t get ahead of your Reptilian Network. But once you notice you are there, you can prevent acting on your initial “gut reaction.”

How this impacts you as a leader

 

When people do not feel safe – competent, connected and appreciated – they can only process information the highly selfish lens of “what does this mean to me?”​ When we are in that mode we are more apt to make mistakes, not inclined to tell the truth and are less likely to take initiative.

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When we say create safety, we mean that employees understand job requirements and boundaries; have a clear goal; know where they stand with their supervisor; and know what to do when things go wrong.

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Addressing safety needs first allows people to process more complicated and complex information, improves their ability to hear feedback and speeds its integration.

Keep this in mind when …

 

COACHING

When we hear something new, the Reptilian networks are only capable of listening through the filters of “ME.” We listen to the words of the other person but the focus is on body language and tone.

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SETTING GOALS

When we try to set goals for people their natural first reaction is to resist taking accountability unless they feel competent and appreciated.

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LIMBIC
NEOCORTEX
PREFRONTAL CORTEX
THE WAY WE'RE WIRED
reptilian.jpg
Reptilian

REPTILIAN AT A GLANCE

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The Reptilian responds well to:

• Safety

• Transparency

• Integrity

• Keeping promises

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The Network is wired to resist:

• Change

• New Ideas

• Compassion

• Responsibility

• Teamwork

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 To manage the Reptilian, leaders must:

• Be predictable and transparent

• Provide a clear vision of success

• Create rituals that support that vision

• Define boundaries and guard rails

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Behaviors that trigger the Reptilian:

• Blaming in public

• Motivating by threats

• Using information as reward or punishment

• Not explaining decisions

 

Behaviors to practice:

• Remove threat from body language

• Make eye contact

• When you feel the urge to lecture, ask questions and listen instead

• No one remembers what comes before ‘But’, just after. Use ‘And’ instead.

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Tools that remove barriers:

• Hello & Goodbye Circles

• Ground rules

• Listening to repeat back what you hear

• Check-ins & Check-outs

• Feedback Consent

NEXT: Brain Story

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