Brady G. Wilson, Co-Founder of Juice Inc., Author, Trainer and Speaker

bh in Brief

Brady Wilson is co-founder of Juice Inc., a corporate training company providing skills and tools in Conversation, Employee Engagement and  Innovation training. Juice believes energized and engaged employees fuel great customer experiences and better business results.

Refreshing Ideas. Real Results.

This article is based on principles from Brady’s latest book, Beyond Engagement: A Brain-Based Approach That Blends the Engagement Managers Want with the Energy Employees Need.

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Businesses face a troubling trend: employees who are engaged, but not energized. These people may be loyal, committed to the cause, and take pains to get things done—but they are exhausted. Low on energy, they cannot access their “executive function”: that very important part of the brain that allows us to connect the dots, focus attention amidst massive multiple distractions, regulate our emotions in tension-filled situations, predict outcomes, and make smart decisions. 

Traditional engagement initiatives do little to fuel the executive function; instead, leaders often focus on ways to get even more discretionary effort from their already-exhausted workforce. 

But what if you could unlock the energy in your workforce that fuels innovation and enthusiasm—creating an environment where employees could access their knowledge, experience, skills and strengths at a moment’s notice? 

It may sound too good to be true, but it is possible: by factoring in the importance of the human brain to engagement initiatives. 

Target emotion

Many engagement strategies have traditionally focused on rational engagement—that is, appealing to the mind. But it is the emotional brain that tells us what is true, because we feel before we think. The limbic system of our brain is the emotional centre that defines what we experience as reality. 

According to a study of 50,000 employees worldwide by the Corporate Leadership Council (CLC), emotional engagement releases four times the discretionary effort over rational engagement. So, if leaders who want to manage energy and create a great employee experience, they must be able to target emotions, be authentic, show warmth, connect, and put words to their feelings. This requires taking time to understand what matters most to employees—and then acting upon that information. 

How can it be done? Through meaningful conversation.

Have meaningful conversations

Conversation is not a typical go-to engagement technique in business. Instead, leaders rely on surveys, town halls, newsletters and departmental action plans to boost engagement levels.

But science shows meaningful, face-to-face conversation that demonstrates value, respect and care is a much more effective way to boost employee performance. Here’s why:

It releases high-performance hormones. Brain mapping shows quality conversation boosts the brain’s processing power by forming a feel-good energy cocktail of connection, calm, concentration, creativity and curiosity. It also leads to less fear and worry in the system, promoting trust and deepening the leader-employee relationship. 

It addresses negative beliefs. Brain science shows that it is not our capability but our belief in our capability that impacts how effective we are. Leaders who engage in meaningful conversation with employees to identify and address negative beliefs can create a much greater sense of agency in their people.

It helps leaders get to know the “backstory.” Frequent meaningful conversation offers leaders a clearer understanding of the context behind engagement scores. Rather than jumping to action with broad-brush, one-size-only action plans, a solution that takes individual needs into account honors how the brain operates.

It manifests into partnering relationships and team building. Conversation allows leaders and employees to co-create powerful solutions that both parties are willing to adopt and implement. 

Combat “brain drain”

By shifting to an organizational culture that nurtures human energy through emotional engagement and conversation, leaders make a monumental difference in the lives and abilities of their employees, and even overcome three-quarters of resistance to usual engagement strategies.

In other words, big gains occur when leaders factor in the importance of the human brain to the way they interact with employees. In doing so, entire organizations can become hubs of sustainable passion, innovation and enthusiasm—essentially, the epitome of a truly engaged workforce. bh