Why is brain based coaching so effective and successful?
Anything related to the brain is hot! It’s become a central topic in different fields of expertise such as sales, marketing and health. Brain based coaching and training aren’t as well know yet, although it’s without doubt the most effective form of coaching.
Why is coaching based on neurosciences so successful?
Coaching based on neurosciences is so very successful because it’s effectiveness can be explained scientifically. Most managers and professionals are highly qualified and are trained to think and act based on their scientifically trained brain. Coaching and training based on neurosciences enables managers to work with hard instead of soft facts. The foundation of brain based coaching consists of solid facts, it gives a biological explanation of our behaviour, and it explains the enormous impact that unconscious emotions have on our way of thinking and our productivity! This holds for managers as well as staff.
Behavioural change and knowledge of the brain
Neurosciences explain in a clear and simple way why our behaviour is the way it is. That’s why I can explain what happens in your brain when you are stressed, or why you react in a specific way in a specific situation. An explanation of the various structures and networks of the brain gives you insight in your own behaviour.
Research has shown that acknowledging how the brain works is the best motivator to train new behaviour. Coaching is often about behavioural change. You have a set way of doing things, but through coaching, you develop the wish to do it differently. Here, differently often means more effectively. This different, more effective behaviour needs to become embedded in your brain. This embedding involves neurogenesis and neuroplasticity. Or, in other words, the production of new brain cells and new connections in your brain! Through brain coaching, you will create these new cells and new connections.
Unique collaboration of two cerebral hemispheres
What you should do to learn new behaviour, and how you should go about it can be explained very clearly when you take the brain as a starting point. The brain comprises various networks, of which the follower network and the internal leader network are crucial. The follower network is the part of the brain responsible for unware, automatic response, while the internal leader network is a centre of motivation and thinking. By interfering in the unique collaboration between these two networks, you can easily change your personal behaviour.
Our brain is first and foremost an emotionally powered organ
It is generally assumed that our brain is responsible for our rational thinking. But nothing could be further from the truth. Our brain is an organ that is largely driven by emotions. In addition to the emotional network of brain cells, the brain comprises a mixture of neurochemical processes. This neurochemistry transfers information but it is also responsible for feelings, such as joy and safety. When you have a clear insight in how your brain and neurochemistry handle emotions and feelings, then you also know what to do to adequately handle stress, fear, and frustration of anger.
The observer and the observee
Coaching can be complex and intimidating, because the observer and the observee are one and the same person. (The manager receiving coaching has to observe his own behaviour).
Coaching while taking the functioning of the brain as a starting point creates a natural detachment between observer and observee. This detachment makes it easier for the coachee to observe his own behaviour. With the brain as basis, observer and observee start analysing behaviour, habits et cetera, and the natural detachment that occurs makes coaching feels much safer. We all know that when you are working to improve yourself, feeling safe is very important.
Finally
We need a different type of leader. We need leaders who focus on people and values. For a long time, it has been unclear how such leaders should be trained. I am convinced that once we train and coach based on knowledge of the brain, we can turn any leader into a people-focused and value driven leader!