Brain Theory

Today we talked about something that I love talking about: Change.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Change is hard. I know. It means growing and stretching. And growing means growing PAINS! But growth means progression. And that is good. Of course, that's what this life--and the Gospel--are all about.

Actually, we talked about Brain Theory, but that deals with change.

Brain Theory is based off two hypotheses:

1) It's the idea that parts of the brain can replicate itself and
2) The idea that the brain works in two ways: simple loop and double loop.

Let me explain.


1) It's the idea that in an organization, you need to have different people who can perform different functions. It means you have backups in case someone gets sick. It means that your company won't die if the boss goes out of town. (It also means you choose more than one person to do payroll so everyone gets paid--okay, just an example.)That way, if someone gets sick, you can still function. And that person can eventually take a break. It's the idea that your company is not going to die without you.


2) It's based on the idea that the brain thinks in two ways: Single Loop and Double Loop.

Single Loop measures everything in norms. It's like a lizard that sits on a rock. For example:

a) The lizard is sitting on the rock
b) It notices that it is too hot (it's not the "norm")
c) It gets off the rock

Thermostats work like that, too. You set it to a nice temperature and it measures the actual temperature to the preferred temperature. If it's too hot, the air conditioner turns on. If it's too cold, the heater turns on. Easy, right?

But what about on weekends? Or holidays? The thermostat doesn't know when the school is closed. So, it will continue to heat the classrooms all the way through the break--unless someone tells it otherwise.

But in an organization, we can be smarter than thermostats. (Of course we can. Nod with me, people.)

So Double Loop suggests that things are not only measured against the norms but also against "outside norms." If thermostats could think, it would be equivalent to them being able to recognize that school is closed for Christmas break. And it would measure itself against the holiday schedule (B1) and give that input back into the simple loop. That affects how it works. Which leads us to HOW Brain Theory is all about change. Are you following?

Brain theory means that we change against the norms, but it also means we recognize potential outside norms and consider them, as well. It means we look at potentials and say, "What are we missing? how can we overcome the status quo?"

In essence, Brain Theory is about finding new ways to be more productive. It's about finding people in your organization who can give you great ideas and help your company grow.

So when your company has been growing for ten years and there's suddenly a new competition in town, brain theory is what helps you go from the way you were to being even better, thus ensuring your company stays on top--despite the new competition that moved in.

And the laws of nature continue. Survival of the fittest at its best. All because parts of an organization can change, adapt to new surroundings, and consider new norms. Plus the idea that you've left some wiggle room--just in case the "brains" the operation get sick and can't come to work.

And now I feel the cycle going in my head. I better jump off before it becomes too confusing.

Did you know the brain can still function even if part of it is damaged? That's the beauty of all this.

Pocketful of Change

I was talking with some friends a few weeks ago about change, when I realized how important and beneficial change is. It's hard, keeps us on our toes, but it encourages growth and makes space in our lives for that growth to occur.

It is the only constant in life these days.

My friend David had just given a talk and wrote these thoughts on his blog. You might like it if you want to think about change and how it affects your life.

With his permission, I share this link. Click here for his thoughts: Adjusting to Change.

the FACT of the matter: theories rule

I had a new lens opened the other day. And it proved that open-mindedness is necessary. In Gospel terms, we all that: humility. In relationship terms, we might call that: Seeking to understand the other person's point of view. In science terms, a theory is the way we explain the reason behind events, but we call it theory until we can prove that it is 100% right.

In class, we learned that "theories" are ways of looking at things, events, and people. In other words, a theory is a lens that provides practical ways of looking at something.

In reality, theories help us understand the world, people and things in it.

*** But...before I get to far, let me quickly explain that empirical truth (what we perceive in the world) must always give way to Eternal Truth (truth with a capital "T"), such as who are we? Where do we come from? And what is the purpose of life?" ***

Metaphors, like theories, help us understand ideas and concepts, too.

So we've begun talking about theories of organization. We use metaphors to help us see how companies run.

We talked today about Classical Theory. Classical Theory looks at an organization as a machine. It all began when Frederick the Great thought his army tried to apply mechanical characteristics to his army.

He thought an army should be powerful, efficient and exactly obedient to the one in charge. Do you see his connection to machinery now?

He drilled unquestioning obedience into his men, dividing them in groups and giving each one a different job. His spear-throwers perfected their spear throwing, and his archers perfected their art. The archers couldn't throw spears, and they never would. That wasn't part of the machine.

Enter replaceable parts: If an archer was killed, there was always another to take his place. The soldiers' lives revolved around their one task. Their army rocked. Morale was not high, but he ruled out of fear, leaving a clearly organized chain of command. No one made decisions except that man on top.

Kind of stifling, don't you think? Maybe it's not your organizational strategy of choice.

Fast food is an example of that machine. It's predictable, efficient, and you don't pay too much to get a meal. Of course, there's also lack of creativity and poor morale. (When was the last time you ever had a root beer float at Mickey Dee's? They don't have a button on the cash register for that.)

Looking at it further: the assembly line includes the burger flipper, bun preparer, milk shake maker, fry fryer, etc. It's a well-greased (excuse the pun) machine.

So I guess classical theory isn't that bad. It's got its advantages, too. It's establishes a clear-set chain of command, efficient use of resources, and urges perfection of skills and talents. It promotes uniformity and goals. But it stifles creativity, agency, and one's ability to think and act for him/herself.

Then there's Humanistic Theory: Employees (people) come first.

It's based off the Hawthorne Principle: When employees are observed, their productivity increases.

Google might say: happy people are productive people.

Humanistic Theory says that people need to know what is expected of them, but they also need to be motivated to go above and beyond the baseline expectations of their job. humanistic theory encourages people to think and act and actually enjoy their job.

Here's a great example: some kid in the mail room of a freight company found a new way to decrease company expenditures. Applied to the whole company, it saved more than $9 million that year. Not bad, eh?

This is my favorite part: the executives decided to give the kid 10% That's almost $1 million for one simple idea. But the company could afford that. After all, they weren't losing anything by paying him. They still had 90% of their savings.

And here's where the genius steps in. What do you think the people in that company are going to do now? Well, I bet they'll probably try to find some easy way to earn $1 million by doing their job everyday. Productivity in that company is on the rise.

Humanistic theory, in all reality, is about seeing people as people and treating them as the valuable individuals that they are. It's about encouraging creativity. It's what makes companies so successful, because those in the trenches give their ideas and perspectives and help the company earn more money than ever before.

But it is sure going to be hard when that boss who is a great friend has to chastise an employee or when playing at work takes over one's commitment to performing the job.

Both are good theories.

Both can be explained by Gospel principles, like loving your neighbor as yourself, about treating them as valuable individuals by knowing their names, important facts about them like birthdays or other events in their life. Yet, at the same time, it's about being organized, efficiently using your time and perfecting your talents to serve others as we go about our time on earth.

So which theory do you tend to prefer? Is there one you tend to live more than another? Or is there one you find better? Which theory seems to work better in the world? And which one would you use if you could describe your dream organization? I want to hear your thoughts.

**We can't focus too closely. We have to be open minded.

Comm 250

I went to my first day of classes completely unsure if I'd graduate or not this semester, not knowing if I'd be attending a class I'd eventually drop. Frankly, I was flying by the seat of my pants.

But I went to Comm 250: Intro to Organization Communication.

It seemed nice, not too intimidating, and my friend Michael was in the class. It was bearable. But dependent on so many things.

And I came out a winner.

In class, our professor told us how easy it was to be proactive, how easy it would be to do the assignments. He even said, "You are adults. All assignments are negotiable!"

I started cheering inside.

And then he shared with us the most important thing of all: this assignment.

He said, "I want you to 'continue the conversation' outside of class." It seemed easy enough. He continued. "I want you to find ways to use the new forms of media to share what you think and feel. And I want you to post your thoughts on other students' blogs, tweet your thoughts on Twitter..." The sky is the limit, and I knew this would be fun.

But the thing that stuck out to me was something Elder Scott taught him in a stake conference address last year. He said:

Is ti better to be a pipe or a jug?

What do you think? Think philosophically. Why?

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Well, Elder Scott said: "A jug is good. But a pipe is better."

In essence, a pipe allows information to be transmitted from one source to another. While a jug can carry things (and yes, I know it can be used to transport stuff), he said it is better to be a pipe that connects to others and shares what we learn.

He promised, as an Apostle : "If you commit to the Lord each day to share the insights you receive, you will learn more."

I've heard it before, but suddenly my desire to share became more intense. More real.

For some time I've been thinking about turning my blog into a sharing post. And I will. But for now, I'm using this blog for my class and as a place to post my thoughts--until I get around to changing my personal blog.

So share your thoughts. What do you think? How have you seen this promise fulfilled in your life? And why do you think it is true? Does it change the way you think, act or feel?

Post your thoughts. Really. Even if you don't know me. I want to learn from you. Besides (and let's be honest), if you're blog stalking me, chances are I've blog-stalked you. Right? So let's just open up that communication and be honest and start sharing with each other. Deal?

Until then...I'll be thinking about what to share on my next post...like what we learned today. I promise, it is going to be good!