REFLECTIVE BRAIN SYSTEM

UNDERSTANDING
BRAIN SYSTEMS

Despite using all of the brain systems on any given day, we all have a dominant one. We often find our teams collectively lean towards one brain system too.

Let’s take a look at the Reflective brain system...

REFLECTIVE BEHAVIOURS AT WORK

People with a dominant Reflective brain system are likely to be motivated by deriving meaning from their work. We would expect them to have the following traits:

Visionary
Flexible
Thoughtful
Insightful
Intuitive
Accommodating
Open minded

PREFERRED ENVIRONMENT

People who predominantly use their Reflective brain system are likely to perform better in environments where:

They are free from restrictive rules
There is little conflict
They have the time for reflection
There is a forum to discuss their insights or vision

QUALITIES OF A REFLECTIVE TEAM

Teams who lean most on the Reflective brain system are likely to bring the following qualities:

Vision - they see the bigger picture
They often provide a different insight
Open mindedness
Intuitive thinking

CONSIDERATIONS FOR A REFLECTIVE TEAM

Try:

Painting a picture of the future
Softening your approach to conflict
Allowing time for reflection
Keeping an open mind
Framing your points using different perspectives

Avoid:

Forcing a quick decision
Being overly opinionated
Ignoring potential consequences

Clive Hyland

Head of Neuroscience

The Happiness Index

The reflective system of the brain evolved to give us the ability to think more creatively, to look for the bigger picture, and to raise our conscious awareness of life experiences and our environment. It is truly the navigator of our lives and our window into our understanding of the universe.