Why did You do That? ©copyright 2009 Dr. Kay Potetz 1 Why Did You Do That? 14 th Annual NPPA Conference Monday August 9, 2010 Dr. K. Kay Potetz Speakers Unlimited

Why did You do That? ©copyright 2009 Dr. Kay Potetz 2 The mystery of how we make decisions is one of the many things that has been unexplainable to us.

Why did You do That? ©copyright 2009 Dr. Kay Potetz 3 When buying a house, for example, we let our unconscious mull over many variables, i.e., taxes, school systems, access to public transportation, location, etc? Yet we'll spend six months interviewing everybody we know in an attempt to find the best hair salon…

Why did You do That? ©copyright 2009 Dr. Kay Potetz 4 Human beings are wired to dislike potential losses; most people are content to sacrifice profit for security. Loss Aversion Bias

Why did You do That? ©copyright 2009 Dr. Kay Potetz 5 We hesitate to sell a stock that is going down. We try to postpone pain as long as possible, which generally results in more losses.

Why did You do That? ©copyright 2009 Dr. Kay Potetz 6 We are defined by our decisions. Yet rarely do we consider exactly what goes on inside our heads during the decision making process.

Why did You do That? ©copyright 2009 Dr. Kay Potetz 7 It takes 8 milliseconds for a signal to get to the Amygdala and set off defensive and stressed memories. We feel “fight or flight.” It takes that same signal 40 milliseconds to get to the Hippocampus (the reasoning & thinking part of the brain). THUS, WE FEEL BEFORE WE THINK! Joseph LeDoux New York University

Why did You do That? ©copyright 2009 Dr. Kay Potetz 8 You feel before you think……. Your feelings actually determine your thoughts. How you’re feeling determines which way the Neuro-circuit goes.

Why did You do That? ©copyright 2009 Dr. Kay Potetz 9 The most popular theory frames “decision making” in epic terms, as a battle between reason and emotion, with reason often triumphing. Jonah Lehrer For years we’ve been arguing about the “workings” of the mind.

Why did You do That? ©copyright 2009 Dr. Kay Potetz 10 The truth is far more interesting: If it weren't for our emotions, reason wouldn’t exist at all. Jonah Lehrer For too long people have disparaged the emotional brain, blaming our feelings for all of our mistakes.

Why did You do That? ©copyright 2009 Dr. Kay Potetz 11 So the question becomes, “What makes us feel?” Why do we feel fear? Why do we feel love or sadness?

Why did You do That? ©copyright 2009 Dr. Kay Potetz 12 The answer lies is a single molecule that brain cells use to communicate with one another: DOPAMINE Josh Lehrer It has been referred to as the “Prediction Neuron.” Dopamine neurons are more concerned with predicting awards than actually receiving them.

Why did You do That? ©copyright 2009 Dr. Kay Potetz 13 Dopamine neurons constantly generate patterns based on experience: if this, then that. This “pseudo” reality is then distilled into models of correlation that allow the brain to anticipate what will happen next. Jonah Lehrer

Why did You do That? ©copyright 2009 Dr. Kay Potetz 14 This occurs within milliseconds of disappointment; the unique signal generated by the brain is known as error-related negativity. Jonah Lehrer Without the “feel good” dopamine, we no longer experience pleasure; we feel the twinge of being wrong.

Why did You do That? ©copyright 2009 Dr. Kay Potetz 15 From the perspective of the brain, there exists a thin line between a good decision and a bad decision. Jonah Lehrer Our impulsivity encounters little resistance from our brain. Jonah Lehrer

Why did You do That? ©copyright 2009 Dr. Kay Potetz 16 The trick is to determine when to use different parts of the brain, and to do this, we need to think harder (and smarter) about how we think. Jonah Lehrer

Why did You do That? ©copyright 2009 Dr. Kay Potetz 17 The first step in making better decisions is to see ourselves as we really are, to look inside the black box of the human brain. We need to honestly assess our flaws and talents, our strengths and shortcomings. We finally have the tools to pierce the mystery of the mind, revealing the intricate machinery that shapes our behavior. Now we need to put this knowledge to work.

Why did You do That? ©copyright 2009 Dr. Kay Potetz 18 Questions to ask before acting: Do I WANT this, or NEED this ? Is this moving me toward my ultimate goal? Is my innate loss aversion bias influencing me? Am I making this decision with a clear mind, or am I being influenced by the chemicals in my brain? Are the chemicals in my brain influencing me; what can I do to redirect my thinking? Are my emotions sabotaging my common sense. GOOD LUCK! This requires practice.

Why did You do That? ©copyright 2009 Dr. Kay Potetz 19 References Begley, Sharon, (2007). Train Your Mind Change Your Brain. New York: Ballantine Books. Boyatzis, Richard; McKee, Annie, (2005). Resonant Leadership. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Boyatzis, R., Goleman, D., McKee, A., (2002). Primal Leadership. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Goleman, Daniel, (2006). Social Intelligence. New York: Bantam Books. LeDoux, J.E., (2000). “Emotion Circuits in the Brain.” Annual Review of Neuroscience. 23, Lehrer, Jonah, (2009). How We Decide. New York: Houghton Mifflin.