The Power of Using Frameworks
"Science is a systematically organized body of knowledge on a particular subject - Framework Science™ focus is the subject of context.” John Caswell of Group Partners
“A tool is an instrument for special functions.” It has predefined inputs and delivers predefined outputs. A framework is a wider term. A framework includes mental creativity and a tool needs human factorized usability only.” Franz Plochberger of Impulse Research
As Mazzi, we have individually and collectively invested many years learning to use frameworks designed to bring connectivity and co-creative modes of operating to individual leaders and their teams. The frameworks we embody and use are designed to provide structure for leaders and their teams to establish the context or essence for functioning in today’s super-connected world.
The global business world has invested billions in systems thinking, processes and process redesign, systems and systems architecture and the like. As a marketplace, businesses have invested comparably little in an effort to understand the most powerful processor available to us as individual leaders and our teams - our brains.
Over the past 10 years science has rapidly advanced the knowledge regarding how our brains function and the key chemicals produced during normal day-to-day activities. For example, lots of folks today know that cortisol is the primary chemical produced by our brains when we feel threatened. This brain chemical will either encourage a person to fight or run. Science has also learned the power of the brain chemical dopamine and how this “feel good or reward chemical” brings a smile to our faces when we win, get the right answer, or perform well and are recognized for our outstanding efforts.
“A tool is an instrument for special functions.” It has predefined inputs and delivers predefined outputs. A framework is a wider term. A framework includes mental creativity and a tool needs human factorized usability only.” Franz Plochberger of Impulse Research
As Mazzi, we have individually and collectively invested many years learning to use frameworks designed to bring connectivity and co-creative modes of operating to individual leaders and their teams. The frameworks we embody and use are designed to provide structure for leaders and their teams to establish the context or essence for functioning in today’s super-connected world.
The global business world has invested billions in systems thinking, processes and process redesign, systems and systems architecture and the like. As a marketplace, businesses have invested comparably little in an effort to understand the most powerful processor available to us as individual leaders and our teams - our brains.
Over the past 10 years science has rapidly advanced the knowledge regarding how our brains function and the key chemicals produced during normal day-to-day activities. For example, lots of folks today know that cortisol is the primary chemical produced by our brains when we feel threatened. This brain chemical will either encourage a person to fight or run. Science has also learned the power of the brain chemical dopamine and how this “feel good or reward chemical” brings a smile to our faces when we win, get the right answer, or perform well and are recognized for our outstanding efforts.
For many years businesses have thrived on systems, cultures and processes that produce "brain cocktails" based on mixtures of cortisol and dopamine. From a very young age we are modeled and taught that to succeed in this world we must fight, compete and struggle to make it. As adults we are used to competing (cortisol) and doing whatever it takes to feel rewarded (dopamine). For many of us, it's the only way we know how to be successful or create success in the world of business.
What science has discovered more recently is the power of a different brain chemical. This chemical is one we’ve all experienced at times in our life but don’t have much understanding and practical business experience with. This brain chemical is called: oxytocin. Oxytocin is a chemical that comes from the newest (evolutionary-wise) part of our brain - the prefrontal cortex. The frameworks we use are designed to produce this brain chemical and use it as the primary power for producing and working together.
Neuroscientists have discovered that the place in the brain that originates creativity, connectivity, empathy, compassion, effective teaming/partnering all come from the same place - the prefrontal cortex. The chemical produced by this part of the brain (oxytocin) is responsible for the creative thought used in our world today. When we slow down to think and try to solve a problem, we’re using this creative part of our brain and are relying on oxytocin.
As science has continued to advance its research they've shown that our creativity and connectivity go hand-in-hand; especially since these two activities thrive on oxytocin. Our ability to create requires this "brain cocktail." Oxytocin has a powerful and wonderful feeling associated with it - including peacefulness, safety and trust, compassion, and feelings of connectivity and empathy. This physical feeling is very distinct from the feelings and experience of a cortisol / dopamine brain cocktail.
Neuroscientists have discovered that the place in the brain that originates creativity, connectivity, empathy, compassion, effective teaming/partnering all come from the same place - the prefrontal cortex. The chemical produced by this part of the brain (oxytocin) is responsible for the creative thought used in our world today. When we slow down to think and try to solve a problem, we’re using this creative part of our brain and are relying on oxytocin.
As science has continued to advance its research they've shown that our creativity and connectivity go hand-in-hand; especially since these two activities thrive on oxytocin. Our ability to create requires this "brain cocktail." Oxytocin has a powerful and wonderful feeling associated with it - including peacefulness, safety and trust, compassion, and feelings of connectivity and empathy. This physical feeling is very distinct from the feelings and experience of a cortisol / dopamine brain cocktail.
Brain chemistry producing primarily cortisol and dopamine creates barriers for the emergence of oxytocin. In other words, the more one is feeling scared and looking for the feeling of being right and rewarded the more barriers are in place (within our minds and bodies) to access the creative power of our prefrontal cortex.
When we’re running on a brain cocktail of cortisol / dopamine a person and team is accessing a non-creative part of the brain and is therefore left with thinking the same thoughts and repeating the same actions - over and over again. This is a contributing reason to why many leaders see the same problems arising time and time again.
When we’re running on a brain cocktail of cortisol / dopamine a person and team is accessing a non-creative part of the brain and is therefore left with thinking the same thoughts and repeating the same actions - over and over again. This is a contributing reason to why many leaders see the same problems arising time and time again.
Today the people and communities of the world are asking for something different from its businesses and organizations. To address our multi-dimensional challenges, our leaders and their teams must create new ideas, new products, new services, and new methods of serving in a highly connected world. This requires, or even demands, creative thoughts, co-creative actions and transformed human-connected operating systems from its organizations, its leaders and teams. The needed solutions and the needed creativity can't be produced from leaders and their teams operating on "brain cocktails" of cortisol and dopamine. Our leaders and their teams need to learn how to produce and operate on oxytocin-based brain cocktails.
The frameworks we use are built and designed to help leaders find the connectivity and creativity needed to solve today’s complex challenges.
In summary this means that frameworks we use are built and designed to help leaders and teams shift from cortisol & dopamine brain cocktails towards a oxytocin & dopamine brain cocktails. We use the terms upregulating and downregulating to describe this brain shift.
In summary this means that frameworks we use are built and designed to help leaders and teams shift from cortisol & dopamine brain cocktails towards a oxytocin & dopamine brain cocktails. We use the terms upregulating and downregulating to describe this brain shift.
This shift isn't a binary choice (e.g., an on/off switch). The goal is help leaders and their teams learn how to upregulate oxytocin while downregulating cortisol. Mazzi goes about achieving this goal through helping leaders and their team learn to become aware and focus on how they talk and work - with themselves and their teams.
The frameworks we use are built from several sources and derived from many years of personal and practical experience.
We have invested our entire company in the using these frameworks as the human-connected integrated operating system of how Mazzi works and gets things done - internally and externally.
We have invested our entire company in the using these frameworks as the human-connected integrated operating system of how Mazzi works and gets things done - internally and externally.
These are some of the sources for the frameworks we use:
|