Adaptation, Appreciation and the Brain: The neuro-sense for integrating people of various races

Can we apply brain science to the problem of integrating races, and start from the workplace?

Just the other day, an opinion piece in The Straits Times caught my eye. The headline read - Integrating Foreigners into Singapore should start at the Workplace ( Published 12 Sept 2024). Integrating people of various races into a high functioning team is always a leader’s biggest challenge. This article reported that “Singapore risks turning foreign companies away.”? Going by reports, Singapore is not the only such metropolis to face racial integration challenges. The author of the article suggested that businesses must take the lead to be the places where integration begun. This makes sense as majority in the work force spends more than 8 hours a day in the workplace or attending to some business of their work. More workplace integration would increase the integration quotient of our little Red Dot overall.

However, in an increasingly diverse work milieu, it will be something which will continue to give leaders sleepless nights. All large urban centres – London, New York, Singapore, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney, Melbourne and even Miami (So says my trusted AI companion! ) ?have issues of extremely racially and ethnically diverse populations.

And even though the benefits of increased creativity and reduced groupthink are touted as reasons to encourage this, the dark side is often not brought up. These benefits will work only if teams are integrated which would mean that they are curious about each other, understanding of respective cultures and able to appreciate the benefits of diversity.

As an applied neuroscience informed coach and learning professional, I was drawn to this statement and felt compelled to look at some brain science factoids. Moreover, in many living room conversations and work discussions, this topic always rears its head in insidious ways. Usually, it will be a trusted client or friend confessing how she felt marginalized at work due to alleged “racism”. There goes the benefit of diversity – poof !

Let us explore here what can really improve integration in the workplaces, if we were to borrow from the playbook of applied neuroscience.

On going through several articles that address this issue – two words come up –? “Adaptation” and “Appreciation”. ?But is it so easy? Forced appreciation and adaptation may actually increase internal animosity.

Brain sciences tell us a few things

1.????? The In-group/Out-group problem : Our amygdala/limbic system perceives people from “outgroups” as a threat. I quote from a brilliant book on unconscious bias, written by Pragya Agarwal, called Sway. “Bias is a preference for the in-group and prejudice as active denigration of the out-group.” Implicit bias is so primal that lab experiments have demonstrated the same in children as old as three ! There is no way to undo this kind of neural wiring except by building awareness.

Calming the amygdala and showing people that it is safe to interact with other races is therefore important. There has to be some sort of a survival incentive for disparate races to accept each other. A business venture provides that opportunity in a very real way. ?A business will sink if people are not aligned and therefore there is no place for “in-groupism”. ?

The brain is a highly neuroplastic organ and it adapts for survival. Hence, continued interaction and dialogue can help us to overcome this bias. The more positive contact we have with people from different races, the less likely we are to form the notion of threat associated with unfamiliar faces. Hence inclusion via exposure is one of the best ways to bring in integration. The question is if business leaders are creating space for enough of this as a strategy, in this age of remote work ? The evidence clearly says that in our comfort state, we prefer people like ‘us’.

2.????? The Imperative for Survival : The brain is the organ of “adaptation”. Again, adapt for what? First and foremost, for survival, as the brain is our central integrating organ. The first choice for this kind of adaptation needs to happen at school levels, where the brain is more plastic, and humans spend a very large part of their formative years. The next such place is the office or place of business. If people from different races knew that integrating with out-groups was essential for survival, they would look at this differently. The good news is that the brain can change its wiring depending on its experiences…..something we call neuroplasticity. And hence, even in adulthood, adequate exposure to diverse races in the workplace and establishing shared experiences is a way to build integration and understanding.

3.????? Conversations as a tool for connection: . In the workplace, conversations tend to happen of a more transactional nature. Especially when people are pressed for time and delivery. High performing leaders very often do not set out enough time for the human side of their diverse teams to have enough connection and conversations, that could build a sense of understanding. In my personal view, we jump to the end objective of ‘integration’ too quickly, without building understanding, which comes only by sharing of oneself in conversations and active listening, where one suspends judgement.

4.????? Genuine appreciation builds bonds : ?We may appreciate but we may not not convey our appreciation enough. In diverse work forces, the ‘non-verbal cues’ that are perhaps prevalent in one culture, may not be obvious to all. Hence verbal appreciation of each other is a way to build bonds. As per Prof Robin Dunbar, Professor of Evolutionary Psychology and Anthropology in Oxford, this task of bonding happens in primates and monkeys when they work on physical grooming actions. That ain’t happening in humans! Humans have another increasingly underused tool – conversations. Connecting conversationally and appreciating each other, immediately calms the limbic system/amygdala. However, this has be to be authentic. Humans have inner tools to detect “untrustworthy” gestures and posturing. Dr Paul Brown, renowned professor of Applied Neuroscience, and my mentor, would say that the limbic system is bathed in “thrive” neurotransmitters when appreciated authentically. Different races in the workplace need to appreciate each other verbally, authentically and genuinely. They need to be curious about each other and be aware that their “hyper vigilant” limbic brain may actually be giving them some wrong threat loaded messages about their neighbours.

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Even if all of the above methods sound simplistic, they are tough to implement. Simply because every member of the team may not align to the requirement of “integration”. Usually, an inner dominating survivalist narrative will interfere. These things need to be heeded and resolved in team alignment work. Our nervous system is extremely sensitive and in times of stress and when we feel threatened, we resort to our primitive wiring and survival instincts take over. So, best of luck with the Self work !

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If you are keen to resolve intercultural differences in your organizations and teams, maybe you can think about it from the lens of applied neuroscience.

Write in to [email protected]

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References

1.????? Integrating Foreigners Into Singapore should start at the Work Place. By Musa Fazal, Sept 12, 2024

2.????? Sway, Unravelling unconscious bias by Pragya Agarwal

3.????? Brains Inspiring Businesses for Leaders: Dr. Paul Brown & Nandini Das Ghoshal