Problem-solving: When stakes are high, lower the emotional temperature

Consider a fact about the human brain when facing a problem: The higher the stakes, the worse it performs. That’s a big issue for managers hoping to get the best out of their people in big situations.

Why does this happen?

It’s all about bandwidth: how much information your brain can process at one time. If you’ve ever tried to download a big data file over a slow Internet connection, you know what we’re talking about. It’s like trying to dump 100 gallons of water down a half-inch funnel – the channel isn’t big enough for what you’re trying to put through it.

That’s your brain grappling with a really, really important problem.

Problem solving and creativity mostly happen in a part of the brain known as the anterior cingulate cortex, or ACC.  That same brain area is also responsible for coping with negative emotions such as anxiety and fear.

And here’s the rub: The ACC has trouble doing both tasks at the same time. So in high-stress situations, guess what takes precedence – high-level thinking or keeping negative emotions under control?

Managing emotions, hands down.

Frame of mind is key

To see how all this affects problem solving, let’s look at a study from researchers at Northwestern and Drexel universities. They used MRIs to look at brain activity while subjects tried to solve a series of word problems.

Subjects who were in a good frame of mind, as measured by personality and mood questionnaires, did better at solving the problems. The happiest third solved an average of 60 of the 135 problems, in 6.7 seconds per problem. By contrast, those who were unhappy solved just 51.3 problems on average, at 7.2 seconds per problem.

The researchers also considered the quality of the solutions. They defined two categories — insightful solutions, where the subject had an “aha” moment and showed out-of-the-box thinking – and analytical solutions, where the subject reasoned the answer out step by step.

The researchers found that unhappy subjects came up with 25% fewer insightful solutions, compared with happy subjects. They also concluded that positive emotions improved analytical thinking, while negative emotions impaired it.

Providing protection

What does this mean for you as a manager?

If you want quality problem-solving, you need to do all you can to protect your people from anxiety, stress and fear while they’re working on the problem.

Unfortunately, the opposite often happens in the real world. Anxiety rolls downhill. When stakes are high, managers feel the heat, and they pass it along to their teams.

Some do it intentionally, thinking that stress will get the creative juices flowing. Others unintentionally project anxiety onto others. They might emphasize how important the solution is to the success of the organization or mention that previous attempts to solve the problem have failed.  Either way, the effect is the same.

Sure, employees must understand what’s at stake and what’s been tried in the past. But as a manager you need to create a “safe space” where people can feel energized and optimistic, not fearful or stressed.

What to do

Here are some ways you can do this:

• Remember Oscar Wilde’s quote about things that are “too important to be taken seriously.” Create a light atmosphere conducive to happiness – a smile goes a long way. A touch of gallows humor may lighten the mood and get the creative juices flowing.
• Express optimism about the outcome. You might say, “I know this is a challenging problem, and it may take us a while to find the best solution. But I’m confident we’re going to figure it out.”
• Insulate your people from anxiety you yourself may feel. Sure, your bosses are all over you to find a solution. But you gain nothing – and may lose a lot – by passing that anxiety on to the people you’re counting on to help you with the problem.
• Avoid putting individuals on the spot too much in meetings. Don’t cross examine them or show impatience while they’re groping for an idea.

This blog entry is adapted from the BTS Total Access micro video “High-stakes problem solving: How to get crystal-clear thinking when you need it most.” If you’re a Total Access customer, you can watch the video here. If you’re not, but would like to see this video (or any of our other programs), request a demo and we’ll get you access.

The blog post and BTS Total Access micro video are based on the following academic study: Subramaniam, K., et al. (2009) A Brain Mechanism for Facilitation of Insight by Positive Affect. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 21(3): 415–432.