Business Culture
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The Brain-Friendly Workplace: Why Talented People Quit and How to Get Them to Stay
A smart, science-based approach to retaining your talent and making the world of work a better place.
Today's work isn't working. Stress and burnout are driving talented professionals out of the workforce while the corporate standard of extreme hours, sleep deprivation, and nonstop travel proves unsustainable. But innovative leaders are using this once-in-a-century opportunity to create a future of work that's better for everyone.
The workplace of tomorrow is a hybrid ecosystem that thrives on flexibility and diversity of thought, enabling all employees to reach peak performance. Every person's brain is different and by taking an inclusive view towards neurosignature diversity, organizations can get a competitive advantage.
In The Brain-Friendly Workplace, Friederike Fabritius offers a science-based and field-tested blueprint for tomorrow's workplace. Leaders capable of enacting change or individuals searching for ways to work smarter will discover that even small and inexpensive changes can lead to advantages like better employee performance, higher job satisfaction, and stronger talent retention. If you have been longing for a better way of working where you and your people are both happy and productive, The Brain-Friendly Workplace can make that vision a reality.
Today's work isn't working. Stress and burnout are driving talented professionals out of the workforce while the corporate standard of extreme hours, sleep deprivation, and nonstop travel proves unsustainable. But innovative leaders are using this once-in-a-century opportunity to create a future of work that's better for everyone.
The workplace of tomorrow is a hybrid ecosystem that thrives on flexibility and diversity of thought, enabling all employees to reach peak performance. Every person's brain is different and by taking an inclusive view towards neurosignature diversity, organizations can get a competitive advantage.
In The Brain-Friendly Workplace, Friederike Fabritius offers a science-based and field-tested blueprint for tomorrow's workplace. Leaders capable of enacting change or individuals searching for ways to work smarter will discover that even small and inexpensive changes can lead to advantages like better employee performance, higher job satisfaction, and stronger talent retention. If you have been longing for a better way of working where you and your people are both happy and productive, The Brain-Friendly Workplace can make that vision a reality.
Editorial Reviews
Businesses are facing a "once-in-a-century opportunity... to create a better future," writes neuroscientist Fabritius in this impassioned call for change in the workplace. In order to help employees "reach peak performance and experience greater joy and well-being" and aid management in reversing the "mass exodus of expensively trained and educated professionals," Fabritius lays out a plan to help readers identify their "neurosignature" (the mix of dopamine, serotonin, testosterone, and estrogen that "shapes one's personality") based on their habits and create an optimal work environment for each type. High-dopamine people should be given "creative freedom and autonomy," for example, while those high in serotonin make great managers. Fabritius shares anecdotes about companies that have made changes in the way they do business and are enjoying the benefits-one saw increased productivity after reducing workdays to five hours-and inspiring interviews with "thought leaders," such as Jeff Furman, former lead counsel at Ben & Jerry's, and Arianna Huffington, the CEO of Thrive Global. The "Brain Boost" sections that round out each chapter include advice on staying happy and healthy (taking cold showers and getting outside can help with energy and focus). Business leaders should make room on their desks for this guide.
― Publishers Weekly
People are leaving the workforce for many reasons, but what if they simply weren't wired for the job they had? There's also the possibility that their employer could have done more to foster an environment ideal for optimal brain functionality. That's the premise for this book, which neuroscientist Fabritius (The Leading Brain) describes as her "science-backed, field-tested blueprint" for reinventing work. She provides a comprehensive introduction to how neuroscience affects people in the workplace and introduces the concept of a "neurosignature," a mix of four neurotransmitters and hormones that work together to provide a baseline for one's personality and thoughts. This eventually affects how one responds to stress and information acquired on the job and relates to coworkers. She does an excellent job in providing observations on perceived gender roles and even dietary suggestions for improving mental capacity. The book is also infused with many "aha" moments, illustrative sketches, and sections with titles like "Mind Benders," "Brain Boosts," and "Mental Breaks." Each chapter includes an interview with either a medical expert or a business leader to provide additional insight. A compelling read for anyone interested in understanding how brain chemistry can improve job performance and workplace satisfaction.
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― Publishers Weekly
People are leaving the workforce for many reasons, but what if they simply weren't wired for the job they had? There's also the possibility that their employer could have done more to foster an environment ideal for optimal brain functionality. That's the premise for this book, which neuroscientist Fabritius (The Leading Brain) describes as her "science-backed, field-tested blueprint" for reinventing work. She provides a comprehensive introduction to how neuroscience affects people in the workplace and introduces the concept of a "neurosignature," a mix of four neurotransmitters and hormones that work together to provide a baseline for one's personality and thoughts. This eventually affects how one responds to stress and information acquired on the job and relates to coworkers. She does an excellent job in providing observations on perceived gender roles and even dietary suggestions for improving mental capacity. The book is also infused with many "aha" moments, illustrative sketches, and sections with titles like "Mind Benders," "Brain Boosts," and "Mental Breaks." Each chapter includes an interview with either a medical expert or a business leader to provide additional insight. A compelling read for anyone interested in understanding how brain chemistry can improve job performance and workplace satisfaction.
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Readers Top Reviews
beatmaster23Kaitl
This is a great book. Through interviews and the vast knowledge the author has acquired, it shows that if you really, really want to make your employees stay at work requires a personal effort from their managers and HR to motivate them. And guess what? It's not that complicated!!! The book is easy to read and some of the advice might sound familiar, but it's really backed up by Friederike's experience in neuroscience. A must read for CEOs, everyone in HR and people managers!
Catlinbeatmaster2
The Brain-Friendly Workplace is a gold mine of resources, insights, knowledge, and tools to help any business become a workplace of the future. Diving into topics like - outcome culture, the dangers of groupthink, peak performance, and how to create true diversity in the workplace - it was an insightful and engaging read that has changed my perspective on how our brains perform best - both at work and at home. The Brain-Friendly Workplace has become one of my favorite non-fiction books, and I have recommended it to every business professional I know.
Jeff SparkCatlinb
This is an important book because a brain friendly workplace is a BETTER workplace – for the company and the employee! It’s a new concept for many and an easy introduction to the topic – understanding how different brains work is as important as understanding the best position for a player on a sports team. Friederike’s book explains what it is, gives us basic science on the brain and practical information on what to do to get more engaged people and higher productivity. A key insight is that there are diverse “neurosignatures” and people’s brains “look” as different as our external appearances. Because not everyone thinks the same way, a one-size-fits-all approach to dealing with people doesn’t work.
Andrea SamadiJeff
Friederike Fabritius “is deeply committed to using neuroscience to help people reach their full potential.” (Scott Kauffman, Foreword). I’ve watched countless business professionals over the years bury themselves into their work, to emerge with poor health, an out of balanced lifestyle with compromised relationships. No amount of money is worth the trade-off. Like the author says at the start of this book, “The old corporate paradigm of extreme hours, little sleep, endless meetings, and nonstop travel is dead. No one wants to go back to that. It’s bad for performance and for everyone’s mental and physical health.” Pick up this book, take notes, if you want to change old paradigms and improve your work/life balance. Your life depends on it, and so does mine. Thank goodness I found the work of someone who cares so much about impacting change in this world.
Andrea SamadiJ
What I am enjoying most about this book is that it is based in science but it is not written in a "textbook" language. It's relatable, conversational, and easy to read. The author offers countless personal anecdotes and research references to everyday problems and frustrations. For business leaders, this book will help you re-think how to lead and how to approach policies....for individuals, this will help you re-think your approach to work, work-life balance, and overall happiness. In particular, I love her approach to finding "flow" at work. Fascinating!
