Policy and Practice April 2019

Whether you lead a teamor interact daily on the front line with customers and your community, Workaches will widen your lens on the world of work—unfolding the possibilities it holds to thrive whenwe truly appreciate the full landscape before us, roots and all.

understanding how much of our inter- actions in the workplace are shaped by our own life journeys, we enhance our ability to see and respect the per- spectives of our work colleagues. Each of us can recount stories from our own life experiences that stick with us wherever we go … the boss with a critical eye who was always first to spot the flaw in our new idea, making us hesitant to be innovative at work … or the team that didn’t really work as one, shaping our perspective on group efforts. Importantly, Drs. Cohen and Winograd help us put a label on those experiences—the “workaches” that thrust us into survival mode. By illuminating the complicated interpersonal dynamics at play in workforce relations—both spoken and unspoken, conscious and uncon- scious—they help us gain insights about ourselves and others: why that person reacts that way to an offhand comment, why some people take feedback in stride and others don’t. We learn how deeply embedded early experiences are for each of us and how our individual pasts continue to

or place of business, Drs. Winograd and Cohen are calling us to more fully understand how each of us “shows up” at work, and then do something about it so that we can all feel produc- tive, engaged, and purposeful in what we do. In a time when all of us are increasingly called upon to innovate, problem solve, and adapt to an ever- changing world, I am convinced that collectively, and with a stronger understanding of how our minds work at work, we can help everyone achieve that sweet spot. Workaches: The Neuroscience Guide to Surviving and Thriving at Work will be available on Amazon in May 2019.

play out within our organizational cultures. We gain an appreciation of how some workaches (when under- stood) help shape us into better leaders while others, especially those that cut deep and are left unhealed, not only inhibit our professional growth, but impact our health and well-being. Whether you lead a team or interact daily on the front line with customers and your community, Workaches will widen your lens on the world of work—unfolding the possibilities it holds to thrive when we truly appre- ciate the full landscape before us, roots and all. No matter our position

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April 2019   Policy&Practice