Why your team isn’t performing at their best — and how to fix it using brain science.
According to Gallup, only 21% of the Global workforce is engaged at work. It’s even more bleak int he UK, with only 1 out of every 10 employees are engaged at work… The rest? Coasting. Burning out. Logging in, zoning out.
The cost of unengaged employees?
- More likely to call in sick
- More likely to leave the company
- More likely to under-perform
- Less likely to offer ideas/energy/challenge and opinions
But here’s the good news: the science of human engagement has evolved. If you’re leading a team through change or chasing growth, here’s what the latest research says about how to unlock performance — and where most leaders are getting it wrong.
🔹 Recognition works better in pulses.
Forget annual bonuses. Micro-recognition — every 11–14 days — boosts motivation and reinforces high-performance habits. Why? Because it activates the brain’s dopamine reward loop in real-time, not once a year.
🔹 Too many video calls = higher cortisol.
Back-to-back Zooms raise stress hormones by 27%. Smart organisations are now limiting virtual meetings to 90 minutes a day and scheduling 25-minute recovery windows (think: guided breathing, low-stim light). It’s not fluff — it leads to a 41% drop in stress.
🔹 Let people work with their brain, not against it.
When teams align working hours to circadian rhythms (larks, owls, etc.), task completion jumps by 19%. The more autonomy people have over when and how they work, the more engaged they become.
🔹 Passion time isn’t a luxury.
Companies that give teams 15% of their time to pursue curiosity-driven projects? They file 31% more patents and see 19% less churn. Creativity isn’t a perk — it’s a performance multiplier.
🔹 Psychological safety fuels innovation.
When mistakes are explored (not punished), brain activity shifts from the fear centre (amygdala) to the learning centre (hippocampus). That’s when real growth happens — and fast. Innovation cycles become 44% quicker.
There’s more to explore, but not on an article that you might be bored reading already… the point is this:
📌 The world of work is changing.
📌 Engagement isn’t fluffy. It’s neurobiological.
📌 Leaders who understand this will build faster, smarter, more resilient organisations.
Want to dive deeper?
Join us at one of the brand new Culture Labs! Register on the Waiting List before August 30th and you’ll have priority access AND the option for discounted pricing (£195 per space instead of £295)
