For the first time they started talking about mirror neurons in 1992 - they were discovered and described by the Italian scientist Giacomo Rizzolatti (now he heads the Institute of Neurology at the University of Parma and is an honorary doctor of St. Petersburg State University). Since then, neuroscientists have been able to prove to businesses that learning to manage emotions is more beneficial than ignoring them. People are tired, they run from office stress. To maximize productivity, employees must be at their peak. At the same time, it is the leader who can push the team out of the zone of maximum productivity if he does not pay attention to how he interacts with people.
Marie Claire: What are mirror neurons?
Matteo Rizzato:Mirror neurons are cells in our brain that are activated both when performing an action and when observing another person. They include those actions that are in our experience, if we have already tried and know them. For example, we see someone yawning. And we want to yawn too. We can imitate the observed action, because from the moment we saw it, this gesture is present within us. It becomes part of our "motor vocabulary". But with one difference: within us this gesture is only potential. And mirror neurons are needed to prepare us for the next task - to turn a potential gesture into a possible effective gesture. When we look at others, thanks to mirror neurons, we experience what we observe inside. Therefore, if we look at a sad person, then we ourselves are upset. Mirror neurons work the same way when we imagine certain actions, when we call them, when we dream, or even when we dream.
What is empathy and how is it related to mirror neurons?
Empathy is the ability to instantly understand the state of mind and emotional situation of another person. This ability is achieved through mirror neurons. Mirror neurons are the neurophysiological basis of empathy. Empathy allows you to feel the pain of others. When, for example, someone next to you pinches your finger on the door, you involuntarily frown and clench your teeth, inhaling sharply. Or empathy is when a special warmth appears in the chest with compassion for a colleague who has just lost his job. The "empathic" mirror system creates the opportunity to experience the same sensations that we observe in others, and gives us an inner idea of the emotional state of another person, as if passing his sensations through our own body.
How do mirror neurons affect business?
Business performance is directly related to the psychological climate in the team, with the emotional background in the working environment. If people are dominated by negative emotions, they also have a negative attitude towards others, and this increases the stress on each employee. Emotions have the ability to "infect", and therefore everyone is responsible for their feelings, as they transmit them to other people. Very often, leaders and managers do not understand that more sensitive, empathic relationships with subordinates can significantly improve the results of their work, stimulate better work. If someone thinks subordinate terror can bring better results, they will quickly be convinced of the opposite. People perform well when they are healthy and confident, and they automatically “make” others feel better.
What rules of the game does the study of mirror neurons reveal to us?
If I want my children to be happy, first I must be happy myself. If I want clients to be happy to work with me, I should be happy to work with them myself. If I want people to cooperate with me, I must start cooperating. We all live in the same emotional space. Imagine a hundred people are sitting in an open space. It is enough for one to lose his temper and get angry, as his reaction is transmitted along the chain to the rest. This will damage the productivity of each individual person, and the entire organization as a whole. Workspaces should be designed to promote positive emotions. Mirror neurons also hold great promise in medicine. This year we published a research paper on the power of empathetic, empathic techniques in doctor-patient interactions. It is much more accurate to make diagnoses, besides, the well-being of the doctors themselves improves.
How do your listeners change their behavior by learning how mirror cells work?
When people understand how emotions function and their importance in general, they become much more careful in expressing negative emotions, they try to spread negative mood less around them. The best results are when after a while people meet me and say, "I am no longer as annoyed as I used to be." Or: "It has become much more pleasant to go to work." Or: "I finally come home from work in the evening with a smile, so I can have a wonderful evening with my family." When people become aware of the power and influence of emotions on their behavior, it improves both their lives and the lives of those around them. We and only we decide how others to behave with us: if I am in despondency, then those with whom I communicate will also begin to despair. If I am sad, then the one who is near will be sad. If I'm nice, I'm more likely to get courtesy in return.
There is an opinion that there should be nothing personal in business …
If people are happy, then those who work with them feel well. For example, in 2016 we conducted a study, as a result of which we found out: if a waiter has an angry, angry face, then his customers literally lose their appetite just by looking at him. It is impossible to do business with a cold face, because it is impossible to create an emotional connection with the client, and without this, high sales are impossible. Today, even for devices based on artificial intelligence, systems are being developed to create emotionally charged relationships. If we are closed to other people, then people will close from us. In business, those who succeed are those who, unlike others, know how not only to sell a product or service, but also help people feel better. Makes life easier for others. And there is nothing more attractive, more seductive than a person,who feels harmoniously and sincerely smiles at others. And this is of great value in any context.
About the expert:
Matteo Rizzato
Recorded by Tatiana Salvoni.
Photo: Getty Images, personal archive