Businesspeople are taught to make decisions with facts and logic and to avoid

emotional bias．But according to the latest research，we almost never decide

rationally，despite thinking that we d0．Our experiences carry an emotional

charge，encoded in the synapses of our neurons．And when we try to deny what

our emotions tell US，we lose what we’ve learned from the past．

That’s just one of many recent discoveries that help explain why management is

SO challengin9．As Charles Jacobs explains，much of the conventional wisdom

taught to managers is not only inadequate，it produces the opposite of what is

intended．The better path is frequently counterintuitive．

For example，it turns out that pay doesn’t really drive performance．When we do

work that’s inherently engagin9，the neurotransmitter dopamine is released，

creating feelings of pleasure not unlike a cocaine high．But when we work

primarily for money，the dopamine isn’t triggered and it’s harder to stay

motivated．

Once we understand the lessons of neuroscience，we can create more effective

strategies，inspire people to maximize their potential，and overcome the biggest

hurdle to improving business performance-making change stick．

Charles S.Jacobs is managing partner of One Eighty Partners and an adviser to

Fortune 500 companies and was also the founder of the Amherst Consulting Group

in the l 980s．He has worked in Europe，Asia，and the United States，and his clients

include Verizon，Citigroup，Exxon—Mobil，and more than fifty of the Fortune l00．

An active speaker and lecturer，he lives in Boston．