How RCSA is using brain science to improve agility and productivity

RCSA summarises its experience from the recent Kognitive ADAPT workshop. Copublished with RCSA.

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Saying goodbye to the slump

We work in a world where uncertainty has become the only certainty. Long-term strategies can be rendered redundant at a moment’s notice. Adaptability and agility are no longer a competitive advantage but are essential for survival.

After a challenging few years, RCSA decided to explore proven and proficient ways of building a more agile culture and business. The recruitment and staffing peak body, reached out to Kognitive, a management consultancy which uses cognitive science to help improve business performance and agility.

“We live in a world of constant distraction and uncertainty and keeping staff focused on core priorities, especially when they are frequently evolving, has become a major challenge. While we all do our best to adapt as things change, we find that in certain conditions our own brain can make it more challenging for us to adapt,” explains Kognitive Managing Director Ethan Glessich.

RCSA’s leadership team explored these challenges in a Kognitive workshop, identifying the changes that needed to be made to build a more resilient, agile business.

“At first, I thought the science was going to be overwhelming complex and not relatable or relevant for me, but I found the brain games, activities, and scientific explanation very insightful. They helped us learn more about how our brain works, and how we can build more robust tools and processes to help us become more agile and efficient.” stated RCSA Head of Operations Robin Shepherd.

“I was impressed by how pragmatic and practical the tools were and how conscious Kognitive was to help us adapt the tools to our specific context and preferences.” Stated RCSA CEO Charles Cameron.

The InsideOut Approach

Kognitive’s approach is built around what it has coined the InsideOut^TM Approach. Instead of attempting to improve productivity by deploying a new tool or process, Kognitive focuses first on the cognitive building blocks of the brain.

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“Focusing on the cognitive foundation first gives us a common understanding of the core elements that the tools and processes need to address. For a tool or process to get traction and stick, it must take into consideration individual personality and organic working styles", says Kognitive’s Ethan Glessich.

“Our InsideOut approach focuses first on the core cognition of the brain, then personality preference and finally the tool and process.”

By adopting this approach Kognitive has been able to help organisations radically transform their execution. The program has helped cyber security provider, Tesserent pivot to a new acquisition strategy, resulting in a growth of 487% in just 2 years. It is now Australia’s largest publicly listed cyber security provider. Digital marketing agency, Impressive reported growth of 273% after engaging a series of Kognitive Accelerator Programs.

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“Kognitive’s programs cater for a variety of needs, from short sharp workshops and keynotes, to longer term coaching, consulting or accelerators. We offer a suite of diagnostic tools and health checks to help companies and individuals better understand their productivity profile and opportunities for improvement,” explains Ethan.

And the truth is, in a world where focus is fleeting, we could all do with a little improvement. The RCSA plans to use the tools it has learned to work more productively for its members and advocate even harder for the staffing industry.

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Kognitive is led by Ethan Glessich and Dr. Patricia Martos-Nicio. Ethan is a former Aerospace Engineer, Management and HR Consultant. Patricia is a Neuropsychologist with a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience. You can learn more about Kognitive at www.kognitive.com.au.

For other brain-based resources to help you improve your personal or business productivity check out Kognitive’s free ebook: The Cognitive Revolution or free Productivity Video Series.