[How About This Book] So That's Why It Happened Back Then... I Came to Understand the Other Person

Author Criticized for Lack of Communication Skills
After Being Fired, Instead Tours Companies Giving Communication Lectures
"The Root Cause Is Neural Fingerprint Differences"
"Understanding Each Type Improves Productivity"

A multinational pharmaceutical company faced an emergency ahead of launching a new drug. The new drug had anticancer effects as strong as chemotherapy but with far fewer side effects. There was no hair loss, vomiting, or anemia, and there was no need for hourly intravenous injections. Naturally, it was expected to be more popular than chemotherapy, but marketing tests conducted before the launch hit a snag. The majority of participants chose chemotherapy over the pill.

At the time, the prevailing opinion was to identify the cause through surveys, but the author of this book thought differently. Decision-making happens unconsciously, and people believe they know the reasons for their decisions but actually do not. Despite opposition from colleagues, the author insisted on discovering the unconscious reasons through role-playing and eventually found that "people want to feel pain to believe that the medicine is effective." Based on this result, the pharmaceutical company increased the size of the pill to make it more uncomfortable and exaggerated the side effects, which turned out to be a huge success. However, instead of a reward, the author?the key figure behind the success?was fired due to team members' complaints about the way the work was conducted. The manager who delivered the dismissal said, "It seems you don't know how to communicate well."

The author, dismissed for lack of communication skills, later became a neuroscientist and writer, spending busy days giving communication lectures at Fortune 500 companies. The author explains this not as a lack of objective ability but as a difference in people’s ‘neural fingerprints.’ People with the estrogen type are good at free association and coming up with novel ideas, but in organizations led by the testosterone type, who think horizontally, they are regarded as ‘illogical’ and cannot demonstrate their abilities. The author emphasizes that understanding the four neural fingerprints increases organizational productivity.

According to the ‘Neurocolor Personality Test,’ a personality test conducted through magnetic resonance imaging, neural fingerprints are broadly divided into dopamine, serotonin, estrogen, and testosterone types.

First, the dopamine type is always thirsty for stimulation and novelty. They are energetic, curious, creative, and impulsive. They adapt well to changes, organizational restructuring, and workplace changes. They add humor and fun to the workplace and inspire others. The author describes them as indispensable talents who make the workplace enjoyable and boost team morale and performance. However, their downsides include being imprudent, vulnerable to addiction, and statistically having a higher divorce rate.

Testosterone is the most common leader type. They enjoy competition and have strong independence. They are straightforward and see things through once they start. They are decisive and rarely doubt themselves. The author explains that women’s testosterone levels rise when exercising power, and menopausal women become more confident and bold due to testosterone. There is also an altruistic side; the author cites actress Angelina Jolie as an example. Jolie enjoys piloting her private jet, performs dangerous stunts without doubles, and adopts children from various countries.

The serotonin type is diligent and conscientious. They value duty, face, tradition, and morality. They respect authority, follow rules well, and adhere to social norms and conventions. Because they care about social status and others’ evaluations, they always want to belong somewhere and strive to reach high positions. They excel at building relationships, trust, and community and are not easily afraid of most things. However, in extreme situations, they often become anxious worrying about others’ evaluations. The author explains that they are good at building relationships within teams and mediating conflicts, complementing dopamine or testosterone leaders who focus only on the ‘big picture’ in a balanced way.

Finally, the estrogen type is highly intuitive. They have well-developed instincts and a so-called ‘gut feeling.’ They easily empathize with others and enjoy forming bonds. If testosterone’s altruism is like jumping into a fire, estrogen’s is closer to engaging in charity work. However, they tend to focus on the ‘big picture’ and miss details, and they are prone to ruminate on negative emotions, leading to depression and anxiety.

The author introduces the ‘Neurocolor Personality Test’ as a much more scientific classification method than MBTI. He explains, “Understanding neural fingerprints allows us to respect customers and team members more and alleviate the tension and frustration that arise when we cannot understand each other,” adding, “This knowledge is also very useful in personal relationships.”

In addition, the book introduces interesting theories about stress points, extroversion and introversion, and more.

Brain Science at Work | Written by Frederike Fabritius | HanbitBiz | 400 pages | 22,000 KRW