Doesn’t this title seem rhetorical in the age of Artificial Intelligence and Neural
Marketing? Recent advances in neuroscience have thrown a lot of light on how
exactly the human brain functions. The brain’s functioning is both modular and
integrated with decentralization of local functions and centralization of critical
functionalities. Everything is coordinated through intricate feedback and feed forward
circuits. This description of the brain could for all practical purposes also be referring
to the way organizations are structured. Understanding the brain therefore, can help
organizations leverage each and every human brain to add tremendous value for
creating sustainable businesses. Let us understand how this can be achieved.
The quality and performance of the ‘Human Capital’ can make or break an
organization. However, as all of us are aware, Capital is always listed in the liability
column in the balance sheet. Hence organizations also talk about their employees’

cost to company (CTC). Isn’t this ironic considering that organizations also refer to
their people as human resources and assets?
Hence, as they always say, the devil is in the details. One cannot be an asset till one
recovers more than the cost of capital. In addition, organizations usually must
increase the pay at least marginally year on year. Hence the company cannot claim
depreciation on this ‘human asset’. If an individual cannot perform diligently enough
to recover cost of capital and continue to offer return on Investment to the company,
this individual is eventually treated as a liability.
So, how does an individual employee recover cost of capital and give increasi
ng return on investment? This is possible only if our brain is working at both high
efficiency cognitively and high efficacy emotionally. Since the external environment is
changing at breakneck speed, every brain must excel in learning in order to keep
pace and stay relevant. Luckily for us, the human brain is a LEARNING MACHINE.
Human brains are always eager to learn. However, the process of the brain’s
learning involves creation of templates to automate any learning which is used
repeatedly.
Once learnt, the brain doesn’t need to actively use itself and is able to perform the
task almost in an autopilot mode if no fresh data is involved. Hence, it is very easy
for us to become complacent. However, all brains do not learn the same things or the
same way or to the same extent. Every brain has its own neurochemical signature.
Neuroscience can therefore help by analyzing, customizing and increasing this
learning. We will see how the brain learns in the next part of this blog.