SCARF

The SCARF model, developed by David Rock, describes five key areas influencing our behavior in social situations.

The SCARF is based on the following two principles:

1. Much of people's social behavior is determined by minimizing threats and maximizing rewards. (e.g., avoiding punishment, seeking recognition).
2. To maximize rewards and minimize danger in social experiences, the same brain networks are involved as in satisfying biological needs. Our brains consider social needs as important as our basic needs for food and water. (Social Danger = Physical Danger)

The SCARF model covers the following areas of human social life:

• Status
• Certainty 
• Autonomy
• Relatedness
• Fairness

Status is one of the most important determinants of human longevity and health.

Relieving threats

When implementing changes that affect people, spend enough time on reducing status threats.

Inappropriate feedback can compromise a sense of status, making people angry and defensive.

No one wants to be compared to others. And it's incredibly uncomfortable to be compared to others, especially in public.

Maximum Rewards

Regularly recognize your team members when they've done well or performed well.

Creating professional groups allows employees who participate to feel a sense of social status in the company. Allowing experienced employees to mentor newcomers underscores their status.

Our brain is a pattern-recognition machine constantly trying to predict the near future.

When unforeseen events occur, it triggers a "hit or run" response, increasing stress levels. As a result, this can decrease our ability to make rational decisions, affecting our performance overall.

Relieving Threats

Significant changes create more uncertainty. This is especially evident during organizational restructuring, which can increase employee anxiety. So you can minimize threats by being transparent and sharing information with your team. Break down complex projects into manageable pieces and create clear deadlines and objectives.

Maximum Rewards

Build confidence by setting clear expectations and guidelines for the team. Make sure goals and roles are clear from the start. Communicating a specific agenda and meeting duration also helps increase clarity.

When implementing a new initiative, talk through what the impact and timeline will be.

Autonomy is related to our ability to influence outcomes or act on our values and interests.

Remote threats

Minimize stress by ensuring that everyone on the team is responsible for their tasks. Involve everyone in setting, shaping, and monitoring common team goals. By giving everyone the freedom to contribute and shape the project's outcomes, you can protect their autonomy while getting the full benefits of teamwork.

Maximum rewards

Giving team members the freedom to adapt their training and development programs is a good way to empower them.

Also, the freedom to organize their workspace, set their work hours, and create their own performance goals (within established policies) can help.

Relatedness focuses on how connected or safe we feel with others. It also refers to our sense of belonging and closeness to a particular group. When we connect with people, the reward center in our brain lights up. Oxytocin is produced, which promotes cooperation and trust.

Relieving Threats

To minimize threats, you can encourage interactions in which your team members can share personal aspects. Don't be afraid to organize non-working meetings where people can socialize and get to know each other.

Maximum reward

Enhance interconnectivity by promoting interaction between people and teams. Organize team events and create groups your employees can join and socialize with. This allows people to find common interests and build trust. A good onboarding program for new employees can also increase their sense of belonging to the organization.

The need for fairness may be part of why people are internally rewarded for volunteering to improve their community. It's a sense of reducing injustice in the world.

Relieving Threats

Set clear ground rules and desired values for your team to follow. By doing so, team members understand what is expected of them and receive clear guidance on the correct behavior. Likewise, it gives them a clearer picture of how to treat their colleagues. By creating and promoting a shared culture based on shared values and rules, you can help bring teams together.

Maximum reward

Meeting expectations or keeping promises made to team members increases their sense of fairness. Likewise, providing compensation that matches their capabilities also helps strengthen their sense of fairness. Don't be afraid to recognize and reward people for achieving specific goals or objectives. It helps to feel recognized for their efforts, increasing their sense of fairness.

Millions of years of evolution have taught our brains to behave differently, responding to threats and rewards.

Imagine you are an early man living 200,000 years ago on a desert plain. Your brain will react very differently to the threat of being chased by a tiger compared to the potential reward of fruit high up in a tree.

In the first situation, all you have to do is run. In second, creativity and intelligent thinking may be required.

Examples of the differences between the different states:

Responding to threats

• Blood is redirected from the brain to the muscles
• Less creativity
• Fewer insights
• Fewer ideas for new things to do
• Focus on the here and now

Response to rewards

• More blood flow to the brain
• More creativity
• Solving problems
• Fresh ideas, what to do next
• Ability to focus on more important things

Reality is created by our mind. We have the power to change our reality by changing our mind. (Plato)

Steps to develop resilience

1. Develop awareness. If you feel strong negative emotions, it is most likely a reaction to a threat. Take a few breaths and exhales, and take a short pause.
2. Determine your feelings. What threat are you feeling now? Write down or talk out your feelings.
3. See the situation from a different angle. What could you have missed? What is positive about the situation? What can you be thankful for?
4. Care what you say. Avoid repeating negative attitudes, as they can become self-fulfilling prophecies. Avoid generalizing, "It always happens to me."
5. Let the situation go. Don't waste power on a situation you can't change.