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Quantum physics and quarky behavior By Dr.Mahboob Ali Khan Phd
How do you explain some of the less acceptable aspects of human behavior?
Personally I think the answer may lie in quantum physics, more specifically in the
smallest of places; inside an atom.
We are, in essence, massive clouds of atoms that interact with each other on a
physical and personal level. I describe these interactions as ‘quarkiness’. By taking
time to understand the connections between ‘quarkiness’ and the way we
communicate, we can start to repair some of the immense damage that has been
done to motivation and performance at work.
Quantum physics is helping scientists to explain hitherto unknown properties of
matter. Who knows where this will take us in the future, perhaps even into the
realms of space and time. But for now quarks are fascinating, not only in their own
right as the smallest constituent particles of matter, but by way of a metaphor when
it comes to aspects of human behaviour that we don’t fully understand.
Quarks are incredibly small sub-subatomic particles; quarkiness concerns small,
usually unintentional, sub-subconscious behaviours, mostly negative, which
cumulatively have a corrosive effect on employee engagement and results.
We frequently hear about workplace issues concerning human rights, diversity,
bullying, racism, child sexual exploitation, and the lack of equal opportunity for
women. These are all examples of violations - the root of which lies in quarkiness.
The opportunity therefore lies in the spectrum of human behaviour at work, where
we bombard each other with millions of tiny violations every single day.
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In quantum physics, quarks are so tiny that they are almost impossible to see. In a
team meeting, clouds of silent, covert messages are almost imperceptibly
exchanged.
Those small, negative message clouds of quarky behaviour (strange quarks) have
an adverse impact on the recipients, whereas the significantly less frequent positive
micro-messages that we transmit (charms) have a hugely positive impact on the
recipients.
In other words, we get a better return from the same amount of energy by being
positive.
Strange quarks can be an eye roll, facial tic or a frown, an intake of breath, or a
certain tone of voice; that feeling of being burdened with someone’s disapproval
without knowing what happened to make you feel bad.
Have you recently experienced a situation where a small act of disrespect affected
you for the rest of the day? I remember delivering an important presentation in
which my performance was badly affected because of the way the CEO, sitting in
the front row, was looking at me! How do you explain such a thing? By
understanding the impact of strange quarks.
A single quarky act of disrespect is hardly felt, but cumulatively, because of the
sheer volume of quarky behavior that we engage in, it can have the corrosive and
damaging effect of a sandstorm upon the motivation and performance of teams.
Think about this; if quarky behaviour is driven by our reaction to people that have
a different outlook to our own (resulting in semi-subconscious emissions of
disapproval) what does this mean when the person is of a different colour, gender,
religion or sexual preference? Quarkiness therefore has huge implications for the
big workplace issues such as diversity and inclusion.
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So how do we make ‘quarkiness’ work for us rather than against us?
1. Get the ‘language’ of quarkiness onto the corporate table. It then becomes
significantly easier to confront it when it happens because it now has a name.
2. Appreciate the value of our roles as observer of quarky behaviour. It is a lot
easier and less uncomfortable to bring this stuff to people’s attention from a third-
party perspective.
3. Spread the word. Create discussion groups to share colleague understanding
and experiences of quarky behaviour. Be prepared to deal with some strong
feelings.
4. Gain commitment from team members to focus on reducing the level of
strange quarks that they transmit to each other.
5. Focus on a positive shift to charms. By looking at quarky behaviour - even on
the tiniest of levels - we can help improve team motivation and performance by
feeding them positive, not negative, energy.
6. Small things can make a big difference. Consider and agree the value of small
nods of approval, appreciative smiles, congratulatory high-fives and other
affirmations. They cost (almost) nothing, require minimal energy, and yet have
such a positive and energising impact on others.
We live in a time when exciting breakthroughs in quantum physics may even
challenge accepted thinking about the behaviour of matter. It would not surprise
me if Einstein’s theory of relativity were successfully challenged. We certainly
need to challenge our current thinking regarding human behaviour and how we
communicate. Could quarkiness provide the breakthrough?
The language of ‘quarkiness’ is universal. It transcends gender, race, language, and
culture. Who would have thought that quantum physics could provide us with the
answers we need?