Written by Nona Ngwenya
The case for investing in fiction strengthens as ongoing Psychological research articulates the benefits of leisurely reading. Moreso, when it comes to decision makers operating under pressure, literary fiction proves a leader in cognitive sharpness and the development of EQ.
A CC We Can Work Without
Cognitive Closure is the urge to reach quick conclusions during decision making. In essence; speed trumps depth. An avoidance of complexity, so to surmise: In 2013, researchers delved into the phenomenon amongst individuals filling leadership roles. The results were familiar and the vastness of their reality, striking. Decision makers would finalise stupendous choices on limited data - expected, since we can only decide on limited sets of information at any given time. However, these leaders would make choices then struggle to change their minds as new data became available.
Fiction flexes the cognitive muscles responsible for shifts in perspective - even those formed on concrete foundations. The literary craft shapes the development of impactful emotional intelligence and offers sturdy resistance to Cognitive Closure. Studies concluded that decision makers who engage with literary fiction tend to be creative, thoughtful, and comfortable with nuance.
The Brain Appreciates Complexity
The above happens due to literature's demand that we slow down. Ease, to the body , presents safety. Safety allows for better absorption of stimuli - an unpacking of layers we would otherwise not have room to navigate under the demands of the roles we occupy. Books fling red herrings and character psyches so complex they have us gritting teeth and withholding screams in airport lounges as plots unravel. Our brains, operating as if we were alive in the story itself, do what they do when we dream or simply think. MRI scans would bare witness to interactions that never were - a test of our skills without the risk. A stretching of all we know and a decision made about how we choose to process moving forward. Do we agree? Do we not? Are we participating, are we pushed into the helpless role of observer - cerebrally co-crafting depictions - accompanying the author's emotions and point of view with our version of familiar and foreign circumstances. cities and crises?
All of the above is safely contained cover to cover and shelved once a reader has had their fill of possibilities for the day. This act alone cements that thoughts can be retired at will. Harnessed correctly and practiced enough, we compartmentalise not just the stories we read but the ones we live too - gently revisiting, applying and analysing. Laying ideas to rest, comfortable with the sometimes complex nature of reasoning.
Investing in Words
How do establishments optimise themselves off a base of literature? How can they embrace the benefits of reading fiction towards dual bottom lines?
Company reading culture.
In a case study published in the Harvard Business Review; Marvin Riley, CEO of EnPro Industries, sought to establish Psychological Safety, Practice Collaboration, Ide-meritocracy and Critical Thinking. The CEO was also looking to develop high personal engagement within his firm. Overall, what he wanted was an emotional quotient that matched workplace performance. To do this, Riley hired Books at Work; a company that specialised in developing company reading culture. For months they engaged staff in reading exercises and literary study during work hours and, as teams and groups participated, candor and communication improved.
Conclusion
The EnPro case study offers ideal test conditions as is applicable to decision makers and their teams. A workplace, their findings provide context about the application of the cognitive benefits of reading fiction to corporate and other professional environments. House literati exist across a span of careers and for many, career is at the center of their lives. Which is why we design a lifestyle around reading that ensures conditions that harness the cognitive benefits reading for pleasure provides, particularly fiction.
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Djikic, Maja & Oatley, Keith & Moldoveanu, Mihnea. (2013). Opening the Closed Mind: The Effect of Exposure to Literature on the Need for Closure. Creativity Research Journal. 25. 149-154. 10.1080/10400419.2013.783735.
Seifert, C. (2020). Organisational Structure: The Case for Reading Fiction. Harvard Business Review 08 March. Available at: https://hbr.org/2020/03/the-case-for-reading-fiction#:~:text=Research%20suggests%20that%20reading%20literary,skill%20for%20effective%20decision%2Dmaking (Accessed 12.10.2023)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/247163935_Opening_the_Closed_Mind_The_Effect_of_Exposure_to_Literature_on_the_Need_for_Closure