The SCARF model

This stylish and snappy acronym gives us a practical understanding of how our brains are wired. Leveraging neuroscience to level up your management skills? Yes please!

The SCARF model was developed by Dr David Rock - a neuroscientist whose work focuses on sharing actionable insights into how our brain works for leaders.

SCARF spells out five universal human needs - status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness and fairness. We all have these needs, but at different times, some might be more urgent than others. For example, during times of change, we often crave certainty and greater autonomy.

Paying attention to these drivers can help us to motivate our team members, activating our brain’s reward system. However, the reverse is also true - when these needs aren’t attended to, it can leave our team members feeling threatened, defensive or withdrawn.

Understanding SCARF can help us to form a plan of action that will inspire our team and communicate better.

It can also help us pinpoint why people may have a range of reactions to different events at work - and help us identify what’s going wrong when the vibe is off.

When’s the best time to use this tool?

Thinking through how to communicate a change
Delivering feedback
Reflecting on how your management style is landing with your team
Levelling up a process or practice

How to use:

You can use the SCARF model both to plan ahead and to surface learnings where something hasn’t gone as planned.

Grab a pen and paper
Write the five domains down the side of the page
Jot down some notes about to help you identify ways to maximise reward and minimise threat across each domain

Key Takeaway

Paying attention to our core human needs is a great way to ensure your actions and the way you communicate consistently motivate and uplift your team.

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