{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Be Curious, Not Judgmental: The Neuroscience of Leading Construction Teams with Roxanne Evans (Episode 96)","description":" Be Curious, Not Judgmental: The Neuroscience of Leading Construction Teams with Roxanne Evans (Episode 96) In this episode of Hoots on the Ground with No Bullshido, host Adam Hoots is joined by Mike Chiles and special guest Roxanne Evans, owner of Brain Balance in Lee\u2019s Summit, Missouri. This conversation picks up where an earlier episode on neurodivergence left off \u2014 diving deeper into how the brain develops, how technology and modern lifestyles are widening developmental gaps, and what construction leaders can do about it. Roxanne brings a rare combination of perspectives: a former educator, a mother of four boys, and an operator of a Brain Balance center for nearly a decade. Her journey into brain health began with her own son\u2019s struggles with attention, focus, and emotional regulation \u2014 and the transformation she witnessed after going through the Brain Balance program became the foundation of her life\u2019s work. The conversation dives deep into: Why the brain\u2019s base operating system \u2014 built from birth to age three \u2014 determines how we process and respond to everything around us How developmental gaps that were once one to two years are now three to five years wide, starting in kindergarten Why the real problem isn\u2019t just screen time \u2014 it\u2019s the absence of physical movement that compounds the damage The two behavioral profiles Roxanne sees most on job sites: turtles (shut down and withdraw) and race cars with no brakes (always busy, rarely productive) Why a worker on their phone may not be lazy \u2014 they may be overwhelmed and avoiding a task they couldn\u2019t process How a leader\u2019s own emotional regulation sets the tone for the entire team What mirror neurons are and why some workers can\u2019t learn by watching \u2014 no matter how many times you demonstrate Roxanne also answers a question that lands for every leader in the room: why can you handle a five-alarm crisis at work with a calm two-level response, but blow up at home over something small? Her answer \u2014 that home is where the brain finally relaxes its performance \u2014 reframes the problem entirely and points toward practical solutions. This is a rich, practical episode that challenges construction leaders to see their people through a new lens \u2014 not as underperformers, but as individuals whose brains may need different support to thrive. Because when leaders build better brains on their job sites, everybody wins. Key Takeaways: Everything Starts in the Brain: How the brain perceives, processes, and responds to information determines behavior on and off the job site. Gaps in this base operating system show up as attention struggles, emotional dysregulation, and difficulty completing tasks. The Developmental Gap Is Wider Than Ever: Where prior generations saw a one-to-two-year developmental gap, today\u2019s workforce is seeing gaps of three to five years. The age of full brain maturity has shifted from 25 to around 35, meaning many workers are functioning at a younger cognitive and emotional level than their age would suggest. Tech Isn\u2019t the Only Problem \u2014 It\u2019s the Absence of Movement: Screens keep the brain\u2019s fight-or-flight system perpetually activated, but the deeper issue is sitting still. Physical movement \u2014 especially bilateral activity like walking, crawling, and weight training \u2014 is essential for building brain function, processing speed, and emotional regulation. Turtles vs. Race Cars: Workers tend to fall into two profiles when overwhelmed: those who shut down and withdraw (turtles), and those who stay constantly busy but accomplish little (race cars with no brakes). Recognizing which type you\u2019re dealing with is the first step to leading them effectively. Phone Use May Signal Overwhelm, Not Laziness: When a worker reaches for their phone instead of completing a task, they may be avoiding it because they were overwhelmed by instructions they couldn\u2019t fully process \u2014 not because they don\u2019t care. Curiosity, not judgment, is the right response. The Leader\u2019s Regulation Sets the Team\u2019s Regulation: Culture starts with the leader. A calm, curious, regulated leader creates safety that helps even dysregulated team members stay in a learning state. An unpredictable leader keeps everyone in fight-or-flight \u2014 which shuts down learning entirely. Mirror Neurons Matter in the Trades: Not all workers can learn by watching. Some brains haven\u2019t developed the mirroring capacity to accurately replicate a demonstrated skill. This isn\u2019t defiance or laziness \u2014 it\u2019s a gap that, once addressed, can unlock strong performance. Meeting Design Can Unlock Better Performance: Keep meetings to 20 minutes or less, allow movement, build in physical resets, and create shout-out moments that get people clapping and engaged. These aren\u2019t soft perks \u2014 they\u2019re neurological tools that keep brains in a state where learning and retention are actually possible. The Home vs. Work Regulation Gap Is Real: Many leaders hold it together under pressure at work but lose their cool at home over small things. Home is the brain\u2019s safe place \u2014 where it relaxes into its default regulation patterns. The fix isn\u2019t trying harder; it\u2019s building better brain regulation so the gap between settings shrinks.   EPISODE QUOTES: \u201cEverything starts in the brain. How the brain perceives information sets the tone for how it processes \u2014 and then how it responds.\u201d \u201cWe used to see a one-to-two-year developmental gap. Now we\u2019re seeing three to five years, starting in kindergarten \u2014 and those trajectories just keep widening.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s not the screens alone. It\u2019s the absence of body movement that\u2019s creating the bigger problem. When our body moves, it tells our brain information \u2014 and our brain can grow and change based on that.\u201d \u201cWhen someone\u2019s on their phone instead of doing the task, they may not be lazy \u2014 they might be overwhelmed and avoiding looking incompetent. Be curious, not judgmental.\u201d \u201cMy regulation sets the tone for everyone else\u2019s. If they know they\u2019re safe with me, they can stay in a learning state instead of fight-or-flight.\u201d \u201cAt work you hold it together because there are consequences. At home, they love you no matter what \u2014 so the brain relaxes into its default patterns. That\u2019s why you blow up over the small stuff at home.\u201d \u201cWhat we want is for their life to be enriched because they worked with you. Not just that we required them to perform \u2014 but that we taught them how to be well.\u201d   RESOURCE LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Brain Balance Centers  Brain Balance \u2013 Lee\u2019s Summit, MO  Brent Darnell International \u2013 Emotional Intelligence in Construction  Yerkes-Dodson Law (The Goldilocks Rule) GUESTS FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE: Roxanne Evans \u2014 Owner and Director, Brain Balance of Lee\u2019s Summit, MO. Former educator, mother of four boys, and community leader. Roxanne opened her Brain Balance center in 2015 and has spent nearly a decade helping children and adults build the neurological foundation for attention, emotional regulation, learning, and performance. Mike Chiles \u2014 Lean construction leader, educator, and co-host of the Chiles Brothers conversations on the podcast. Mike is based in the Kansas City area and has a heart for community, construction, and bringing better tools to the people who build. Adam Hoots  \u2014 Host\/Producer of Hoots on the Ground and Lean builder focused on respect for craft and field leadership.   ABOUT HOOTS ON THE GROUND PODCAST: The Lean Builder\u2019s absolutely, positively NO Bullshido podcast. Join host Adam Hoots and his guests as they dig deep into the topics that matter most to those in the field. With stories from the trenches, lessons learned, and plenty of laughter, this podcast is for the men and women doing the hands-on work of construction.   ","author_name":"Hoots on the Ground | The Lean Builder","author_url":"https:\/\/theleanbuilder.com\/podcasts","html":"