( CNN ) -- When all you 've got is a hammer , everything looks like a nail . In business , that hammer is money and the nail is employee productivity . Employees at most companies are offered higher salaries or year-end bonuses in exchange for better output . Businesses better get some new tools quickly , because this hammer is not enough to get the job done . Countless employees are unhappy , reporting that they only work for the money and yet would trade a raise for a better boss and work environment . This is not a recipe for long term success . Anyone who wants to motivate employees needs to understand what motivates people in general . People certainly want more money so they can afford more of life 's indulgences and have some protection against life 's inevitable hazards . But that is only part of the story . In my new book , `` Social : Why our brains are wired to connect , '' I suggest that our brains are wired with another set of motivations , social motivations , that are just as fundamental as those that guide us towards physical pleasures and away from physical pains . When we are socially rejected or threatened , we feel a kind of social pain , which activates the same brain regions that register the distress of physical pain . Taking Tylenol even reduces the brain 's response to social pain . On the flip side , fair treatment , praise from others , and even the opportunity to help someone in need are all socially rewarding and activate the brain 's most primitive pleasure centers . Because infants depend on these social motivations in order to receive the care they need to survive , these urges are built into our operating system and stay with us for a lifetime . This has serious consequences for the workplace . If companies do not create socially rewarding environments , it is sure to affect the bottom line . One study found that individuals who were made to feel rejected scored 15 % lower on an IQ test . We can understand why someone who just broke their leg would score lower -- how could they possibly focus when experiencing intense pain ? Yet , the same is true of social injuries because all pain grabs our attention leaving less attention for other important things . In contrast , praising employees may have many of the same motivational consequences as giving a raise , but at little cost to the company . One study has found that employees were willing to give up almost $ 30,000 in yearly salary to be recognized for high praise at work . Another study found that when employees were able to see firsthand how their work was helping others , their productivity more than doubled . Being reminded of how their work was advancing their own careers had no effect . Of course , we do n't just blindly seek out social connection . We have powerful mind reading abilities that help us pursue these connections more successfully . We understand the meaning of a sly smile or a furrowed brow and sarcastic humor is not lost on most of us . We are masters of moving from others ' visible signs to the invisible thoughts , feelings , and goals motivating other people . This mind reading ability allows us to work well in teams together by predicting the needs of others around us and acting accordingly . Even though thinking about the physical world and thinking about the mental worlds of other people do n't really feel like profoundly different kinds of thinking , recent brain imaging has shown that there are separate brain systems for these two kinds of thinking . In fact , the brain regions supporting social and analytical thinking mostly function like a neural seesaw such that when one increases in activity , the other decreases . This presents a problem in the workplace because we place such a premium on analytical thinking ; we typically promote analytical problem solving at the expense of social problem solving , even though both are critically important . Creating strong social networks in a company affect the bottom line just as much as the analytical abilities and training of the people within those networks . Nowhere is the importance of social thinking more evident than in our leaders . A large recent survey found that leaders who are rated highly on being analytic and results focused are unlikely to be seen as great leaders , but if those same leaders also possess strong social skills , their chance of being seen as a great leader skyrockets . It is then deeply troubling to find that only the tiniest fraction of leaders are seen as possessing both kinds of skills . Money matters in the workplace -- there is no denying it . But money is n't the only thing that matters . Our brains are built for connecting and as more companies begin to recognize this , the positive changes they bring to the workplace will help employees to work smarter , happier , and more productively . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Dr Matthew Lieberman .
Human brain is rewarded for connections with others , writes Dr Matthew Lieberman . Social pain is just as valid as physical pain , according to Lieberman 's new book . Socially-motivated employees creates happier and more productive workplace . Studies show recognition at work matters more than money to employees .