Posts tagged ‘excellence’

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May 17, 2012

A Clearly Simple View of Leadership

I frequently ask participants in our practical neuroscience workshops to raise their hands if they see themselves as “leaders.” Typically, 10% to 30% respond positively, even in a group comprised of managers and supervisors in their organizations.

Follow-up questions and exercises reveal that most people have an aggrandized view of “leaders,” picturing them as “special” and other than themselves. They frequently describe and see “leaders” as corporate executives, heads-of-state, social and religious spokespersons and people who have many followers. This view, in my mind’s-eye, limits one’s potential to live a more fulfilling life and help others do the same.

When “leader” is defined as an individual who interacts and influences the people they live and work with, almost everyone admits to being a “leader.” Taking this principle to a practical level, leadership qualities most admired seem to be:  

  • Consistency and dependability. Consistency and dependability are qualities based on how you experience others and how others experience you. These others are individuals you live and work with; they are also people you experience through the media, like politicians, heads-of-state, corporate chiefs and people in charge of policies that affect your quality-of-life. It’s disruptive, confusing and difficult to assess what’s going on with inconsistent positions, behaviors, words and actions. Behaviors signals embedded values. The gift of consistent “low road” or “high road” behaviors is being able to determine with whom and what you want to align.

 

  • High Values. “High road” values like visibility, honesty, fun, teamwork, compassion, family and prosperity seem to resonate with many people. I believe the root cause of chaos in families, organizations and between countries is the diverse range of “low road” and “high road” values. Values drive behaviors. Behaviors establish positive or negative environments.  Positive environments help everyone be the best they can be and neutralize volatile situations. Values establish the common ground in which people can accomplish common goals and enjoy the benefits of their work.

 

  • Shared interests. Shared interests almost always bring people together to support one another, explore possibilities and discover what they can achieve through cooperation. When shared interests yield shared benefits, the group tends to work together and stay together.  This is the basis of successful marriages, families and organizations. The caveat is that consistent behaviors and shared values must be present to create sustainable relationships, organizations and political stability.

You impact others much more than you realize and there are always opportunities for improving relationships and situations.  To become a more conscious and successful leader, I suggest starting by identifying three of your most important personal values. Then record the “high road behaviors” associated with each value. In this way, you know for sure you are practicing your values; and others will experience your consistency and dependability.  Finally, for each behavior, think about and record the outcomes that occur when you practice your “high road” behaviors.  As an example, if “Fun” is a value, the behaviors might be “doing what interests you, being light hearted, being grateful and non-judgmental;” outcomes may include “experiencing more fun in your life and bringing fun into the lives of others.” This exercise is highly transformative. You will experience almost immediate shifts in how you feel about yourself and receive positive feedback from others.

In summary, these three characteristics of leadership make up a simple and elegant model to live a higher quality life regardless of your education, career and personal situation. Pursue with passion the things that interest you and do no harm; you will attract others who will support and unite with you.  Practicing “high road” behaviors in everything you do will put you on the pathway to being a conscious and powerful leader.

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December 7, 2011

Accelerate Team Learning With Practical Neuroscience

English: conference room

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One of the landmark references to “team learning” appeared in Peter Senge’s Fifth Discipline (1990), where he said,  “The discipline of team learning starts with ‘dialogue‘, the capacity of members of a team to suspend assumptions and enter into a genuine ‘thinking together’ …. [It] also involves learning how to recognize the patterns of interaction in teams that undermine learning.”  Let’s look at, explore and expand Senge’s concept of team learning in the light of modern and practical neuroscience.

Team learning, thinking and performance form a coherent trio of what a team strives to do together. Dialogue is a method for communicating with one another about topics, situations and challenges of shared interest. The goal of dialogue includes expansion of individual and collective knowledge. Effective and successful communication requires all parties to be willing to exchange information with an open and flexible mind.

True dialogue involves understanding diverse points of view rather than defending a position and attacking others. Suspending assumptions and judgment about what’s true or false and surrendering the personal need to be right allow team members to make a giant step toward consciously learning from one another. This applies both to one-on-one and “team” dynamics in your personal and professional life.

If the true purpose of dialogue is “learning and thinking together,” perhaps most communication exchanges do not fit this description. Think about how much time the people you live and work with spend in true dialogue. “Non-dialogue” communications involve telling people what to think, defending and attacking, complaining, providing irrelevant information and emoting with the sole purpose of protecting one’s ego.

True dialogue can be conducted in two forms:

Non-directive dialogue is when two or more people get together with no specific agenda or topic. They meet in a quiet and comfortable environment, free from external interruptions and sounds. The idea of non-directive dialogue is to expose subconscious thoughts about what may be blocking or limiting team success and to reveal opportunities for breakthrough thinking. The process can be awkward and painfully slow for newcomers; expert facilitation is recommended.  At least one hour should be allotted for a session; this can be a problem when people are focused on the clock and getting visibly productive work done. Non-directive dialogue is a powerful and transformative procedure for team members who trust one another, feel safe in each other’s presence, are daring and willing to be vulnerable, and have the desire to “leapfrog” team performance.

Directive dialogue revolves around exchanging information important to team performance, with the goal of building core competencies, creating and improving products and services, solving problems and making good decisions. This can occur in meetings, retreats, email exchanges, phone conversations and teleconferences. Directive dialogue sessions have great potential for leveraging team member’s know-how and decreasing communication time. Teams rarely think about aligning their people’s interests and competencies with subject matter and the best ways and times to communicate, but team productivity and performance will soar when teams develop and implement their communication methodologies.

The missing link for team communication success is statistically validated information about each person’s sensory and cognitive pathway strengths for learning, thinking and communicating. This knowledge helps the team communicate effectively with one another and leverages their collective brainpower for “whole brain thinking.”  Foundational practical neuroscience data on how team member’s brains are wired for success is the basis for exceptional team learning, thinking and performance.

In conclusion, dialogue, whether directive or non-directive, is the “high road” pathway for team learning and thinking success. It involves suspending judgment, opinions and positions.  Successful dialogue requires open and flexible minds to understand diverse perceptions, observations and thinking.  There is no right or wrong in true dialogue; what matters the most is the apparent best course of action for the good of the team and its stakeholders. All teams benefit from leveraging their brain strengths for communication success. Practical neuroscience methods such as these are the ideal solution to strengthen team communication and accelerate team learning, resulting in greater team success.

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November 30, 2011

Making Shared Visions Real and Meaningful For All Concerned

flip chart 2.0

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Peter Senge describes “building shared vision” as “a practice of unearthing shared pictures of the future that foster genuine commitment and enrollment rather than compliance.” His description and application applies, not only to teams and organizations, but also to couples, family units and any group of people that comes together for a common purpose. I want to share a fun and dynamic methodology to make shared visions real and meaningful for all the participants.

The characteristics and benefits of shared vision include:

  • Visual portrayal of everyone’s  “picture of success”
  • Focus on collective and mutually beneficial future outcomes
  • Everyone’s voice is heard, respected and acknowledged
  • Visibility of the group’s values that help guide “high road” behaviors
  • Stakeholder buy-in, commitment and involvement
  • Group and organizational performance excellence and sustainability

This practical neuroscience method has been field tested extensively with groups ranging from 3 to 50 people. The group participants may be a family, social organization, church committee, board of directors, sports team, business department or an entire organization. The process can be replicated multiple times in an organization to cover hundreds or thousands of people.

The Basics

  • Every group member willing to participate is included without exception.
  • The meeting room should accommodate all participants to sit in a semi-circle, stand and move about. Less than 30 participants at a time are recommended to allow for maximal participation and keep sessions under 2 hours.
  • A large, smooth and unobstructed white board or wall, with space to post 7-10 flip chart pages, is required in front of participant seating. The flip charts are where the participants place their shared vision notes.
  • Each participant is given an 8 1/2” X 11” paper with 6-8 colored Post-It notes. Additional Post-Its are available upon request.
  • A skilled, non-participating facilitator, known for open-mindedness, flexibility and non-judgment should lead the session.
  • No interruptions or questions are allowed when participants share their “pictures of success.”
  • Order of participation is voluntary; everyone participates.
  • Pre and post-applause for all participants is recommended.

The Process

  1. The facilitator welcomes the group and explains the process and ground rules for sharing. Post-It notes and colored pens are provided for all participants.
  1. Each person records a single idea of his or her vision, picture and description of success, per Post-It note. Description may be a key word, short phrase, value, headline, symbol, color, image, outcome, book, movie, song, event, award, number, dollar amount, sound, feeling, picture or virtually whatever comes to mind. Maximum of 12 ideas per person.
  1. Pre-Applause for first volunteer. First Post-It is placed on any one Flip Chart page and said aloud for everyone to hear. Subsequent ideas are placed next to similar/associated themes or on a separate flip chart if the idea doesn’t seem to relate to the others. Post-applause with no comments or questions.
  1. Pre-applause and post-applause for subsequent volunteers until all participants have shared their vision of success. The process reveals a colorful galaxy of “cluster pattern” themes that constitute the group’s “shared vision.”
  1. The facilitator invites the group to walk around the flip charts for a closer look, name the themes and realign individual notes. Themes may include legacy, values, goals, customer benefits, team benefit and so forth.
  1. The facilitator asks the group if any theme should be dropped because it is less important than the others are. All the groups I have facilitated say all themes are connected and equally important; this response is ideal and should be expected. The facilitator asks the group if they feel their voice has been heard and respected.  Finally, participants are given the opportunity to voice their takeaways and closing comments.
  1. The flip charts and Post-It notes are photographed, transcribed and distributed to each participant. This process continues until all smaller groups, constituting the larger group/organization, have gone through their shared vision sessions. It is strongly advised that the materials be transformed into a colorful mind map for daily viewing, communications, meetings and events. The mind map should be magnified to poster size and hung in large reception areas or other areas where people learn, work and communicate. Smaller versions are made available for every participant.

In conclusion, implementing a “shared vision” session is immensely rewarding for all participants, their organization and the people they serve and interact with. The process connects each person’s mind, body and heart in a respectful way. It brings people together to work with shared purpose, common goals and desired outcomes. Creating a shared vision builds morale, trust and cooperation; it leverages the brainpower and heart power of the group for outstanding and sustainable outcomes.

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November 16, 2011

Three Reasons Why People Talk More and Listen Less

Listen, Understand, Act

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Have you noticed that many people can’t remember what was said, interrupt others regularly, rarely ask genuine questions and generally have poor listening skills? Has attentive and respectful listening gone out of style since the advent of TV, computer technology, cell phones, texting and video games? I wonder if people were more “auditory,” from a listening standpoint, when distractions were fewer, people engaged in more mealtime conversations and radio was a bigger source of news and entertainment.

Our worldwide statistics show that 78% of the population least prefers to listen as a primary way to receive sensory information; these people prefer to take in information visually and kinesthetically. Why do people who least prefer to listen select talking as their preferred way to express themselves? Practical neuroscience and common sense reveal possible reasons and provide pathways to improve listening competencies.

Reasons Why People Talk More and Listen Less

  • Lack of awareness: I believe most people are unaware of how their poor listening skills negatively impact rapport, harmony and understanding others. Interrupting, “tuning out” others and raising one’s voice to get attention serve no useful purpose; hurt feelings often occur and important information is lost. As a practical matter, meager listening takes a steep toll on valuable time that could be used for other things. At worst, important relationships can be put in jeopardy and may crash. These factors are why people benefit from being informed of how their brains are wired to receive and process information. Practical neuroscience reveals our sensory and cognitive processing strengths, thus providing a simple recipe to communicate with others in optimal ways.
  • Busy Schedules: During an executive coaching session, I asked a person about his listening competency. His reply was, “it’s poor and I don’t care because I don’t have time to listen.” He went on to say, “I prefer to receive information by email, text and brief discussions when walking with a colleague to a meeting or during mealtime.” I asked him what impact his tactics would have on his morale and productivity if he walked in the shoes of his direct reports and peers.  He then asked how he could be a better listener; the Hot Tips (below) summarize what I suggested. Within a week of using these new “high road” listening tactics, this busy executive received positive feedback from three people saying they enjoyed working with him and it seemed like he was different person.
  • Maintaining Control: As long as you are talking, you don’t have to listen, answer questions or respond to other people. A higher form of talking is using language understandable to others, stating the purpose of the communication and asking questions to confirm their understanding. Listening requires attention, focus, personal involvement and feedback. Attentive and respectful listening sends a strong message that you care about the other person; talking, alone, may introduce an element of doubt about your intention and integrity.

Hot Tips for Being a Better Listener

  • Ask for the purpose and desired outcomes of the conversation.
  • Respectfully, set a time period for the discussion, if time is an issue.
  • Do not interrupt and impose your opinion.
  • Ask questions to gain clarity and understanding.
  • Listen for congruency of tone-of-voice and body language with what’s being said.
  • Paraphrase what you hear.

In conclusion, improved listening skills pay big dividends of relationship rapport, mutual respect, understanding others and making effective use of available time. Based on statistics, most people should talk less and communicate more visually and kinesthetically. Practical neuroscience methods are the ideal solution for “transmitting” information on the preferred “receiving wavelengths” of others.

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November 11, 2011

Practical Neuroscience Tools For Systems Thinking

Meeting space

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Peter Senge’s seminal work, The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of The Learning Organization (1990) has been described as visionary and ahead of its time. We will revisit Senge’s foundational discipline – Systems Thinking – in the light of practical neuroscience.

Systems thinking, through my practical application lens, can be viewed as an integrated, “whole brain” approach to describe, analyze and solve business problems; build and leverage organizational core competencies; conduct strategic planning sessions and implement scenario simulations. The core methodology can be applied to practically any personal or professional circumstance.

This practical neuroscience process works well for a full day session with three or more people.

The Group: Stakeholders and subject matter experts form “the group;” they are open-minded, flexible and committed to learning from one another. A skilled, non-participating facilitator is recommended. The facilitator and group should know each other’s subject matter expertise and their sensory and cognitive strengths; this knowledge establishes mutual respect, facilitates efficient exchange of information and leverages the brain diversity of the group. These often-ignored factors can make a big difference in increasing harmony and collaboration, accelerating the process and achieving results beyond the most optimistic prediction.

The Environment: The physical environment helps establish a positive state-of-mind, comfort and safety. A large and attractive room, with temperature and light control and both informal and formal seating/working areas, is recommended. Beverages and refreshments are available at all times. The space is quiet and free from outside interruptions. White boards, flip charts, artist pads, colored pens and markers are available.  Table toys or props are available to help kinesthetic learners process information and express themselves. Internet connectivity, computers, LCD projector and screen are set up for immediate use. The room includes a sound system and CD’s for breaks and background music. Classical music is particularly effective for helping participants conduct high level cognitive thinking. These environmental factors are important for all meetings, not just systems thinking sessions.

Mind Mapping: Mind mapping activates and makes use of the visual cortex, a large and underutilized part of the brain. It may be the most effective learning and communication system available for meetings and work sessions. Mind mapping is faster, more fun and covers more bases than traditional outlining methods. Using the services of a skilled mind-mapper is highly recommended.

The Process: The actual process of systems thinking is easier than you may think when the above pre-planning steps are in place. The facilitator and mind-mapper explain the process to the group and answer questions. The group understands that all contributions are viewed as equally valuable and valued. What seems strange, goofy or out-of-place may very well be the tipping point for breakthrough insights.

Start with the Global Picture, addressing the context or big “chunks” that form and frame the systemic picture of the given situation. As an example, if the subject is “competitive positioning,” ideas that come to mind may be key words and concepts like strengths, weaknesses, reputation, customer perception, competencies, gaps, risks, obstacles, success and so forth. These key ideas and concepts spawn additional ideas that expand existing key concepts or establish a new component part of the “big picture.” These component parts are the content of the context. Eventually, a well developed mind map not only describes a situation, but also reveals pathways to the desired outcomes. This initial process occurs in an informal and casual setting with dim light and comfortable temperatures; this environment stimulates and supports creative thinking. Participants may close their eyes to think deeply, sit, stand, move about, doodle, draw or take notes on their sketchpads.   Research-based background music to play before and/or during these brainstorming segments includes  Tchaikovsky, P. (The Nutcracker Suite), Debussy (La mer or Prelude a l’apres midi d’un Faun) and Ravel (Daphne et Chloe).

The process continues until the active flow of ideas ceases. The facilitator and mind-mapper work as a  team to stimulate and document the group’s thinking. There may be multiple breaks to rest and reenergize between sessions. The resulting mind map will look like a giant tree with multiple trunks,  branches and leaves, constituting the group’s systems thinking output.

Examine how the parts may be connected and relate to one another. This is the sequential and logical process of systems thinking when the group looks for themes, patterns, pathways and relationships. Align and connect parts of the “tree,” using arrows, symbols and additional key words that add meaning and clarity. Number or sequence the elements that constitute action steps.

This sequential part of systems thinking is conducted in a formal setting with straight-back chairs, tables, bright lights and cooler temperature; these environmental conditions help keep the group focused, alert and on-task. The group may request that the mind-mapper redraw the initial mind map for communication purposes or further work.

In conclusion, the success of a systems thinking session is dependent on the diversity and mind-set of the participants, the physical environment and the use of mind mapping as a primary communication and learning tool. Diverse, knowledgeable and open-minded women and men can trust their collective brainpower to describe, analyze and solve any problem using these practical neuroscience methods.

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November 8, 2011

Practical Neuroscience Approach to Personal Mastery

Premioneurona

Several visionaries cite “learning” as a key ingredient to personal and organizational success:

Peter Senge identifies “personal mastery” as the second discipline of a learning organization in his book, The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of The Learning Organization (1990). Senge describes personal mastery as a commitment of employees and leaders to the process of learning.

John Naisbitt says, “In a world that is constantly changing, there is no one subject or set of subjects that will serve you for the foreseeable future, let alone for the rest of your life. The most important skill to acquire now is learning how to learn.”

Peter Drucker states, “We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn.”

Steven Covey declares that the mental component of “Sharpening Your Saw” (the 7th habit of The 7-Habits of Highly Effective People) is “learning, reading, writing and teaching.”

Many people agree on the underlying value of personal mastery through lifelong learning. However, few know the practical neuroscience principles and practices behind learning with ease, thinking imaginatively and logically, solving problems quickly, working happily, communicating effectively and making decisions accurately. Most people appear highly interested in learning more about how their brains are wired for success and what makes them tick. There seems to be a strong undercurrent of awareness that understanding and leveraging individual and collective brainpower may be one of the last frontiers for human development.

Practical Neuroscience 101 for Gaining Personal Mastery

The following is a summary compilation of practical neuroscience principles and practices that will help you understand and leverage your brain strengths for personal mastery.

  • Practical Neuroscience: An overarching term comprised of neuroscience-based principles and practices focused on understanding “self” and the people you influence and lead. Practical neuroscience acknowledges and respects diverse brain strengths, varied knowledge, personal interests and emotional trigger points; it enables people to be the best they can be, individually and collectively.
  • Neuroplasticity: Your brain is the most amazing mass of protoplasm in the known universe. It contains about 100 billion neuron cells, each having the potential to make multiple connections with other cells. Your brain is dynamic, not static. Neuroscience research reveals that you have “brain plasticity” or the ability to continuously grow and adapt your brain as you learn and use new information, despite your age. The more you learn, think and use knowledge, the more you grow and increase your intelligence and resourcefulness. What set Einstein’s genius apart, was not what he started with, but how he developed his thinking through vast neuron pathways. The bottom-line is that we can rewire our own brains for new and better outcomes and help other people do the same.
  • Learning Is Voluntary: Your brain must establish value and positive emotions to engage with learning, thinking, listening, working and any form of mental or physical activity. Fear works poorly as a motivator and is not healthy or sustainable.
  • Unique Sensory and Cognitive Strengths: Everyone has their preferred order for taking in sensory information; there are six combinations of Visual, Kinesthetic and Auditory sequences. Besides, people have cognitive preferences for processing sensory information, receiving communications and for specific types of work activities; there are three major categories: Sequential, Global and Integrated.
  • Alignment Is Your Key to Success:  No one combination of sensory and cognitive preferences is better than another. The key to success is aligning your brain strengths with activities and tasks you are passionate about and require your strengths. Communication challenges are often due to misalignment with how people prefer to receive and process information. You can “flex” and align with people who are different from you to gain rapport, respect, trust and understanding.
  • Integrate Fun Into Everything You Do: Your brain is naturally curious and loves to learn. A fun and safe environment naturally engages your brain. Create fun and safe environments for others; teach others what you want to learn. These are some characteristics of a neuro-leader.

In conclusion, practical neuroscience is the pathway to greater self-awareness of your potential for personal mastery. Online, validated assessments accurately determine your sensory and cognitive strengths and offer tools to help improve your learning, thinking, problem solving, decision making, communication success, career fulfillment, and help you experience more fun in life.

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November 2, 2011

Five Common Pitfalls Entrepreneurs Should Avoid

Pitfall! (my version)

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Avoiding or correcting any one of five pitfalls for entrepreneurs may be the tipping point to achieving your goals and improving the quality of your life. I have personally experienced and observed all these behaviors since becoming an entrepreneur in 1979. Most of these pitfalls have relatively quick and simple escape routes using practical neuroscience and common sense. The pitfalls are listed in no particular order of priority; all are important to avoid for a happy and fulfilling life.

  1. Lack of Focus

Some entrepreneur’s brains are like a nuclear fission reactor that self-fuels and regenerates itself with a continuous stream of new and better ideas. This creates a scenario where the entrepreneur may be doing excessive multi-tasking without getting meaningful work accomplished. Sometimes, when projects get close to completion, an entrepreneur loses interest and wants to move on to something new and different, leaving the project without a sustainable infrastructure. “Focus” is the operative word. If you relate to this pitfall, consider bringing in trusted advisors who share your vision and have strong Sequential thinking skills to help organize, prioritize and develop a logical and orderly work plan around your ideas and concepts.

  1. Low Self-Awareness of Strengths and Limitations

Many entrepreneurs’ passion for their dream causes them to jump into a new endeavor without taking the time to see how well equipped they are for the journey. All too often, the well-intentioned, good-hearted entrepreneur learns through trial and error that they should have taken an inventory of their strengths and limitations. Very few entrepreneurs consider the alignment of how their brains are wired – to learn, think, create, solve problems, make decisions and communicate – with their chosen life path. Reliable, statistically validated online instruments provide this important but overlooked knowledge.

  1. Trying to Do It All

Most entrepreneurs feel they can and should do almost everything themselves; the result is some things taking longer to do, others less than well done, and little time left for personal relationships and taking care of themselves. The solution is to have trusted advisors, with knowledge and strengths different from theirs, who can advise them on where to apply their strengths and when to assign work to people better suited to the tasks.  Strive for a diverse team of trusted advisors with skills and experience in the areas of finance, human resources, sales, public relations, technology, research and development, marketing, business planning and hands-on tactical implementation. Covering all the applicable bases with competent and committed people is a sure and safe way to maximize the probability of success.

  1. Compromising Health and Relationships

Health and relationships are listed together because they seem to walk hand-in-hand. Working long hours takes its toll on your physical, mental and emotional health. When you experience stress and your health is at risk, it’s likely that your rapport and communication with people you love and care about are also suffering. Correction of any of the three previous pitfalls will help alleviate stress and free up more time for restful sleep, proper diet, exercise and fun. Make personal health and relationships a component of your total picture of success.

  1. Believing Happiness is an Upcoming Event

Happiness comes from within and occurs in the present moment. Event-driven happiness is distressingly temporary and short-lived. Work happily and passionately in everything you do, each and every day. Waiting and expecting to achieve sustainable happiness and fulfillment from a future event robs you of the joy of the journey.

In summary, being aware of these five pitfalls will help you live that life you dreamt of when you first catapulted into the wild and crazy world of entrepreneurship. I hope you use these insights and ideas for a better life and better relationships. Please share your knowledge and best practices with fellow entrepreneurs. How many entrepreneurs does it take to build a better world?

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August 30, 2011

Turbo-Boost Your Body and Brainpower for Peak Performance

health

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Provide your brain and body with what they need for consistent high performance with these practical, science-based tips.

Your brain is the most miraculous mass of protoplasm in the known universe. It weighs in at a whopping 3 pounds and has approximately 100 billion neurons capable of connecting with one another in multiple ways to create memory and computing power that boggles the imagination. It’s your navigation system for life.

Your brain needs a healthy and vibrant body to function properly and vice versa. The following tips apply to general health and well-being, managing stress and keeping you alert and focused so you can perform at peak levels.

  • Fuel for Your Brain and Body

These ideas are intended to stimulate your thinking and motivate independent research to create and implement your optimum brain and body turbo boosting diet. Four to six small and nutrient rich meals per day provide a steady flow of fuel for consistent high performance. “Fatty fish” (e.g. salmon and tuna) containing omega-3 oils seems to be amongst the top ten recommendations from trusted sources for brain and body health. Fresh fruits high in antioxidants and nutrient-rich vegetables having a “rainbow of colors” come highly recommended. Protein sources include nuts, vegetables, dairy, whole grains, fish, poultry and low fat animal sources. Green tea is high in antioxidants and known as a brain boosting beverage. Four to six, or more, glasses of water is a given. Avocados have monounsaturated sources of fat that increase blood flow to the brain, important minerals and antioxidant properties. Look into turmeric that may protect your brain against disease, improve your vision and strengthen your immune system; look for preparations that include pepper to help your body assimilate this miraculous spice.

  • Exercise and Posture

Do exercise you enjoy to strengthen your lungs, heart and muscles a minimum of 20 minutes  per session, 3 or more times per week. Good posture while sitting, walking and driving will pay dividends now and in the future. Your spinal chord is the “central wiring system” connecting your brain and body. Pay attention to ergonomics where you work, eat, relax, play and sleep.

Stress causes distress and eventually disease. It’s no fun experiencing stress from worry, a tired body, fatigued brain, and an inhospitable environment. You most likely will make mistakes in what you are doing when stress takes hold. Also, relationships may suffer if you are interacting with others. Simple techniques help you prevent and manage stress.

Oxygen is vital for healthy brain function. Deep and rhythmic breathing is a good practice, particularly under stress, when most people tend to breathe shallowly or hold their breath. Drinking clean ice water, rich in dissolved oxygen, helps brain function as well as flushing body toxins. Exercise is also a great, therapeutic way to increase brainpower and keep the body healthy.

Take a break when you first feel the early signs of stress. Getting physically away from where you are, even for 5-10 minutes, will help you reframe and gather your wits. Do something different like taking a short walk, closing your eyes to meditate, having a short conversation with someone you trust, eating a snack, drinking a healthy beverage or listening to calming music.

Kinesthetic Cross-Overs help increase the distribution of electrical energy, blood flow and oxygen between the two brain hemispheres. Take your right or left thumb and hold it in front of your eyes. Trace an imaginary large figure “8.” Follow the motion of your thumb with your eyes. Do three to five sequences, or more, in both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions. You may also toss a ball from one hand to another to get the same effect.

When you are tired and working too long at one thing your focus and attention drops off.  Mistakes and costly accidents can occur. Practical neuroscience methods keep you at peak levels of performance.

Peppermint will perk up your brain when you feel sleepy and need to stay focused and alert. Essential oils, mints and chewing gum work well when driving a vehicle and when you need to  stay on task while working.

Frequent breaks are recommended, particularly when doing highly stressful activities. Typically,  the adult attention span is 20 – 30 minutes. It makes sense to take short and frequent breaks, timed with the decline of your attention and performance.

Classical music is known to put your brain in an optimal state for high levels of cognitive  processing and performance. Popular music may stimulate emotions that can distract you and  cause you to think about the words, rather than what you have to do.

  • Think About What You Think About

What you give attention to gets stronger and persists because of neuroplasticity. It’s like exercising a muscle. When you think about a subject, talk about it, and take in additional sensory information to expand your knowledge and understanding, your memory get stronger, like growing a root system of a tree. If you’re thinking about what you don’t want in life, quickly reverse negative thoughts into polar opposite positive thoughts and outcomes so  you will get what you really want to experience. Always think positively and optimistically, even when life is challenging and looks bleak.

In conclusion, small and frequent portions of healthy food, pure water, oxygenation, exercise, proper posture and practical neuroscience are great ways to stay healthy, manage stress and maintain focus to be the very best you can be. A positive mental attitude always wins out and makes life better.

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August 25, 2011

Secret Weapon For Job Hunters and Career Changers

Your secret weapon is how your brain is wired for performance excellence. Job hunters and career changers will differentiate themselves from the competition and accelerate their success rates by integrating practical neuroscience into the search and interview process. Combining your brain strengths with passion for a specific career is a foolproof way to land, keep and enjoy the “right job.”

It can be so incredibly frustrating when you apply for job opportunities that seem to fit you perfectly, but get no response. Your experience, achievements, education and values seem to be in perfect alignment with the job requirements. As you begin to feel like a “speed bump” from all the disappointments, you get back up, put on your “happy face” and keep the faith that you will soon experience success. In the meantime, stress may take hold and affect your peace-of-mind, health and relationships. You probably wonder what else you can do to give you renewed direction, confidence and an edge on the competition.

If you’ve read “What Color Is Your Parachute?” by Richard N. Bolles, you may have used tools from this job hunting guide to analyze your achievements, skills, competencies and preferences. This classic treasure helps you navigate your career journey. The problem is that there are fewer jobs available and more people actively competing for them. There is one small omission of a little known strength category in this wonderful book. This strength is almost always ignored by job hunters, career changers and employers alike. The job seeker who leverages this strength gains a unique advantage during the screening and interview process.

Most strength groupings seem to focus on “how smart you are,” rather than the “ways in which you are smart.” This is where practical neuroscience enters the picture. The most fundamental and ignored “strength category” is your sensory and cognitive pathways strengths:

Sensory Pathway Strengths

  • Visual: “Picture Smart” (design, graphic arts, data entry, quality control observations, reading body language, eye for detail, remembering what was seen and how it looked)
  • Kinesthetic: “Body Smart” (“gut feel” and instinct for what to do, hands-on activities, projects involving movement and action, building and repairing things, tools and equipment)
  • Auditory: “Word Smart” (listening attentively and patiently, asking questions, copy writing, speech and proposal writing, negotiating, public speaking, coaching and counseling)

Cognitive Pathway Strengths

  • Sequential: “Logic Smart”  (orderliness, sequence,  process and procedures, practical and realistic, schedules and budgets, content, data and accuracy, staying on task)
  • Global: “Imagination Smart” (“big picture”, brainstorming, ideating, inventing, creative problem solving, research, open-ended situations, context, options and possibilities)
  • Integrated: “Balanced Brain Smart” (managing diverse teams, conflict resolution, negotiating highly different points-of-view, combination of strategic and operational initiatives)

All job activities have “neuro-signatures” comprised of a unique combination of sensory and cognitive characteristics. Alignment of how your brain is wired with the “neuro-signatures” of job activities is a secret formula for performance excellence. As an example, IT professionals with strong Visual and Sequential strengths have higher productivity and make fewer mistakes than co-workers who have different brain wiring strengths. A telemarketer or copywriter should have strong Auditory preferences, with a good balance of Sequential and Global strengths to craft language into understandable and memorable messages.

In conclusion, it’s quick and easy to determine your sensory and cognitive strengths using reliable statistically validated assessments you can trust. The next step is to think about job activities that you find engaging and enjoy the most. These will inevitably involve and call for your brain strengths. The final step is to use this unique and powerful knowledge in your cover letters, resume, “elevator speeches,” emails, phone calls and personal interviews. Educating the interviewer and your future boss about unique competencies afforded by your sensory and cognitive strengths will set you apart from competition. Combining your brain strengths with your experience and passion for a specific career is a foolproof way to land, keep and enjoy the job you dream about.

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August 17, 2011

Four Steps to Dream Team Performance

A group of Individual Placement members enjoy ...

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Are you a member of a successful team or one that performs marginally or miserably? Have you ever wondered why some teams excel at what they do and why their people are energized, happy and having fun? What differentiates these successful teams from those that experience low performance, with people who are demoralized, complaining and depressed? You may be surprised to learn that “dream team” performance is almost guaranteed when four foundational neuroscience principles are practiced. They are easy to understand and implement when forming new teams, retooling struggling teams and taking successful teams to higher potential. Dream teams may include couples, families, businesses, sports and organizations of all sizes and types. Teams who practice continuous learning and improvement maintain the “razor’s edge.”

Step# 1 Align Team Members with Mission, Values and Goals

Discussion

A simple definition of a team is “a group of people that come together to do something together.” Teams often fail because their purpose and values are vague, unknown or unacceptable. There must be a clear and compelling purpose and value for team members to be interested, motivated and engaged. Values ultimately determine team success and sustainability, because values drive behavior. The higher values of “service,” “teamwork” and “continuous learning” will ultimately prevail over values of “competition,” “self-interest” and “disrespect.” Even a team with a strong and charismatic leader will fail without a clear purpose and good values.

Neuroscience Principles

Your brain voluntarily engages with work, projects, and people when there are strong value components and desired positive outcomes. Your brain pays maximum attention and engages with situations containing high levels of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. Your brain likes challenges, inspiration and noble causes. Consistent favorable outcomes, and even the thought of future potential outcomes, keep your brain focused, flexible, curious, interested and hungry for similar experiences.

Practices

All team members will be well served in the process of creating and refining their team mission, values and major goals. These actions connect each person to the collective team. A major role of the Team Leader is to continuously communicate and strengthen the team purpose and values. This step achieves team unity by aligning everyone with the mission and values. Team member needs may vary widely and do not have to be the same to have a united team. Having compelling reasons for each team member to be engaged, interested and productive is the key to this foundational alignment step.

Outcomes

Shared values and alignment of purpose are the team’s:navigation system.” Successful teams never get lost or disconnected, even in changing and chaotic times, when their navigation system points to “magnetic north.” The team is bonded through their values as they work collaboratively and cooperatively in alignment with their mission and goals. Teams having achieved this first step are poised for successful outcomes and camaraderie.

Step #2 Define and Build Core Competencies

Discussion

Essential and collective knowledge, skills and experience form the core competencies of a superior team that meets and exceeds its goals and customer needs. As examples, technological core competencies for Canon include optics and microelectronics; Honda’s technical competencies include small, quiet and powerful engines, and, drive trains. Core competencies may include sales excellence, market research, product development and customer service. Criteria for core competencies include:

  • Transferable to multiple products and services
  • Access to multiple market segments, customer groups and applications
  • Difficult for competition to replicate quickly
  • Learning and brain-based intellectual property

 

Neuroscience Principles

Core competencies define the focal points for learning, sharing, and applying essential knowledge to the team goals. Learning occurs best when people are willing to be vulnerable and honest about what they truly “know, apply and teach” rather than what they “know about” (e.g. shallow knowledge to impress).The core competency list becomes the most important daily team tool for continuous growth and improvement. This focus harnesses each team member’s brainpower and builds a powerful “team brain.” Intellectual property and skill sets grown by a well-developed team are not easily replicated by competition.

Practices

Each team member is assigned the responsibility to develop and grow one or more core competencies. The list of team core competencies should not exceed five. The analogy is “inch wide and mile deep” rather than “mile wide and inch deep.” Core competency teams constitute a minimum of three people. This helps protect the intellectual property in the event a team member leaves. Core competency teams meet quarterly, or more frequently, to share learning with the other competency teams. This activity can be likened to connecting and filling silos of knowledge.

Outcomes

Teams that focus on creating and growing their intellectual capital set themselves on a high road, rarely traveled by the competition. They get to their destination quicker, safer and with greater ease than those traveling the conventional, well-traveled roads. Learning, growing and applying new knowledge to challenges and problems helps create happy and healthy brains.

Step #3 Align Team Member Strengths with Goals, Core Competencies and Activities

Discussion

Typically, one thinks about team member strengths in terms of subject matter expertise, skills, education, experience, leadership ability and enthusiasm. These are essential characteristics for all successful teams. Rarely are sensory and cognitive thinking strengths valued as important traits. Knowing how each team member’s brain is wired, how they think and how to leverage their brainpower is the missing link to connecting knowledge with team success. The following neuroscience principles explain sensory and cognitive thinking strengths.

Neuroscience Principles

1. Nearly every activity has combinations of sensory and cognitive thinking characteristics that define the “neuro-signatures” of the activity. Team members are more likely to engage, enjoy and perform better in work aligned with their brain strengths.

2. Each team member has unique ways to take in and process sensory information. These strengths affect work productivity, problem solving, decision making, learning and communicating.

3. Team members, exchanging information on each other’s sensory and cognitive thinking “wavelengths”, will understand each other more fully and obtain understanding in the minimum amount of time, thus, improving individual and team productivity. This activity also engenders greater respect and rapport.

Practices

Each team member’s sensory and cognitive thinking strengths are determined by using a reliable and statistically validated survey. Aligning team member brain pathways strengths and knowledge with the neuroscience signatures of the activity is a powerful way to create work assignments. As an example, a team member having Auditory (listening and crafting words) and Global (creative problem solving and seeing possibilities) strengths might be a good candidate for situations involving conflict and negotiation, supplier contracts, joint ventures and legal disputes.

Sensory Pathway Activities:

  • Visual: data entry, quality control observations, reading instructions, visual arts, design, proof-reading
  • Kinesthetic: hands-on activities, operating equipment and tools, physical action and movement, face-to-face interactions
  • Auditory: listening attentively, asking and answering questions, conflict resolution, crafting language, hearing tone of voice

 

Cognitive Thinking Pathway Activities:

  • Sequential: analysis, staying on-task, organization, logic, process and procedures, tactical, content, practical and realistic
  • Global: open-ended, multi-tasking, options and possibilities, systemic, exploratory, ideating, “big picture,” strategic, context
  • Integrated: a combination and near equal balance of Sequential and Global activities.

 

When each person’s sensory and cognitive thinking preferences are known, team members can communicate on each other’s “wavelength.”

  • Visual Learners Need: Visual media. Key written points. Pictures. Graphics. Images. Color. Clutter-free environment.
  • Kinesthetic Learners Need: Physical, hands-on experiences. Comfort. Freedom to move about. Frequent breaks.
  • Auditory Learners Need:Clarity of words. Attentive listening. Ability to ask questions. Quiet environment.
  • Sequential Thinkers (“left brain”) Need: Logic. Order. Particulars. Realism. Practicality. Data. Schedules. Content.
  • Global Thinkers (“right brain”) Need: Possibilities. Options. Generalities. Open-ended. Big Picture. Context.
  • Integrated Thinkers Need: A combination and balance of Sequential and Global communication methods.

 

Outcomes

Teams having achieved Steps 1 through 3 are experiencing phenomenal success. Goals are met and exceeded. Team members are engaged, having fun and can’t wait to get to work. Competition can’t figure out what this team is doing right. Customers are happy and loyal.

Step #4 Continuous Alignment, Learning and Improvements

Discussion

Even in light of high performance, the best teams and organizations seem to “burn out” and lose their competitive differentiation after a period of greatness. Why is this and what can be done to maintain the “razor’s edge?” Continuous alignment, learning and improvement are the keys to continuing patterns of success.

Neuroscience Principle

Your brain gets bored and lazy with the “same old thing” even if, at one time, the “same old thing” was great and wonderful. The brain needs new challenges, new experiences and new learning to operate at peak performance. Applying knowledge and taking action strengthens brain neuron pathways. The potential for neuronal growth is infinite due to the 100 billion neurons that grow multiple pathways to one another like an elaborate root system.

Practices

1. Continuously strengthen the mission and values of the organization

2. Create new and challenging goals for:

a. Core competencies

b. Customer needs

c. Individual and team development

3. Always, always, stay in touch with the customers, tracking their needs and wants. Anticipate their future needs so you are there when they need you.

4. Avoid studying the competition. This is a distraction. It is a better use of time and energy to focus on team performance, customer satisfaction and long-term customer needs. A danger of studying competition is evaluating their weaknesses; in doing so, you may be unconsciously building your own neuropathways around their weaknesses. If you do study the competition, be sure to clearly define their best practices and the patterns of behavior you want to replicate and improve upon for your team.

5. To avoid team members becoming stale, switch positions and establish coaches to continue raising the performance bar. Occasionally, let willing and able team members take leadership positions. Encourage team members to go on sabbaticals to learn, help other teams and be of service to others. Your team may become the spawning place for developing team leaders in your organization.

6. Strive to strengthen and add new core competencies. Learners should teach others as the ultimate way to learn. Subject matter experts and core competency carriers should oversee and coach others. The goal is to build and connect “knowledge silos.” A true learning team continuously builds knowledge, skills and competencies.

7. Embrace and welcome change, including team members moving on, new team members coming aboard and changing marketplace conditions.

Outcomes

Teams who practice continuous learning and improvement maintain the “razor’s edge.” It takes due diligence, focus and high energy to maintain “dream team” performance.

In conclusion, these neuroscience solutions will create, build and strengthen “dream team” performance. The four-step formula is:

1. Align team members with a clear and compelling mission, based on high integrity values that resonate and are important to each team player.

2. Define and build team core competencies as the engine for mission and goal success.

3. Align team members’ knowledge and brain strengths with the goals, core competencies and activities of the team.

4. Promote continuous alignment, learning and improvement.

These four steps may be the best and most advanced way to build superior and sustainable teams using neuroscience principles and leveraging the power of the brain.

 
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