Posts tagged ‘performance’

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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 8, 2011

Practical Neuroscience Approach to Personal Mastery

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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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October 12, 2011

X-Ray Vision? No, but Try These Tips to Strengthen Your Real Visual Pathway Powers

X-Ray Vision

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What would it be like if you could tap into and leverage your visual powers to improve performance in any area of your life, see what other people may miss and create innovative solutions to life challenges? This is not science fiction; it’s practical neuroscience that can be accomplished by anyone with an open and willing mind.

Your visual cortex is the largest, and perhaps the most underutilized, system in your brain. It’s responsible for processing and giving meaning to visual information. The primary visual cortex is located in the back of your brain in two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex. The left hemisphere visual cortex receives signals from your right eye and the right visual cortex from your left eye. Thinking visually, with your eyes closed, activates a kaleidoscope of imagery, color, symbols, pattern recognition and pictures to help you remember what was seen and to access your inner world of imagination. This basic practical neuroscience information frames the experiential exercises and ideas presented below.

“Eyes Open” Strategies

These ideas strengthen your visual acuity and give you enhanced perspective to catch information you may have been missing.

Strengthening Your Visual Powers:

  • Select something visually interesting – a photograph, magazine, ad or written material. Look at it intently for 30 seconds and lay it aside. Say aloud or write down everything you remember – message, color, images and details. Look at the material again and see how accurate you were. Repeat the process many times. After you experience improvement, ask some of your friends to engage in the exercise and discover if more improvement is possible.
    • Select a page of written text or something you find interesting. Rotate the page so that you are looking at it upside down. Focus on the images and words. Say aloud what you see. See how proficient you can be reading and looking at things upside down.

Balancing Your Hemispheres and Curing “Lazy Eye”

  • Point your right or left thumb upwards and make a large sweeping “figure 8” pattern. Follow the pattern with your eyes for about 7 to 11 rotations, then change rotation direction. This method will help balance your hemispheres and alleviate “lazy eye” that comes from staring or fixating on a visual pattern. It helps people read quicker and with greater ease.
  • Play or observe live rapid eye-hand coordination sports like table tennis, volley ball and badminton.

Improving Reading Focus and Retention

  • Try placing different colors of transparency films over what you are reading. Red may perk up your energy level; blue may calm you down. Experiment and discover the effects on focus, concentration and memory. This may be the break-through you are looking for if you have a child struggling with reading.

“Eyes Closed” Strategies

Accessing Your Hemisphere of Choice

Retina eye positions connect to different portions of your brain through the optic nerve. You can access and focus on your visual, auditory and kinesthetic pathways by controlling where you are looking, even when your eyes are closed. When you look upward, you are connecting with your visual cortex. The lateral, side-to-side direction connects with your ability to remember and recall or create something new and different. The methods below may need to be reversed for some left handed people or the small percentage of right handed people with reverse wiring.

  • Keeping your eyes closed, move them upwards and to the left as you are thinking about something you want to remember. (e.g. “What did I wear yesterday?” “What’s the answer to this test question?”) Ask yourself silently or aloud what it is that you want to remember and see on your internal screen.
  • Move your eyes upwards to the right as you create something new or when searching for a new perspective. (e.g. “Where do I see myself on my 2-week vacation?” “What does my ideal job look like?”) Ask yourself, silently or aloud, what you want to see as possibilities and options on your internal screen.

Attaining Performance Excellence

The brain does not know the difference between actually doing something in the physical world and practicing it     in your “mind’s eye.” This is a well known method used by world class athletes to practice their techniques and  sharpen their performance.

  • The first step is to observe and study role models of performance excellence. This can be in any field of endeavor that interests you, including sports, public speaking, teaching, parenting, leadership and hands-on professions like medicine.
  • The next step involves getting relaxed, comfortable and closing your eyes. Imagine doing what your role model does when performing. Imagine observing a movie screen with you acting out a performance in which you excel. Incorporate your role model’s state-of-mind, resoluteness, values and intention, as you know them. Practice sessions should last as long as you are comfortable and not straining. Be patient, as early sessions may only last a couple of minutes before you get tired.  Repetition builds and strengthens the neuro-patterns for the new behaviors. Strive for 30-40 sessions, or more, lasting 5-7 minutes each.
  • You will be amazed and delighted to see your outer-world performance improve as you implement this technique and practice in your inner-world. This can be a continuous, lifelong process to get you primed and prepared before public speaking, playing your favorite sport or performing your daily work.

In conclusion, your brain is truly the most miraculous mass of protoplasm in the known universe. Your visual cortex is the largest operating system in your brain and has potential to enhance your life experiences beyond your wildest dreams. You can utilize its powers with your eyes open or closed. The eyes-closed potential may be the most exciting because you are exploring the infinite realms of possibility instead of your immediate field of vision in the outer world.

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September 14, 2011

Three Blessings of Perception to Navigate Life’s Choices

Blind men and an elephant

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When you think about the myriad decisions you have to make each day, you may want an expanded, intelligent basis for making better choices. Understanding and leveraging the three blessings of perception may be the best way to navigate life’s decisions and achieve the outcomes you desire. The alternative is being told what to do by others and/or making poor choices impulsively, without thinking things through.

There are infinite levels of perception and choice when it comes to understanding and applying the principles behind the three blessing of perception. The classic story of the “blind men and an elephant” illustrates the need for open-mindedness to understand different perspectives and comprehend the basis of choice. The story also provides insight into the relativity of perception and the nature of truth.

The theme is that a group of blind men are instructed to touch an elephant to learn what it is like. Each blind man feels a different part and they compare notes. One feels the tusk and says it’s a pipe, another feels the tail and says it’s a rope; the one who touches the leg says it’s a pillar; still another, who feels the belly, says it’s a wall and so on. They learn that their experiences differ greatly. After intense and heated disagreement, a wise King explains that all the blind men are right because they touched different parts of the elephant and the elephant possesses all the characteristics described. In actuality, the blind men came to know much more about the nature of an elephant that most people from the entire process. They focused on one aspect and shared their perspectives to construct a more expansive picture with the help of the King. They not only knew about the content of an elephant, they also came to know the essence and context of an elephant. The combination of this knowledge becomes, metaphorically, significant and valuable.

The three blessing of perception are:

Humility

Recognize that there is more going on around you than you perceive. You cannot possibly collect enough accurate observations and data to form a complete picture of anything. The awareness of this truth opens your mind to ask revealing questions, helps you go beyond first impressions and encourages you to investigate the perceptions of others. Remember the story about the blind men and the elephant.

Relative Perception

Everything is a continuum of infinite relativities. One person may say 100° Fahrenheit is hot, but a steel maker will say that 1,000° Fahrenheit is not hot enough to melt all the metallic ingredients to make the desired alloy. A mother may say that standing on the third rung of a stepladder is too high and scary, but an astronaut on the moon may say she wants the exhilaration of going still higher.

Mother Teresa gave selfless service to the hungry, poor and sick people on the streets of Bombay; a bank robber may value stealing from others and then decide to give it up and move to the next level of being a responsible citizen.  Each person here is evolving to higher levels of values and behavior. The point is that everyone is doing the best they can in their environment, given their state-of-mind and available knowledge. The moral of these examples is to suspend judgment of others and to focus on your own life. Suspend judgment of yourself as well and move on to the next level of being the best person you can be.

Trust in Your Trusted Advisors

Sometimes you simply have not lived long enough to accumulate adequate experiences from which to draw wisdom in certain situations. You can, however, use knowledge of other people’s struggles, failures and successes as a basis for making better personal decisions.

Trusted advisors are not necessarily people who have made all the right choices. Great lessons can be learned from people who have made poor decisions and failed. Also, select people you admire and ask yourself what they would do in the situation. These may be people you interact with in your daily life or familiar individuals whose stories and lessons you can learn and absorb from great books, magazines, newspaper articles, movies, lectures and talks, internet or television.

In summary, the three blessing of perception lead to highest levels of making decisions, solving problems and living the best life possible. Humility added to recognizing the relativity of everything and tapping into the experiences of others is a sure-fire formula for continuous learning and raising the bar for a more prosperous, peaceful and fulfilling life.

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September 8, 2011

Performance Strategies For Kinesthetic Learners

Heavy equipment in use

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People who have Kinesthetic as their primary and strongest sensory preference for learning, receiving information and performing work tasks comprise 59% of the population. You can add another 30% of the population who have Kinesthetic as their secondary, or back-up, sensory pathway. This adds up to a whopping 89% of the population that relies on Kinesthetic processing as their primary or secondary pathway to learn, make decisions, solve problems and perform at high levels.

Kinesthetic Strengths

Kinesthetic learners remember and work best using hands-on activities, movement, action and touch. They enjoy moving into immediate physical action and have an instinctive feel of people and situations. They generally thrive on the positive feeling of moving projects and initiatives forward. Kinesthetic learners, having Visual as a primary or secondary pathway strength, are potentially good at operating equipment and repairing/maintaining/building things, due to their “eye-hand” skill set. Surgeons, dentists, airline pilots, equipment operators and similar professions rely on their Kinesthetic pathway strengths to perform at high levels. Imagine the consequences if a dentist lost focus and became physically awkward and clumsy when doing a root canal.

Kinesthetic Strategies

These strategies and risk management guidelines are based on practical neuroscience principles involving sensory and cognitive pathways strengths and “blind spots.” They help you perform at high levels of excellence and minimize mistakes and costly accidents.

  • Physical Comfort

You must be physically comfortable and be relatively free of physical ailments or pain to perform at maximal levels. Otherwise, your brain will be distracted by your physical condition rather than the Kinesthetic movements and manipulations you need to employ to do your job properly. It is best to take care of physical body needs before engaging in high-risk Kinesthetic activities.

  • Ability to Move Freely

It’s essential that you have the ability to move about freely, without any physical impediments that can get in your way, to accomplish your Kinesthetic activities. The workplace must be clean and free of clutter with no possibility of slipping, falling or bumping into something, while performing.

  • Functional and Available Tools and Equipment

It’s likely that you will need hands-on equipment to accomplish your Kinesthetic activities. This may be as simple and safe as a computer or Fax machine, or potentially dangerous like a chain saw, laser knife, plasma torch, car or airplane. Your tools may be an extensive set of tools, meters or surgical equipment. Regardless of whether you are driving a vehicle, writing a proposal, inputting data, assembling something or doing  complex eye-hand activities, it’s essential that your equipment and tools are in tip-top operating condition. Everything you require needs to be within line-of-sight and comfortable reach. Otherwise, time will be lost and you risk physical awkwardness and clumsiness as you access your equipment and tools.

  • Conducive Environment

Lighting must be adequate for the activity. It’s usually best to work in a cool, yet comfortable temperature to remain alert, awake and focused. Clean water should be available to refresh and oxygenate oneself to maintain high levels of brain function.

  • Avoid Stress and Distractions

Any form of stress or worry has the potential to shift your focus away from what you have to do. Your state-of-mind must be positive and resourceful to achieve maximal performance. This strategy applies to anything you engage in, not just Kinesthetic activities. When doing Kinesthetic/Visual activities (“eye-hand” coordination) it is best to work in a quiet and interruption free environment. A loud noise or sound can startle you and cause an unexpected and unintended body movement that could spell disaster.

In conclusion, imagine the safety and productivity implications of 89% of the population having Kinesthetic as their primary or secondary sensory pathway strength. The practical neuroscience strategies provided help people work safer and get more done in less time.

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September 6, 2011

Unleash Your Genius with Mind Mapping

Mind map of the mind map guidlines.

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Mind mapping is a powerful and underutilized whole brain system to solve problems, make decisions, develop plans, accelerate learning and communicate effectively with others. It’s faster, more fun and covers more bases than traditional outlining methods.

Mind mapping is widely acknowledged as being developed by British psychology author and brain researcher, Tony Buzan. His mind mapping contributions are an integrated approach, combining key words, visual images and symbols into a free-flowing “tree” emanating from a central idea, concept or subject area. “Trunks, branches and leaves” are the associated key points forming the “tree.” The process ends with a logical element of analysis and alignment.  Other practitioners of mind mapping are Nancy Margulies (author and visual mapping artist) and Michael Gelb (author of How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci).

The core concepts and methodology of mind mapping are well grounded and supported by practical neuroscience. The system taps into the visual cortex that constitutes a large percentage of the brain’s neurons. Mind mapping uses the brain’s imagination, natural curiosity and logical thinking powers. Most people are amazed at how quickly the system captures their ideas, stimulates creativity and formulates practical and realistic solutions to complex problems.

Despite what you may think, mind mapping doesn’t require artistic abilities. Anyone can mind map. Willingness to engage in the following simple and practical neuroscience methodology is the primary requirement to get started.

Materials

Start with a large piece of paper; flip chart paper is ideal. Use colored pens, pencils or crayons. Purchase colored stickers depicting shapes, images and symbols that appeal to you and pertain to the subject matter. These will give your mind map artistic qualities without requiring artistic skill.

Methodology

1. Start In The Middle: Draw a circle or oval with the subject or key concept in the middle of the page. You can use a symbol, image, or key word. Even a small photograph works fine.

2. Employ Key Words: Single key words are preferred over phases and short sentences. This may take a little patience and practice at first. Developing the ability to think in key words pays dividends because they are content rich, easy to remember and activate other key word concepts. “Strings” of associated key words eventually describe the context of a situation and the pathways to the insights, solutions and your desired outcomes. Key words are powerful catalysts for both creative and practical thinking. Effective use of key words is a competence worth cultivating.

a. Print your strongest concept key words on lines (to form the “trunks of the tree”) emanating from your subject in the middle of the page. As an example, if you are mind mapping your business, start with words like “PURPOSE,” “CUSTOMERS,” “CONCERNS” and “GOALS.” Be sure to use only one key word per line. Utilize color, images and symbols. This is where your stickers may be a handy aid. Stick figures and other simple, hand-drawn symbols work well.

b. Your key words will stimulate other key words aligned with central ideas. As an example “CONCERNS” may trigger new key words like “FINANCING,” “COMPETITION,” and “LICENSING;” these become new lines (e.g. “branches”) emanating from the “CONCERNS” line. These key words will create another chain or sequence of key words that become more new lines (e.g. “leaves”).  Again, always use color and images to depict and add meaning to your key words. It is best to print your key words.

3. Let It Flow and Go: Spontaneity, imagination and “big picture thinking” are the operative words when mind mapping during this early creative stage. Move as quickly as you can to fill out your page. Go wherever you want. This is not the place or time to be logical and sequential. If you get “writer’s block” with any string of associated key words, move to another key word “trunk” or “branch” that catches your eye and add key words that come to mind. Continue until you feel you have more than enough ideas to work with.

4. Analyze and Align: Take a break and rest awhile before you come back to analyze and align the results of your imaginative, free-association stage. This is the part of the process that will utilize your sequential, analytical and logical powers. Look for themes, patterns and relationships between the “trunks, branches and leaves.” Align and connect parts of your “tree,” using more lines, arrows, symbols and key words to give it additional meaning and provide the outcomes for which you are looking. You may also select what you think are the most relevant parts and eliminate the ones that seem unimportant.

5. Redraw Mind Map: Depending on the application, you may want to redraw your mind map and sequence the key ideas and concepts with numbers in a clockwise manner. This may be appropriate for communication and training purposes or for your use as a daily learning and memory aid to building a business or implementing a significant project.

In summary, mind mapping will reveal and unleash the genius within by utilizing the power of your visual cortex, imagination and logical thinking for planning, learning, solving problems and communicating with others. You have nothing to lose except the opportunity to directly experience the power of your brain to leapfrog your life forward.

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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 23, 2011

Danger Signs That You May Be at Risk for First Round Job Layoffs

"Termination Agreements"

Image by rynosoft via Flickr

Are you concerned about your job security? A simple and quick assessment helps determine your probability of being caught in the first round of downsized employees. It also indicates whether your job may be in jeopardy, when layoffs are not imminent.With this warning in mind, you can use practical neuroscience methods and take positive action to improve your job security and fulfillment.

Danger Signs Assessment

The premise is that when slumping sales and profits drive an organization to lay off a percentage of a department or its general workforce, there are logical and fair criteria for who leaves and who stays. The danger sign statements pertain to your attitude, performance and relationships, as perceived by management. They do not take into account politics, discrimination and other non-integrous factors.

  • I am unhappy in my work
  • Some co-workers know that I am unhappy with my job and/or my employer
  • My body language, facial expressions and tone-of-voice may be telegraphing my negative feelings
  • I am experiencing fear, anxiety and uncertainty about my future
  • My spouse and family share my concerns and challenges
  • I have difficulty staying focused, engaged and interested
  • I don’t seem to get as many things accomplished as my co-workers
  • I make three or more mistakes a week that I notice and correct myself
  • I make one or more mistakes a week that others call to my attention
  • I experience communication problems with two or more people at work

If you cannot relate to these statements and experience polar opposites, your chances for long-term job security are greatly in your favor.

Practical Neuroscience of Danger Signs

All of these danger signs have practical neuroscience underpinnings. Therefore, there are neuroscience solutions for each issue. The overarching principle involves alignment of:

  • Your sensory and cognitive strengths with your work activities
  • Your sensory and cognitive communication “transmitting” style with the “receiving” styles of co-workers

Each person has their unique sequence of sensory preferences, comprised of combinations of Kinesthetic, Visual and Auditory. Further, people have cognitive inclinations for working, solving problems and making decisions; Global thinkers prefer the “big picture” and using their imagination, whereas Sequential thinkers prefer logic and order. Great results and outcomes occur when a person’s brain strengths are aligned with what they have to do and the strengths of the people with whom they interact.

In summary, alignment corrects each of the danger signs and exponentially increases your probability of being happy, productive and fulfilled. Further, you will experience good rapport with your boss and co-workers. Alignment positions you on the safe list, as a valued employee. Alignment and leveraging your brain strengths for improved productivity and relationships are powerful, practical differentiators for career success.For practical neuroscience solutions to improve your chances of surviving first round layoffs, discover your brain strengths with the Brain PathWays online assessment and report.

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