2012 – Page 2 – The Brain Alchemist

Speaking magic: 5 brain-captivating principles to magnify your message

Whether you speak, present or teach, you may need some superpower infusions to combat short attention spans and the multitude of distractions we are all bombarded with in any given moment. Luckily, with the help of a few mind tricks, sprinkled with the current brain science pixie dust, you can turn your messages into attention-pulling magnets. Here are your five brain-captivating principles to craft magical as opposed to mixed messages.

1. Dare to care and show it. Passion is infectious. People want to feel and see passion. Our brains are social. We have a special set of neurons, called “mirror” neurons, to help us with our human connections. Neuroscientists are exploring whether the mirror neuron system in the brain is linked to empathy and enables us to better understand other people’s intentions, feelings, and emotions. Emotions spread across our social networks. When we smile at someone, chances are high that the person will smile back. Even yawning is contagious. If you are bored with your own topic, don’t expect your audience to jump up from their seats in excitement. In contrast, if you are passionate and your body language shows it, your audience will respond with emotion. Passion in the delivery of your message can even compensate for some deficiencies in your presentation. It is a magical ingredient!

2. Highlight presentation patterns. Your most important points will blaze brighter if they are set off properly. When you prepare your presentation, think about the patterns your presentation creates rather than the usual outline of the talk. Perhaps, we can borrow some magic from people with synesthesia, whose senses blend so that, for example, they may see colors or feel the texture of the letters they read. If your presentation were a tapestry you wove out of the threads of your stories and messages, what would it look like? Our brains thrive on patterns. They are wired to recognize patterns and make predictions, based on our previous learning and experiences. What patterns do you intend to create or break? You can make certain messages stand out by varying the flow of your presentation and using breaks, music, visuals, activities and pauses that can give your audience the opportunity to reflect and absorb the material. Define the white space in the structure of your presentation that makes the main points more visible and allows for the percolation of ideas to the surface.

3. Sync minds through storytelling. Nothing captivates the human brain more than a good story. Stories engage us on the emotional level. Experiences accompanied by strong emotions are more memorable. When the story resonates with the listener, the brains of the speaker and listener may synchronize, suggesting a deeper human connection. The best stories are co-created with your audience. Make sure your participants can see themselves in your story and can relate to the characters and their journeys. Your story can provide hooks for the participants to hang their own assumptions, beliefs, fears, and hopes. We all suffer from the so called the “egocentric bias” – we think we know better. Asking the audience to take perspectives of different characters in your story may help them overcome this bias and be more receptive to other points of view. The more your participants feel the ownership of the story, the more they become invested in its development and success.

4. Misdirect and provoke. At the core of every joke are frustrated expectations. Humor jolts the brain by planting predictions and then cleverly violating them. When we are surprised or caught off guard, we pay more attention. We want to make sense of the situation to feel more in control. Humor elevates our mood, and positive mood has been found to enhance creative problem solving. In addition to humor, good questions offer a way to provoke your participants into thinking differently. Use open-ended questions, which start with who, what, when, how, where to open possibilities. Ask people to offer examples or experiences that contradict their own current way of thinking. You can’t change other people’s minds, but you can “confuse” them enough that they might change their own.

5. Work behind the scenes to direct the spotlight. Our physical environment is a silent decision-maker that influences perceptions and judgment. Just like a magician can manipulate the scene to make the audience shift its attention to something while a watch disappears from the wrist of an unsuspecting volunteer, the presenter can use smells, colors, sounds, and textures to influence the moods and minds of the audience. For example, playing a piece of music while the audience gathers can set the mood for your presentation. A moderate-level of ambient noise (about 70 decibels) enhances creative problem-solving and may even lead to a greater adoption of innovative products. The smell of peppermint or rosemary can help people pay attention to details while lavender oil promotes relaxation. Cacao activates the production of endorphins that make us happy. I once attended the Rubin Museum of Art Brainwave series, in which neuroscientist David Linden talked about his book “The Compass of Pleasure” while master chocolatier Jacques Torres provided the audience with his mouthwatering chocolate samples. (You can watch the video here, alas no chocolates.) Thus, the cognitive pursuit of pleasure was magnified by the gustatory pursuit. Create a multisensory experience for your audience, and it will make your messages more memorable.

What is your favorite mind trick to get a point across?

By Anastasia Pryanikova| 2012-05-24T20:40:04+00:00 May 24th, 2012|Communication, Public Speaking|1 Comment

Launching “The Golden Climate” of Your Online Presence

We are all geographically unbound, mobile, and busier than ever. It is not surprising that a lot of our communication happens now long-distance or virtually – via the phone, Skype, email, texts, social media, etc. The same applies to learning and sharing our knowledge and solutions with our clients and customers. The Internet is no longer just the cherry on top of our professional brands, it is one of the main ingredients. Yet, online communication is not easy. Brains don’t just have to link, they also need to sync.

If you have ever thought about sharing your expertise online through information products or online courses or looked for ways to transcend virtual distance and understand how attention and emotions work in the cyberspace, I have some good news for you. My friend and colleague of many years, back from our days at the graduate program in Linguistics, Dr. Marina Kostina and her co-author Dr. William LaGanza wrote a book, titled “The Golden Climate in Distance Learning: The Secrets of Immediate Connection, Engagement, Enjoyment, and Performance.”

The book is a guide to your effective online presence as a teacher, trainer, and an educator. It shows you how to get learners’ attention, be genuine and present online, develop rapport and provide effective feedback, create the optimal learning environment, design effective presentations and use games to increase learner performance, and also how to manage your own time and enjoy your virtual classroom, among many other things.

This book is for serious online instructors and trainers. It is well researched and engaging. In fact, Dr. Marina Kostina’s Ph.D. dissertation was about that same topic of creating effective online engagement and learning experience. She backs it up with her practical expertise of building distance learning programs in over 40 countries. Dr. William LaGanza publishes regularly in the areas of learner autonomy and distance learning. His company has spearheaded many leadership and management development applications. In addition, the book includes a number of expert interviews from a variety of fields. I am honored to be one of the professionals interviewed for the book on the topic on conflict management in virtual classrooms.

To be an effective online educator may require a shift from the traditional approaches and misconceptions about learning:

The Golden Climate therefore is not a substance that can be measuredby the amount of messages you post online, or by your time log. When you build relationships with others that support growth and autonomy while creating a sense of connection, i.e., when you build the Golden Climate, you must also be receptive to the intentions and dispositions of other people and negotiate your interactions based on these dynamics. Willing yourself to be a great teacher online will not get you to your goal. If you want to create a welcoming classroom, you must BE welcoming, not just apply welcoming strategies. If you want your students to feel comfortable sharing their ideas and thoughts online, you must BE the person who is comfortable with such sharing. If you want your students to enjoy your class, you must BE enjoying it too. Therefore, your role online changes from the giver of knowledge or “doing” to providing emotional support, building connections, and feeling the dynamics of the classroom: i.e., your role shifts to the realm of being. Certainly, if you have been teaching in a traditional way, where your role is to be authoritarian and detached and to transmit knowledge, this new way of seeing yourself requires a paradigm shift — a process that is not easily implemented and that takes time. The successful engagement, autonomy, enjoyment, and performance of your students depends on your making this shift.

We are doing the book launch on May 8, 2012 to spread the word. For more details on the book launch and how you can get a bonus e-book and have your name entered to win a Kindle, with the book purchase, click HERE.

[UPDATE] Well-deserved!

By Anastasia Pryanikova| 2012-05-08T20:48:44+00:00 May 7th, 2012|Books, Communication, Conflict Management, Learning|0 Comments

The A’s, D’s and R’s of ADR

The author of today’s post is our guest blogger Tricia Lewis. While completing her post-graduate studies at Durham College, Tricia was involved in establishing the Campus Conflict Resolution Service. This service allowed for her to further develop her skills as a Mediator, whereby she participated in on-campus group facilitations and mediations. Moreover, she has training to deal with issues of Bullying, At-Risk Youth and Safe Schools Awareness. Since completing her post-graduate certificate in Mediation/Alternative Dispute Resolution at Durham College last year, where she developed a strong foundation in Alternative Dispute Resolution, Negotiation and Conflict Analysis, Tricia Lewis has become an active member of the ADR community.

Moreover, from her four-year Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Paralegal Studies, Tricia developed a core foundation of understanding and applying legal principles and practices. And with over five years experience in the legal field, spanning across multiple practice areas, Tricia has been able to use her knowledge and experience and apply it to her focused civil mediation practice.

Social media forums have truly become a great avenue for connection and sharing ideas and information. In recent group discussion on Twitter, that evolved from @Lawsagna’s “Games of Conflict”, @BenZiegler, @CINERGYCoaching and myself @TriciaLewis creatively collected words that embodied characteristics of the term Alternative Dispute Resolution. This being achieved by selecting words that started with either an A, D or R.

For the A’s, the words crafted were: access or accessible, acknowledgment, appropriate, alternatives, and accountability.

For the D’s, the words put-forth were: decision, detail, dissect, dialogue, discovery, dynamic and design.

For the R’s of ADR, the group mentioned the following words: rules, roles, ramifications, rewards, and resilience.

From these selected words, a full thesis could be produced to provide a detailed historical analysis linking its relevance to the field of ADR, however, for this purpose, a simple review of how each word fits neatly into the broad-spectrum of dispute resolution practices should suffice.

When we think of a dispute, from inception to dissolution/resolution, each of the terms selected by the group of mediators are applicable at one or more points in the stages of mediation. The basis stages of mediation commonly known are as follows: Pre-mediation consultation, Mediation and Post-mediation/resolution.

Each of these stages having sub-categories and key-points to the process and procedures of standard mediation practices. Using the words gathered through the on-line group discussion, below I have identified the stage of mediation where each of these terms would be most applicable. However, each word is not absolute characteristic of a specific stage in mediation process, as mediation in itself is a very fluid form of ADR.

The words access or accessible, discovery, design, rules and roles are applicable to the first stage of mediation. They are intrinsic to conflict resolution; recognizing the issues, setting the ground-rules, and trouble-shooting for early solutions. Most importantly identifying who the players and decision-makers in the process. Acknowledgment, accountability, dialogue, detail, dissect and dynamic are words that would best meet the characteristics of the second stage of the mediation process. At this stage, the parties are generally engaged in the process, and there is desire amongst them to work to resolve the conflict. The conflict is broken down into its various issues, attempts are made to truly see the other person’s perspective and brain-storming options for a solution. And lastly, alternatives, decision, detail, ramifications, resilience and rewards are words that correspond to the parameters of the last stage of mediation. This stage concludes the efforts put forth by all parties involved and mediator; finalizing the information brought forward by the parties and the methodology used to arrive at a decision and the documentation thereof.

Generally speaking, we can find words to describe or put to mind the context of an issue, but in the end it’s how the word is applied that matters to the disputants. The perspective. The application of words to provide context to a situation may invariably be the commencement and conclusion of any conflict.

By Anastasia Pryanikova| 2012-04-22T18:25:20+00:00 April 22nd, 2012|Conflict Management|0 Comments

The Game of Conflict: Rules, Reactions, Roles, Ramifications, and Rewards.

Sometimes Twitter randomness can spark an idea that is worth exploring beyond 140 characters. Reading “A different way to game,” in which developer Jason Rohrer explains how video games can be used to challenge our perceptions of the world, followed by a Twitter conversation with @TriciaLewis, @idealawg, @CINERGYCoaching and @BenZiegler, led me to ponder a question of approaching conflict as a game.

When we say someone “is playing games,” it typically has a negative connotation of manipulating people. Yet, I would argue that every conflict has a game in it. Games excite the brain because they offer novelty, control, rituals, status enhancement and rewards – all things that our brains like. The game of conflict has its own components:

Rules are patterns of human behavior that can be either consciously encouraged or implicitly assumed by the participants in conflict. Rules are fundamental because our brains work like prediction machines, recognizing patterns, making predictions, and fine-tune expectations to better fit the outcomes. Clashing sets of rules increase the likelihood of tensions and misunderstandings. Parties may not even be aware of the patterns that govern their interactions as those patterns may be coping strategies or learned responses that are subconscious and automatic. Examples of such rules may be “Withdraw when feel offended” or “Defend the need to be perfect.” To manage conflict effectively, parties need to uncover those implicit rules and negotiate new more productive forms of engagement.

Rules prompt parties’ specific reactions. For example, the rule “Defend the need to be perfect” may cause someone to dismiss valuable critique or play safe and avoid challenging assignments. Reactions are observable while rules may not be obvious. In order to change their reactions, parties may have to become aware of the underlying rules first.

Playing by the rules often leads parties to assume certain roles, such as the victim, aggressor, skeptic, conformist, rebel, etc. The longer we play a particular role, the more familiar it becomes. Parties develop scripts and expectations around the roles they play. Their identities and the sense of self may become inseparable from their roles.

Parties’ behavior patterns in conflict have ramifications, or negative consequences. Damaged relationships, poor workplace morale and performance, personal unhappiness, and social isolation are all examples of ramifications in the game of conflict. Parties rarely choose these consequences on purpose, but they cannot disengage from them as long as the dysfunctional patterns continue.

Every repeated behavior also has its rewards. Anger or aggression, no matter how damaging, may be used as a way to gain autonomy and control. Assuming the mindset of a perpetual victim may absolve the party of the need to take responsibility for the situation or to change. It is important to understand what we gain from a pattern if we want to change it. Immediate gains are more appealing to the brain than long-term benefits. Parties may have to look for better ways to get the same benefits or trade the immediate reward for a different benefit.

The conflict management process allows parties to examine each component of the game of conflict and develop a new game with the desired goals and new behavior patterns in mind. The template of rules, reactions, roles, ramifications, and rewards can also be used in conflict management training to design conflict simulations and … games, of course.

What game components do you see in conflicts?

By Anastasia Pryanikova| 2012-03-28T18:29:10+00:00 March 28th, 2012|Change, Communication, Conflict Management|0 Comments

10 ways to gamify your thinking to make it better

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“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.”
~ Plato

Have you ever played with kaleidoscopes – those tubes of mirrors with colorful beads? You turn and shake them, and the stones form different patterns, reflecting off the mirrors. Our minds can be like kaleidoscopes. We receive the same pieces of information, but they get reflected off the mirrors of our experiences, attitudes, beliefs, and form our own, unique patterns of understanding. We can use play to shake up some old patterns and beliefs that no longer serve us to improve our thinking and decision-making.

Play delights the brain. Some neuroscientists believe that play is a central part of neurological growth and development. Play allows children to build complex, skilled, responsive, socially adept, and cognitively flexible brains. Play has also been identified as one of the primal emotional systems of animals through brain stimulation. Many believe adults can also benefit from play as a way to boost creativity, imagination, and decision-making.

As adults we become overly concerned with the opinions of others. The fear of embarrassment and social rejection inhibits our creative expression. Play can relax the brain and make it easier for us to take risks and experiment. Play helps us prepare for the unexpected and produce a more diverse repertory of behavior. When we play, a part of the brain that is involved in self-restraint and evaluation – the inner critic – is powered down, allowing for a fuller expression.

Through role playing, we can put ourselves into different kinds of experiences, learn to better understand other perspectives, and cultivate empathy. Finally, play is also a ritual with its sets of rules and scripts. As with any ritual, play sets expectations for a certain kind of behavior and prompts the brain to give commands in accordance with these expectations. Here is how you can gamify your thinking to make it better:

Connect the dots to solve your life’s puzzles. Scan your past for repeating behavior patterns, causes and effects. Learning is the anchor of our experiences, both good and bad. Without it, we are just drifting through life.
Remove the invisibility cloak: you can’t change what you can’t see. Develop self-awareness. Pay attention to context.
Play hopscotch with your own stream of thoughts: know where to land and what to overlook.
Master Jeopardy: your power lies in the questions you ask. The answer is always closer than you think.
Find your good luck charm. The belief anchored in a symbolic object may cause you to perform better. The power of suggestion makes the brain respond as if it were true, triggering a placebo effect.
Be a storyteller. Nothing captivates a human brain more than a good story. Stories engage us on the emotional level. Experiences accompanied by strong emotions are more memorable. When the story resonates with the listener, the brains of the speaker and listener may synchronize, suggesting a deep human connection.
Use a box to think “outside the box.” Acting out creativity metaphors makes us more creative.
Think on your feet, literally. Let your body guide you when you need to make a decision. If you experience muscle tension, a “pit” in stomach, or a sudden headache, perhaps, your body is telling you that you are moving in a wrong direction.
Play dress-up. Clothing affects not only other people’s perception of us, but also our own thoughts. For example, if you need to pay more attention to detail, you may want to don a scientist’s white lab coat.
Sharpen your thinking through doodling. Doodle, sketch, illustrate your ideas. Pictures are easier for the brain to process and remember. Get inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci’s illustrated to-do list.

By Anastasia Pryanikova| 2012-03-01T18:23:37+00:00 March 1st, 2012|Change, Creativity, Peak Performance, Perception|2 Comments