Spark Your Spatial Brain for Viral Change!

We all develop favorite routines! Have you selected a place for pens, paperclips and stapler in or on your desk? Interestingly, Harvard researchers have located a place in your brain that attaches meaning to the way we choose to organize pens, paperclips and stapler. But what happens when you move these old standbys to a new location? What difference does it make if you change?

“Learning new categories,” Harvard neurobiologist, Freedman, says, "can cause dramatic and long-lasting changes in brain activity." Harvard Medical School researchers recently identified an area of the brain where such memories are found. They learned neuron activity in the parietal cortex encodes category and meaning of familiar visual images. Brain activity patterns actually changed dramatically as a result of learning something new. Here’s how…

You and I were not born with a built-in ability to sort out categories such as, computer, legal pad or business card. We attach meaning to objects through our visual experience. We make sense of these by categorizing sights and sounds around us. For example, if someone shows you a new gadget such as a French Press, and both explains and demonstrates how to use it, your brain categorizes memory of the process as it links to the object.

In launching this research, Freedman and Assad taught monkeys to play a simple computer game in which the monkeys grouped sets of visual motion patterns into one of two categories. They monitored neuron activity in the parietal cortex and the middle temporal area, while monkeys played this game. Interestingly, the experiments show parietal neuron activity mirrored monkeys' decisions about categorizing the two visual patterns. On the other hand, differences in the visual appearance among the set of motion patterns affected neurons in the middle temporal area, but category membership was not encoded here.

Over several weeks, researchers retrained the monkeys to group the same visual patterns into two new categories. Parietal cortex activity was completely reorganized as a result of this retraining and visual patterns were encoded the according to newly introduced categories. Thus, changing a routine activates your working memory.

So what? What difference does this make to a business leader? By activating our visual or spatial intelligence in new ways we rewire our brain. In so doing we bring fresh perspectives to work “traditions” and can create viral success.

Why not try mind mapping to spark change? Rather than use computerized versions, I suggest you dig into the resources of your noodle. Here’s one way to launch…

1. Imagine something in nature that represents jumpstarting a “stuck” tradition.

2. Draw the image in the middle of a paper

3. Jot down single words quickly that describe what you’d rather see happening. As words come to your mind surround your image with them [By doing this quickly you’ll be surprised what your subconscious or “gut” delivers!]

4. Reflect to edit and change words so they give you a sense of “Where to from here?” [If necessary transfer to fresh paper.]

5. Connect words to your image with lines

6. Enhance by

highlighting priorities and important points with specific colors
adding pictures or graphics to words
assigning codes such as asterisks, exclamation points, letters, and numbers to show relationship between concepts and further organize your map

In Thinking for a Change, business leader, Michael Gelb, lists six advantages for Mind Mapping:

Synergy Mind Mapping integrates the "left-brained" aspects of our mind's functioning-logical, language, mathematical reasoning, attention to detail, ordering, and analysis-with the more "right-brained" elements dimension, rhythm, color, picture, symbols, imagination, and synthesis. Mind Mapping "rescues" these "right brain" elements, previously relegated to the realm of doodling and daydreaming, making them a productive part of our planning and problem-solving.

Speed Mind Mapping's non-hierarchical, networked format makes it much easier to get started and to generate more ideas in less time.

Seeing the big picture Mind Mapping lets you see all your ideas on one sheet of paper, making it easier to see the "big picture." Codes, symbols, colors and arrows allow you to highlight relationships and see connections, thereby encouraging "systems thinking." Putting your ideas in images and symbols awakens the power of visualization.

Fun Mind Mapping makes the process of crafting a vision, mission, plan or values statement lively, colorful, and fun.

Broad participation and ease of communication Mind Mapping makes it easy for people without MBAs and PhDs to think strategically, while enabling MBAs and PhDs to attune to reality and think creatively.

Memorability Pictures, colors, and key words are easy to remember. A properly constructed Mind Map is almost impossible to forget. Many groups frame the Mind Maps generated in collaborative sessions and hang them on their office walls to provide daily inspiration.

OK, if you’ve never used spatial intelligence to spark change, why not give it a try! Let me know your viral results.