Reflect to Adjust and Change

Each of us does a lot of thinking daily, but some are more effective than others. "We all think about our own thoughts, feelings and decisions," Dr Steve Fleming of UK's University of London notes. "Even if we don't get feedback when we make a choice, we often know intuitively if it's a good or a bad decision," Fleming adds. Ever think about your own thinking?

Introspection, or deep reflection differs from decision-making or learning, which can be assessed by measuring improvement in the performance of a task, or whether choices are made correctly.

On the other hand, it would be hard for others to judge your reflective acumen since they may not necessarily see outward signs of improvement.

Want more intrapersonal intelligence? Dr. Ellen Weber, CEO of The MITA Brain Center, provides insights you can use to improve yours.

Leaders need intuitive brainpower for better decisions, common sense for keen insights, contentment in your own company, simple ability to laugh more on a busy day. Thanks to neurogenesis, we now know these intrapersonal traits (that grow novel leadership) also increase with use. Panic a bit too fast? Feel sidelined a bit too much? Run from risks or new adventures? Grow sad when others celebrate family ties without you? Leaders who enjoy a heaping dose of intrapersonal smarts, add contentment and turn tough challenges (such as attack from another) into opportunities to move forward without sinking.

Interestingly, people strong in intrapersonal intelligence have a bigger associated area in the brain.

You'll find additional insights about building courage, values, curbing anger, common sense, and coping in toxic work environments.

What if... and where to from here? Be the person you most want to be as you increase reflective wisdom to adjust and change.

Experience Stimulating Conversations?

Rich conversations tickle the mind and challenge us to think in new ways.  Questions prime the well of ideas within the mind. Sharing insights from our knowledge and experience builds on others' contributions, and the bigger picture takes shape. People start considering solutions to a problem differently than when they first joined us.  Or, all of us learn more about why a person thinks as s/he does. 

Challenging exchanges of ideas might be just about life, philosophical in nature, show concern for worldwide issues or concerning latest science and technological innovations. Or it may be meeting new people and listening to what makes them tick.  Have you been engaged in a conversation lately that you hated to end because it was so fascinating?  Stimulation does not come by talking about the weather.

One of the reasons I love collaborating with Dr. Ellen Weber is that conversations we have about ideas keep me thinking and researching for hours.  Ellen has an uncanny ability to turn ideas upside down.  I suggested  that we extend our conversations to more people since they were so stimulating.  She caught that idea and invited many new people to her home.  She began to blog and she went so far as to join Twitter.  When I realized how much she seemed driven to exchange ideas with others, I tried my hand at it.  Nothing can turn me back since I experience the creativity and dopamine that accompanies it.

Social Media Turned the Tide of Conversation - Social media is changing the way we interact with others.  Many folks say they miss the engagement of personal conversation if they mostly engage others online. As a result it's not surprising for them to take a laptop to a cafe so they have an arena for personal and online conversations.  Our whole family is engaged in Facebook for instance and it's full of the latest photos and descriptions of events.  Business leaders find it an easy form to share their work and market their products.  Some can be both addicted to and distracted by these new community worlds.  But people enjoy these new worlds because they are engaging in challenging and powerful interactions with others.

MITA two-footed questions for starters Ellen invented the notion of a two-footed question to help people escape the kind of boring questions that are usually asked.  For instance, if you were to ask, "When it comes to storage, why is less more," the question does not connect to you personally because it is only about the topic.  It concentrates only on knowledge.

Not too surprisingly, if the second foot is inserted, the one that directly connects to you, all of a sudden your ideas are solicited and welcomed.  The question would now be: "When it comes to storage, why can less help you gain more and what difference does that make to you?"  The question now draws from intellect and experience.  You are emotionally attached to your experiences and more easily challenged.

Right and left brain

Ellen Weber notes that two-footed questions work best when you follow the human brain’s natural proclivity to resolve puzzles. The opposite is to stress over problems, and research shows that stressed brains rely more on habits that lock you into ruts, rather than progress with winning innovations.

The right brain leaps to solve puzzles and challenges since it is primed through curiosity.  On the other hand there are a few people who like to show off their knowledge and they are driven by trivia questions and TV shows such as, "Who Wants to Be a Billionaire?"  The left brain penetrates the knowledge.  The combination of both the right and left brain is the powerhouse available for you to test.

How might you engage in new conversations by asking two-footed questions at your dinner table tonight?  One might be, "How did you use your right and left brain today at work or school?"  Thoughts?

8 Strategies to Reboot Your Brain for Active Listening

As someone talks about an innovative project do you find exciting ideas sizzle in your mind? At times, I can begin to run with just one piece of what a colleague says and think very creatively. Whoa, I am not listening.  Do you have a similar issue? Interestingly, as you mull over a new idea in your mind, you miss a portion of what the other person says. Listening takes intentional focus.

The way our brains work, deeply affects listening capability. Here's why...

Not too surprisingly, at least three facets of how the human brain works, impact our listening and speech patterns. When we hear an exciting idea, we may be tempted to build on that in our own mind. Our brain's neurotransmitters release dopamine, helping us to feel the pleasure of a reward. The pleasure we receive from forming new ideas in our minds may work at odds with truly listening to another person.

Likewise, patterns of past interactions stored in your basal ganglia, impacts personal mental mindsets.  For instance, if you have attended workshops, meetings, company training sessions, or have not engaged in meaningful conversation with certain people, you can see why you will need extra spark to be attentive.

Over time, the speech patterns we adopt culturally, affect the way we listen to others. The brain's basal ganglia, described by Dr. Ellen Weber, is a "mental storehouse for habits, routines and ruts for every lifetime experience you've encountered." If you are used to forming new ideas so you can respond during a pause as someone else talks, you do not listen well.

The brain mainly focuses on one thing at a time. For instance this is why it is impossible to text and drive at the same time since multitasking causes the brain to bottleneck. Perhaps this bottle necking proclivity shows exactly why it takes such intentional focus to truly listen to someone as s/he speaks. So how do we begin to focus more on listening?

"Interest or importance is inextricably linked to attention," according to John Medina in his book, Brain Rules. Medina notes that researchers refer to this as arousal.

8 Strategies to Reboot your Brain for keen listening...

Value the speaker When you listen well, and give another person's thoughts keen contemplation before you answer, you serve both yourself and that person well. Why not take a card or memo pad to events to jot down key words that jog your ideas later? In this way you can engage even more of the other person's idea and you will have even more to go on later.

Eye contact counts When you truly look at some one's eyes as he or she speaks, you jack  up your focus.  If you are in a busy room full of activity, you could be easily distracted. Laughter, catching part of a joke, seeing someone you want to contact, can take away your attention quickly. Because the brain tends to focus on one thing at a time, I have to really focus on the eye contact.  It makes a difference for me. You?

MITA Two-footed questions As you listen intently ask questions that take the person's ideas to a new angle or a facet you want to know more about. People enjoy telling you their best ideas. By keeping the focus on that person's interest, you can go deeper with him or her.  In so doing, you will find that you will have more buy in yourself. The conversation thus moves from neutral, to one in which you are keenly interested.  As you gain interest, you are bringing more of your right brain, the creative side, to the conversation.

Active listening  A friend from China, Wen Ma, shared that in his culture people listen actively and contemplate the person's point and take time before they respond.  Active listening can improve a sales person's abilities to engage well since it listening well enough to respond to clients' needs helps clinch all-important deals.

Words block distractions  If you find your mind is distracted when someone speaks, say a word in your head such as, "focus," or "clear the mechanism." Then replace this with a key word you hear from the person speaking to move your thoughts with his or hers.

Posture counts - lean in  By leaning in as you listen, it boosts your concentration and creates a deeper connection to other people.

Practice makes perfect  If you can see the need to improve on past listening habits you've developed, as have I, they can be changed. And it's related to the human brain's amazing plasticity. Very recently researchers began to explore this aspect of the brain even more.

Here's a listening test found on Psychology Today. Start with their analysis to change where you stand...

Thoughts or additions?

Ellen Weber - An Inspiration

Ellen Weber inspired me from the very first time I met her. Huffington Post writer, Gail Goodwin, of Inspire Me Today interviewed Ellen to see what makes her tick... Don't miss it... inspiration is catching!

In Gail's fast moving podcast, she asks probing questions to find out why Ellen's so interested in neuroscience and what led her to be a "pathfinder for change."

Freewheel or Stuck?

I like collaborating to design a day rather than being a thumb tack in the hands of a corporation that pins me to a wall! Ellen Weber quote

NOT

If you take the risk for entrepreneurship and design your days, how then do you stay on track? That can be a nemesis for many... and especially me. Here're tips to stay on target and avoid distractions.

Design a day with targets that place goals at the center.

Keep a daily calendar

1. Write doable daily tasks with expected time frames to complete (Writing down increases likelihood of achieving)

2. Look at list of tasks throughout day

3. Check off tasks accomplished

4. Reward yourself weekly or monthly for increased accomplishment

Keep Big Picture in Mind

1. Create larger action plan with milestones - include time frames to complete milestones

2. Keep vision of outcome in mind. Pin picture or poster representing desired outcome on wall

3. Put poem or motto, where you see it, to inspire your vision

Daily Steps

1. Plan to earn a dollar a day and much more

2. Actions that step you closer to full achievement of goal

3. Attitude tuned to "can do"4. Network to build relationships and contacts

How might you tap into more of your left brain's proclivity for logic and organization to orchestrate the road map for your vision?

Focus Is Curiosity in Action

"Focus is curiosity in action," Dr. Ellen Weber reflected as we exchanged thoughts on a recent presentation. Ellen's, words thundered in my brain... They brought an aha about focus. No wonder...

Curiosity releases the chemical dopamine in our brain. Neuroscience researchers discovered new cues for motivation and reward between dopamine neurons and behavior.

Curiosity...

Awakens mind

Questions

Explores unknown

Chases wonder

With this in mind, I wondered how to approach the everyday with more curiosity. By doing so, I can tune in with a difference.

Here're starters...

Try new routes and pick something that will speak to a day

Ask people what their process is for a task and figure out how to change an approach.

Pick significant quote during meeting and let those words spark new ideas

Eat lunch with someone new and see what I can learn

Write down ideas on 3 x 5 cards or memo pad to follow through inspiration

How might your day change, if you lived "focus is curiosity in action?"

Brain's Amazing Right Side

A curiosity about the world around him drives designer David Airey to create ideas that come to life through a wide range of media. David enjoys more creative autonomy because he chose to leave the world of "design by committee." Even now, when clients fail to tap into his experience, David claims that they miss full benefits of his artistic design. Could it be that he finds insights between the world and design because he uses his right brain more in the process?

Similarly Ellen Weber's main thrust as a writer targets brain research as it relates to learning and leadership. But, Ellen sought the wonder of creativity so she began writing a novel. Note how she describes it...

After living in Baffin Island’s High Arctic communities for two years, as researcher and professor with McGill, I wrote a novel to capture both the nuances and the mysteries from life on a frozen tundra. This story earmarks lessons learned and lived among Inuit friends and colleagues. I’d been excited to relate fictitious events about a fascinating Inuit people within real life settings. While all events and characters are my own creation, issues in the book arose from several Baffin Island community concerns I witnessed while there. My book was written for both white and Inuit readers who care about cultural conversations for deeper understanding across differences and in responses to struggles encountered there.

Ellen remarked that the characters in her novel took on lives of their own and almost moved her hands to type the words they wanted rather than her own choices. Did Ellen tap into her right brain more as she let her characters take charge? Seems like Ellen's right brain fought to take charge...

Ideas inspired from your right brain look different than ideas that draw from your left. Here’s why…

Think of your right brain as your playground for insights – that make you, you, and you’ll begin to see its use in art. Here’s the clincher. Your right brain kicks in when you observe and draw from past experiences during the creative process.

Miraculously, the right brain holds a few tricks for your art that tend to remain hidden until you rub the magic jar, so to speak, and that genie appears. Your muse, like the genie, can release gold as seen in this diagram:


Think of your right brain at its best when not interrupted by constant criticisms and editorial coming from the left side. Intuitively, it comes up with color and lines that work. Holistically, it pieces together parts of a complex plot. Concretely, it meshes mood and body language into characters of a novel.

You get the picture, it’s a bit like creativity run wild in a sense. For the novice artist less magic will be available. To the successful artist, the magic comes quicker, and yet taming will soon be required from the left side of the brain before art takes shape.

Stay tuned for the next post to find out how that logical organizer – your left brain operates.

Say Congrats to Ellen Weber - New USA Citizen

“I am a citizen, not of Athens or Greece, but of the world.” Socrates


Today, Dr. Ellen Weber becomes a citizen of the United States. Along with that, Ellen has a wider world view in her heart. Since she lived two years with Canada's Inuit on Baffin Island, worked with leaders in Santiago, Chile, Ireland and Chongqing, China and many others. Ellen finds kinship with peoples around the globe. Since she resides in New York state, she wanted to make it her "home" in more than word.

At the moment the Immigration and Naturalization Service official told her she passed all the requirements for citizenship a tear welled in her eye. Becoming a citizen of the U.S. is emotional.

Ellen chose to take the oath of citizenship on Lincoln's 200th birthday, today, February 12. Please do stop by Brain Leaders and Learners to say, "Congrats."

Prefer Adventure or Solidarity?

At work, are you wired for adventure and invention...


or solidarity and routines? Take Dr. Ellen Weber's survey to determine where you stand!


Thanks to Madelin1984 for Creating Adventure image.

Thanks to Broc7 for Stuck in a Rut

Let Me Pick Your Brain!

What rocked at work today and why?

Ellen Weber purged a mini bush to add new life to her "Secret" backyard garden...

Lisa Gates enjoyed a "full to the brim day, breathing and doing in equal measure."

Joanna Young's writing energy flowed as she looked at possibilities after much house hunting...

Steve Roessler had a gift for an executive, who consented to guest speak, but instead Steve was gifted with a contract he never expected...

Geology Joe, trumped a supervisory position for a field project!

Jackie Cameron met a lady keen to support the charity work she does with Scottish young people in schools.

Lectures Foster Couch Potatoes!

Does this image capture the spirit of your last "training" session? Ever wonder why it's so hard to pay attention when someone lectures? Ellen Weber says, "Lectures actually work against the human brain. Brains require workouts to learn and grow ... while lectures foster a coach potato mentality." Think about it...

Look at people’s faces during a long talk and you’ll detect many daydreaming, a few sleeping, and others talking or passing notes to survive the feat.

Talking cannot provide the novelty or stimuli a brain needs to hold and apply information. That's why brains go elsewhere ... during long talks ... simply to find a fix.

A steady flow of facts in isolation ... or too many stories in a row ...exhaust and wear down the brain. In fact, people learn far less in talks than most realize. Imagine the waste of training dollars … especially when upstarts and trainees could anticipate and enjoy learning ... if it fit their brains and improved their situation. Think of the transformational benefits that could come to any organization.

Here're tactics to get participants' brains up and running:

1. Ask participants what they wonder about concerning your topic.

2. Request that folks pair share strategies they've used at work to solve problems related to your topic... Next, shift pairs to form a group of eight... so strategies are shared around the table. A "secretary" reports the groups' Best when time's called.

3. Strive to have participants do 75% of the talking... It's not what an expert says... but how a participant engages expertise... that'll be remembered.

4. Ask participants if they still have questions... In this way, you can be sure you answer participants' quest to learn more.

5. Create a one page handout of main points and vital information from your former "lecture."

That's just a start to make professional development sessions interactive. Amazingly, participants can bring facts and strategies to your topic you've not yet considered!

Ready to take a risk, come out from behind the podium, as Mike Sansone advocates, and join participants?

Here are more of Ellen Weber's resources chock full of ideas to bust the temptation to lecture...

Learning that Inspires Invention

The Curse of Facts Without Feet

Bomb Boring Staff Meetings

Thoughts?

What I Learned from Ellen Weber

Dr. Ellen Weber lives by risk, adventure and surprise. To work with her and witness her amazing brain in action's a challenge and fun wrapped in one bundle. Here's a few gems I've learned from Ellen...

1. Question... take nothing for granted. As I began to question, follow curiosity and see new possibilities, the quest for answers helped me learn and grow in ways I never thought possible.

2. Target... Ellen often asks me where I see myself five years down the road. If you get stuck in daily details, life can carry you along with no real purpose... Since I want to be a contributor to others, I see the big picture and set the plans to get there. By daily targets, and organizing priorities, I jot daily plans without losing sight of the overall vision...that you see in your mind's eye.

3. Expect... Dr. Weber often asks, What do you expect, anyway? Most people don't really have a clue so they can't guide others. Yet to expect is to see your finished product in living colors, shapes, sizes and animations. It offers the brain an advanced organizer and invites the mind to leap forward, to fill in the dots, and to create art and science for quality outcomes. At the MITA International Brain Based Center we often expect the moon, for instance, and it tends to come to our daily roundtables, in fine blue cheese pieces. What do you expect, anyway?

4. Move... Each person's born with eight intelligences. What we do with our gifts and talents can pave the way for a rich and satisfying career. Ellen encouraged me to ask, "How am I smart?" My first response was that I was not smart... I made that decision since I was not Valedictorian or Salutatorian of my class. Ellen helped me to see that intelligence involves so much more than what we previously thought and what a billion dollar test taking industry wants to keep in place. Intelligence is evidenced through problem solving skills, creativity, ability to organize and analyze, many of which are not truly tested because much ambiguity is involved and intelligence crosses disciplines. IQ's not fixed as "experts" once thought at the end of the 19th and early part of the 20th century when IQ tests were first formulated. Because of current neuroscience research, experts now view intelligence differently. The question is not "How smart are you? As Ellen saw through her university research, the question is... "How are you smart?"... and additionally, "Where are you headed with your gifts?"

5. Reflect... What worked and what didn't work... as I consider outcomes of my work, learn from mistakes and try new strategies, I continually grow and change. To reflect takes time and a positive approach to be the person I want to be - one who uses God-given gifts to the fullest extent.

When I visited Robert Hruzek's Middle Zone Musings today I was challenged to take on his mantra to share "What I learned from...." Since I keep growing and learning from Brain-based work experiences with Dr. Ellen Weber globally, it seemed natural to share nuggets of gold with Brain Based Biz community and visitors.

I've learned to live Ellen Weber's five MITA steps for growth and productivity for both work and personal life. Change happens as you live what you learn, not just nod your head and agree with an idea you read or hear. Learning takes courage and risk. Are you up to it?

So, where do you see yourself in five years?

Two-footed Questions Spark Surprise

Ever noticed some questions have ready made answers? If I ask, "Who was the first man on the moon?" there's an expected answer. Questions with expected answers bore people, unless you're in the hot seat on The Millionaire. Here's why...

Questions that deal with facts and information, have little affect on the person asking or the person questioned. People's minds fly a million miles away, because their interest is simply not captured. Did you experience that at school?

On the other hand, some questions are all about people, their ideas, feelings, opinions... If I asked, "How are you feeling today?" the question is very subjective and can change between morning and evening or from day to day. And, even worse, you run the risk of hearing an organ recital. Since it's one person's experience, it does not necessarily involve me or anyone else but that person. When we don't connect, we tend to lose interest, too. So what kind of questions really spark peoples' juices?

A two-footed question bridges facts and folks' interests, and sparks surprise as folks respond thoughtfully...

Here're some starters that begin with you directly...

How might I adjust my day to do ... differently?

In what ways could I assist my manager with ...?

What strategies might work for me to engage my children in ... following school?

Note how your interests link directly to a topic... and if you ask the question just before you go to sleep your brain works on it while you get your zzzz's... Or, ask it in the morning and mull it over during the day. You'll be amazed that a great answer comes when you least expect it...

Consider two-footed questions that draw out others' thoughts and experiences...

Who has influenced you most at work, and in what key way did he or she help boost your leadership?

What contribution could you make to... and how might it impress the boss?

How do you get your teens interested in ...?

Or, maybe you'd like to try two-footed question strategies to draw from others' smarts.

When you use this strategy to inquire of another person, you show respect for their knowledge and experience. Your respect inspires, and folks jump to the challenge of providing you a very thoughtful answer.

When you ask two-footed questions of folks on your work team, with clients or with family, you'll be amazed at unexpected answers and deeper conversations that develop.

Dr.Ellen Weber, CEO of the MITA International Brain Based Center developed two feet for questioning as a way to spark deeper ideas, thoughtful discussion and interactions, based on many years of research. For additional insights, check Ellen's posts:

Two Footed Questions for a Flat World

Questions without Watertight Answers Increase Wonder

A Cat Covers Its Material, but Humans Question

Recapture the Power of a Question

And for your upcoming Thanksgiving table, Ellen advises...

Start your dinner by inviting each person to give thanks for one thing in the last week. Such a two-footed questions keeps the tone fresh. People tend to piggy back off one other’s insights from thanks, so cortisol diminishes, that horrid hormone for stress and negativity.

Ready for surprises and depth of thought as you communicate? Try asking a two-footed question at one of your next meals. Figure out a great question in advance... Come back and share results...

Brain Myths Shape Your Choices

Myths you hold about your brain shape major decisions and ability to perform well. For example, I've worked with many people who have the notion that if they work hard, they'll really get ahead in life. If folks began to work smarter and not harder, they'd accomplish much more and enjoy it, too.

Often we work against our brain rather than with it... Working hard indicates folks work long hours, trying to fit a lot in , so to compensate they cut down on sleep. When humans cut down on sleep their mental progress slows. Related to this, folks who work hard often try to do too much in a course of a day so they soon fall under stress, which in turn can lead to medical problems.

Working smarter, may include...

• Questioning your priorities
• Targeting small daily steps toward larger projects
• Organizing spaces for relaxation to be good to you
• Using more of your gifts and talents to generate variation in daily activities
• Reflecting on "Where to from here?"

You might be unaware of the myths you hold about yourself. When I said to Ellen Weber, But, I'm not smart enough... a myth I'd held for years surfaced. At the invitation of Rosa Say to participate in Joyful Jubilant Learning Community's September Signature Event, I share my personal story of how I burst this lifelong myth.

Dr. Ellen Weber shares realities about brain myths you may hold...

Harsh lessons make you gullible

Choice sacks control

Working harder and longer pays off

Seeing others smarter than you

Myths about Talents that Will Hold Some Back

Energy Level Myths and Your Success

Myth About Anxiety as a Fixed State

Myth about Memory and Your New Year Predictions

Is Your New Year Success Tied to Myths about Family?

Getting beyond myths about the brain

Mahalo to you, Rosa and your Ho‘okipa, Hospitality of Complete Giving. May you prosper!

Men Don't Think - Women Think Too Much?

When you think about thinkers does Roudin's sculpture of The Thinker come to mind? Traditionally men, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, signified the field of philosophy, the art of reflecting on the world through logic. But what's the other side of that, when men don't think and women think too much or vise versa?

Alvaro at Sharp Brains posted Top Ten Tips for Women Who Lead Men in response to Ellen Weber's challenge for a man to show the other view of her post Top Ten Tips for Men Who Lead Women. His list, especially tip number 2, piqued my curiosity...

"Don’t think too much-we don’t. If we do, we try to find ways to self-talk us out of that uncomfortable state."

Hmmm... What pops into your head? Here's the scene I see... the Cortisol Crank boss at work comes in and takes everyone's head off! He did and said that without thinking, People who work for him are really stressed and yes, emotions taxed. But in some cases, emotions can run rampant...

Interestingly University of Michigan reasearcher, Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, dug into Women Overthink and uncovered fascinating findings...

1. Overthinking is a national epidemic among young and middle aged adults but is relatively rare among older adults: 73 percent of 25-35 year-olds overthink compared to 52 percent of 45-55 year-olds and just 20 percent of 65-75 year-olds.

2. Women are significantly more likely than men to fall into overthinking and to be immobilized by it: 57 percent of women and 43 percent of men are overthinkers.

If overthinking is bad for us why do we fall into the trap of doing it? Nolen-Hoeksema shows why...

The organization of our brain sets us up for overthinking. The thoughts and memories stored in our brains don't sit there in isolation; they are woven together in intricate networks of associations.

When you are in a bad mood of some type—depressed, anxious, just altogether upset—your bad mood tends to trigger a cascade of thoughts associated with your mood. These thoughts may have nothing to do with the incident that put you into a bad mood in the first place, as when a poor job performance causes you to think about your aunt who died last year.

Men and women do think differently, where the anatomy of the brain is concerned. Men think more with their gray matter and women with white matter... Here's why... men have nearly 6.5 times the amount of gray matter related to general intelligence than women, whereas women have 10 times the white matter realted to intelligence according to University of California research. Their findings suggest that there're two different types of brains designed for equally intelligent behavior by pinpointing these gender-based intelligence areas. Here's how they're different...

In human brains, gray matter represents information processing centers, whereas white matter works to network these processing centers. Men and women typically excel at different types of tasks. For example, men tend to do better with tasks requiring more localized processing, such as mathematics, while women are better at integrating and assimilating information from distributed gray-matter regions of the brain, which aids language skills. So you see why men are more apt to tunnel down into logic and women see more how ideas relate.

Now if the boss could tame his flaring temper and the senior assistant could reign in emotional tsunami's, what's left in the soup?

Think Possibility to Unlock Braincramp!

Interestingly, Ellen Weber turned the idea of braincramp upside down. Here's her take...

False predictions over at Essays and Effluvia, remind us that innovation is rarely rewarded when brain cramp strikes. It’s pretty much the same at any organization, and Robyn McMaster’s recent articles on brain cramp show why. Here are 25 famous leaders with brain cramp – after they looked innovation in the face and predicted failure rather than see talent. Does your firm suffer from it? There’s likely one top quote in the list that could jumpstart brains back on track … the next time you present a great idea and support seems small….

1. "Man will never reach the moon regardless of all future scientific advances." -- Dr. Lee DeForest, "Father of Radio & Grandfather of Television."

2. "The bomb will never go off. I speak as an expert in explosives." - - Admiral William Leahy, US Atomic Bomb Project

3. "There is no likelihood man can ever tap the power of the atom." -- Robert Millikan, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1923

4. "Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons." -- Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949

5. "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers ." -- Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943

6. "I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year." -- The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957

7. "But what .. is it good for?" -- Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip.

8. "640K ought to be enough for anybody." -- Bill Gates, 1981

9. This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us," -- Western Union internal memo, 1876.

10. "The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?" -- David Sarnoff's associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s.

11. "The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a 'C,' the idea must be feasible," -- A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith's paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. (Smith went on to found Federal Express Corp.)

12. "I'm just glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling on his face and not Gary Cooper," -- Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in "Gone With The Wind."

13. "A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make," -- Response to Debbi Fields' idea of starting Mrs. Fields' Cookies.

14. "We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out," -- Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962.

15. "Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible," -- Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895.

16. "If I had thought about it, I wouldn't have done the experiment. The literature was full of examples that said you can't do this," - - Spencer Silver on the work that led to the unique adhesives for 3-M "Post-It" notepads.

17. "Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You're crazy,"-- Drillers who Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859.

18. "Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau." - - Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, 1929.

19. "Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value," -- Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre, France.

20. "Everything that can be invented has been invented," -- Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, US Office of Patents, 1899.

21. "The supercomputer is technologically impossible. It would take all of the water that flows over Niagara Falls to cool the heat generated by the number of vacuum tubes required." -- Professor of Electrical Engineering, New York University

22. "I don't know what use any one could find for a machine that would make copies of documents. It certainly couldn't be a feasible business by itself." -- the head of IBM, refusing to back the idea, forcing the inventor to found Xerox.

23. "Louis Pasteur's theory of germs is ridiculous fiction." -- Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872

24. "The abdomen, the chest, and the brain will forever be shut from the intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon," -- Sir John Eric Ericksen, British surgeon, appointed Surgeon-Extraordinary to Queen Victoria 1873.

25. "There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." -- Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977

Ready to take your best idea to the next stage – in spite of critics where you work? If so – what would that cutting edge idea likely become?

One thing's sure... Ellen focuses on possibilities. Throughout the time I've worked as Sr VP of the MITA Center, I've learned not to doubt. You'll chuckle when I share that Ellen pushed me through a Department Chair's door when I was to have an interview to enter university... At midnight hour I doubled I had the stuff to do it. Ellen helped turn that around with one fell swoop!

Turn braincramp upside down and see what happens... Hmm... do you have yet different ways you unfreeze your brain when it's stuck?

Passions that Lead the Dance in My Brain

Hmm...what am I most passionate about and what drives me most?

Intriguingly, as our brain processes passions or emotions, it involves higher cognition. "...the amygdala may serve, among other purposes, a general vigilance function aimed at preparing people to better cope with challenging situations," Yale researchers hypothesize, "and also the ability to sort information according to its relevance to the task at hand."

No wonder passions lead us deeper into some areas more than others. Since we're all so unique, interests that drive us look different for every person.

In a recent meme, Bob Hruzek challenged me to share my obsessions/compulsions or the things in my life that take me overboard. I like Bob Hruzek's slant to focus on the positive side of the obsessive/compulsive meme. So, here's passions that drive me.

Faith - from the time I was young, I knew God loved me. I have come to know the extravagance of Christ's love in my life and in my family's, too.

Family - I have a deep love for each person in my family - my husband, three children and five grandchildren. Each is so amazing and each time I'm with them I learn more about their interests and concerns. I love it when our vintage 1836 Stagecoach Inn bursts at the seams with family. These are happy times.

MITA Work - surprisingly, I became very intrigued by the powerful work Dr. Ellen Weber does in the area of learning and assessment, both in university and business. When I observed Ellen interacting with people during a MITA Institute, I was curious, amazed and drawn to learn more. For some reason I could not get enough and because I kept asking Ellen questions, she told me I needed to follow my curiosity and earn a PhD. Suddenly all the myths about how I really perceived myself surfaced. For instance, I thought I couldn't learn as well because I was in my late 50's and I also thought I was not smart enough to pass all the entrance tests required. One-by-one these myths shattered. Through MITA I continue to grow and learn as I teach others. What a privilege to collaborate with Ellen in the MITA work that provides skills to others all across the globe.

Play with Ideas I love to tackle problems and see new ways of doing things. Nothing is more refreshing than to solve problems at hand. And I do that by playing with ideas as an artist does to develop a painting.

Fun I work hard and I play hard! From the badminton tournaments with my grandsons, to golf, making videos, photography, and now writing blogs, spaces for these activities keep me energized.

Thanks Bob, for challenging me since it helped me stop and reflect. Reflection helps me both look backwards and forward and helps me see where I need to adjust and change.

Along with me, Bob tagged William Tully Ilker Yoldas Chip Camden Char Polanosky

So here’s the handoff rules:

A) Link back to who tagged you, and,

B) Write! What are you obsessive/passionate about?

I'm tagging Katia from Brazil, Chris Brown, Tony D. Clark, Galba Bright and Ellen Weber

Now fire up your amygdala so that even doctors are amazed when they examine your MRI's and see your brain dance when its fired with passion.

What If You Used More of Your Gifts and Talents at Work?

Ever reached for those elusive, creative ideas at work? When workers tap more of their multiple intelligences for projects, greater problem solving, productivity and innovation result. What's behind this?...

You've likely seen the term multiple intelligences in several posts, and some people may be asking, "What are multiple intelligences and how do they connect to me?

Howard Gardner of Harvard University was the first to distinguish eight different intelligences which can be located in specific regions of the human brain. Gardner listed six specific requirements for an action to be named as an intelligence.

People're fascinated to learn that intelligence can't realistically be measured through IQ tests since they mainly measure our verbal and logical mathematical skills. Recent findings in research have changed the notion of a g-factor for general intelligence. There's so much more to how you are smart...

Through MRI's, Howard Gardner located eight distinct regions in the brain that correspond to each of the eight intelligences. Here's a brief description of ways the eight play out as they might apply to people at work. Where do you see your strengths? ...

Musical...At work you... often use the rhythm of music in the background to enhance your writing or brainstorming,...create new melodies for sales promotions,... choose music that lifts you up emotionally for iPod selections.

Bodily-Kinesthetic You... rely on gestures and facial expressions as much as words to express and receive ideas,... build mock-ups for projects,... incorporate role playing to solve problems,... run for the fun of it

Naturalistic You ... go outside at times to get inspiration from the natural world,... collect and label specimens and are fascinated by their likenesses and differences,... take leadership in green certifcation to improve facility's inside atmosphere,... conserve and revamp present resources as much as possible,... plan a healthy well balanced diet

Interpersonal You... gain most of your ideas through give and take of discussions in meetings, you enjoy the give and take of teamwork and collaboration, your value and respect for others shines through your sales, marketing and customer service.

Intrapersonal You have vision and you live out the steps to achieve it. Ethics and integrity play a big role in decision making. You may be very passionate about your work and you've learned to deal with frustrations and anger in positive ways.

Verbal-Linguistic You're the person called on to draft final copies of white papers and reports because of your skill to use just the right words. You've developed an vocabulary which you use with acumen. You are easy to talk to and your skills as a speaker shine.

Logical-Mathematical You often break processes down to steps so you can explain these to others. You're very organized since you keep a daily calendar and checklists. You like thinking about probability related to marketing and sales. Plus, you enjoy Soduku puzzles during your break.

Spatial At meetings as people speak and you listen. you doodle the essence of their ideas to remember them later. As you brainstorm, you often sketch pictures. You select icons to represent ideas in reports. The CEO often asks you to develop Media presentations for the firm.

Do you see your strengths in several of these or mainly one or two? For more depth take this Multiple Intelligences Survey for a quick overall picture. If there're intelligences that you'd like to strengthen, good news is that you can rewire your brain just by doing more activities in that intelligence on a regular basis. Intelligences are dynamic and you can grow strengths in any - at any age.

Why not take a few risks and move out of your routine approaches and tap into some new intelligences as you approach tasks? One way to start is by asking a two-footed question. No doubt you'll discover fresh vitality that takes projects over the top. The bonus... you'll enjoy work more, too! Come back and let me know...

Encourage Others' Talents - Change the World

Liz Strauss challenged readers to think about changing the world. Hmmm... I was greatly inspired by Ellen Weber's action yesterday... She watched a shrewd manager in a restaurant resolve a tough situation with finesse and no emotion. Ellen followed up by using her unique gifts as an encourager. Here's the scoop ...

People waited for a seat at a crowded Quebec-style restaurant heralded by media for its gourmet crepes and cozy ambiance. A young chef, from a minority culture, moved quickly to fill orders, yet the to-do stack grew more thick.

Unfortunately, two recent orders missed the mark leading to customers' complaints. So, waitresses approached the manager and aired pent-up frustration. Imagine yourself as this manager... How would you handle it? Picture this...

The manager quietly walked over and asked the chef to show her the orders in question. He showed her and she reviewed these. She put her arm on his back and smiled as she said, "You're a good chef and work well for us...Maybe I neglected to point out the exact ingredients you need for these crepes." She quickly told him, showed him a card and smiled. She finished by saying, "I may not have explained this well, but you and I are going to make it!"

Ellen Weber honed-in on this exchange. As we left the restaurant, Ellen walked over to the manager and said, "You resolved a tough situation in a brilliant way. You could have told the young man what he did wrong... Yet you chose to team with him in a way that encouraged his work. And, you put part of the problem on your shoulders. What a brilliant approach! Not many have exceptional skill to work with an employee like you did. You used encouragement rather than criticizing his work."

The manager smiled and told Ellen, Your words mean a lot to me... "Traffic's high today and I'm more than frazzled." She kept smiling at Ellen and wiped a tear that rolled from the corner of her eye.

After we put on coats, the woman approached Ellen and said, "I can't tell you enough what you did for me today and she smiled again."

Do your words make a difference?

While encouraging words like "Good job," or a thumbs-up gesture go far, Ellen took encouragement to an amazing level. And she did so by distinctly recognizing this manager's talents by naming what she did. Here's why naming specifics makes a difference when you recognize brilliance in action....It's...

Personal
Encouraging
Serotonin-building - enhances secretion of this brain hormone which brings well- being.

Naming a person's special expertise takes only a few extra minutes. Why not begin to Change the World in ways Ellen Weber models so well as she encourages people. Try these tactics...

Catch someone using their talent well
Describe specifically why the person's approach stands out
Tell how that affects you

Encouragement brings serotonin and helps people to become more of who they're meant to be - especially at work.

Catch someone using talents well today and take time to personalize encouragement. Let us know your results...






**change the world graphic by Sandy Renshaw

8 Intelligences Illumine the Blogosphere

How many of the eight intelligences listed below have you used on your blog? By expressing ideas and concepts through a variety of intelligences, you'll not only enjoy the challenge, but you'll tune in readers in more creative ways. What do you think?

Every week, when I gather bloggers' posts, I think the current collection'll be hard to top. And, this week's spotlight shines especially bright...

Musical Intelligence - Anna Farmery gathered tunes different leaders are most likely to play on their Ipod:

What tune would you add that represents your boss?

Bad Bosses

(I did it) My Way
Oops I did it again
Message in a Bottle (To avoid direct face to face!)
All By Myself
Suspicious Minds
That Don't Impress Me Much
Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word

Great Leaders

Aint No Mountain High Enough
Express Yourself
Simply the Best
We are the Champions
With a Little Help From My Friends
Against All Odds
A Kind of Magic

Mmmm.... maybe we should check the mp3 players of our bosses!

Interpersonal Intelligence Talking about bosses, Dan Bobinski suggests that leaders need to listen more and boss less if they want results. Dan says that some bosses "may be experts at things technical and financial, but they have not stopped to learn about people." Goes to show that interpersonal intelligence is key to great management in the workplace.

Intrapersonal Nedra Weinreich tells the story of Sacrum, who finds it tough to find employment in the UK or US. He sets out to try his own way of unconventionally marketing himself. Sacrum may not be who he claims he is. At the same time his talents shine because he's so creative. Nedra's article leads us to reflect and question what's right in this case - a key to intrapersonal intelligence...Would you hire him?

Logical-Mathical Intelligence Do you have any idea about how much money bloggers make per month to blog? Anne-Marie Nichols, at The Write Spot provides the scoop based on an NBC survey of the top 130 NYC bloggers...

17% - over $1,000/month
14% - $200-500/month
4% - $100/month
14% - less that $100/month
51% - NOTHING

If you're making very little, is blogging logical? Thoughts...

Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence Do you tell people about your topic or do you use stories? Andrea Learned challenges leaders to "enforce a dead information ban for even a few months, and see what they come up with and how telling stories might change their connections with customers for the good." Andrea asks...

Could you take the facts you might list on an annual report or year-end summary and pull out a few stories to better express the truths of the great things your brand has accomplished?

Naturalistic Intelligence Cody McKibben shows one way to solve the energy crisis -- pick the brains of young minds and transform them into policy changing solutions.

Spatial Intelligence Just imagine a video treasure trove of today's top bloggers at conferences! Mack Collier says we'll all "be much smarter" after watching them because...

Every one is on a different topic, from 'new marketing', to creating online communities, to corporate blogging, to customer evangelists. The amazing part for me was, even though I rarely/never read Seth and Scoble's blogs, their presentations were amazing, so I have found myself spending more and more time reading both of their blogs in the past few days.

Mack has them all available on his blog.

Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence Dr. Ellen Weber suggests 10 tips to put your brain through its paces - including exercise. She asks, "How do you see yourself at the helm of your mental well-being?"

Which blogger has challenged you most? Let us know what one of the eight intelligences you'd like to get up and running at your workplace...