Letter from Riyadh
I have just completed a third tour of training in Riyadh. Once again it was a challenging but extremely rewarding experience. The people make. Their hunger for knowledge very exciting. More......
Brain Food
We love the brain. So much so we want to share some exciting new knowledge from psychology and neuroscience.
Our sources are varied; books & research papers, lectures & debates. All feeding your brain too. Every month we will post bite size Brain Food. Enjoy and pass it on; but not to your competitors.
If you want to understand the brain for commercial gain read on, and then email william@the-teamworks.co.uk
Your Festive Brain Food for December 2011 - Eat your way to a brighter brain.
You can eat your way to an alert mind and brighter brain. Chemicals that make us more energised, alert and happy occur naturally in the body and in the food we eat at Christmas. But don't stop at Christmas because eating well will help you stay alert, with an agile mind, in the busy environment we all work in. You can help your team achieve a Peak Performance in tough times by selecting the right food to eat.
Just in time to excel in the family games and the Christmas quiz, here are some of the chemicals you need and where to find them in food. Enjoy the high but beat the rellies gently.
Serotonin is the happy hormone. It can be found in nuts, bananas, dates and figs.
Noradrenalin stimulates the brain making your mind more alert. Wait for it; apples and chocolate.
Acetylcholine also keeps you alert, relaxed and optimistic. You will find it in cheese, nuts and sesame seeds. But easy on the cheese because, like many dairy products, it has lots of Dopamine that helps you day-dream and makes drowsy.
Endorphins make you feel euphoric, positive and energised. Eating bananas will help but so will exercise; so off you go to run down the turkey.
We have created a unique team building event called "The Gastronomy Challenge for Peak Performance". The event will help your team perform at the highest level in a tough trading environment. If you would like to know more about this event please email william@the-teamworks.co.uk
Your Brain Food for July 2011 - Don't be so dramatic, but add more drama.
No so long ago we were prey as well as predator. It was at this time that our Amygdala, deep in both hemispheres of the brain, developed super sensitivity to sudden changes in circumstance; a loud bang, a menacing growl or a piercing scream. We learned to trust our Amygdala because it helped keep us out of harms way. You probably won’t encounter a Sabre-toothed Tiger, but your Amygdala still reacts first and fast, drawing your attention immediately to any change in circumstance.
Still today the human brain is attuned to drama. You must take advantage of this fact when you make an entrance or speak to an audience if you want you message to stick. Make sure you add some drama to help your audience stay tuned-in to your message. Otherwise their brains will look elsewhere for stimulation; internal or external. UNDERSTOOD?
So, how can you keep their attention? Make sure your performance is full of contrast. A fast pace and high energy contrasted with calm and slow. Vary your vocal range. Use sudden movement and gesture to grab their attention. Use dramatic anecdotes and examples. Yes, the elephant in the room draws them in and you must keep drawing them in throughout.
Our hugely popular Personal IMPACT & Presentation Skills courses help you make your message stick. We will improve your confidence and your gravitas in-front of any audience, large or small. We will show you how to create the right impression and leave a lasting impact. It is powerful stuff.
If you want to understand the brain for commercial gain email william@the-teamworks.co.uk
Your Brain Food for June 2011 - The Power of Priming Part #3 Where's your 'Halo' today?
I am talking about the 'halo effect' of your uniform, accessories or props. You don't need to be in the military to gain authority from a classy outfit or a well placed prop. I carry a Mont Blanc pen. Other people who carry a Mont Blanc pen will tell you that it says something about me; something positive. I see clever people reading books on cerebral matters; they must be clever, just look at the title! How do I know this? I don't; it is the 'halo effect' of the book making me credit the reader with powers of intellect for which I have no evidence. But we are programmed to believe the 'halo effect'. It is an automatic response that we find hard to switch off. So why not take advantage of it and dig out your 'halo' for all those crunch meetings and negotiations? You will be amazed how it will influence others.
Our short course, titled The Forces of Influence, will help you control your audience. We work through all the communication tools, learning how to make each one much more efficient. It's very powerful knowledge.
If you want to understand the brain for commercial gain email william@the-teamworks.co.uk
Your Brain Food for April 2011 - The Power of Priming Part #2 Body Language
The silent world of non-verbal communication is anything but silent. Your sub-conscious brain is constantly assessing facial expressions and body language to establish meaning. That is why some people unnerve you and you don't know why. Your sub-conscious has picked up some negative feedback and tells you to be wary. But if your brain is busy doing this, then so is every other brain. Be aware of the signals your face and body send out. Is it open, warm and positive? Or is it closed, protective even negative? Are you really engaged with the person you are speaking to or is your body oriented towards the door, suggesting you want 'out of there'? Get square on to them with arms by your sides, give them generous eye contact and demonstrate active listening. Just be more aware of what your body is saying and you will change what other brains think of you.
Our short course, titled Reading the Language of the Body, will help you read what every body is saying to you. We use a simple model based on the main function of the brain region called the Amygdala; Freeze, Flight or Fight. It's fascinating.
If you want to understand the brain for commercial gain email william@the-teamworks.co.uk
Your Brain Food for March 2011 - The Power of Priming Part #1 The Face
From birth the brain programmes our Mirror Neurons. These neurons do what they say on the packet. They reflect what they see, hear or feel, helping the brain to work out what it is looking at. And here’s the useful bit, for anyone wanting to influence colleagues, clients or customers: They make the mind and body feel whatever the brain concludes! So if you want your audience to feel happy greet them with a big, genuine smile. You will trigger Mirror Neurons to retrieve what smiling means; happy times, a good friend, a funny joke. For a moment the audience will feel happy. A good start to any pitch.
Next month we will be back with more practical tips from the silent world of non-verbal communication. You will learn how to use your face and body to influence the mood in a meeting or the attitude of your audience. Tips from some very clever professors at Harvard, MIT and others.
If you want to understand the brain for commercial gain email william@the-teamworks.co.uk
Your Brain Food for January 2011 - Words worth attention the words you use just leapt up the league table of importance, according to hard thinking professors from UCL and University of Cambridge.
Action words improve understanding. Here’s why. When you hear words relating to an action 1st you engage areas of the brain that deal with language; 2nd you engage memory; 3rd you engage areas that control the body parts involved in the action in question. Prof. Friedemann Pulvermuller has established when we engage this 3rd part of the brain we achieve deeper and faster understanding. If I say “Mexican wave” the brain sends signals to your arms facilitating rapid recognition. So your choice of words will effect the speed with which your audience gets your message. Take note all public speakers, marketers, parents and teachers. Choose your words carefully. Our short course, titled The Power of the Word, will ensure you lead your audience on a lively journey.
If you want to understand the brain for commercial gain email william@the-teamworks.co.uk
Your Brain Food for December 2010 - Visualise your Success
Your brain is so powerful you can think your way to a higher level! Usain Bolt will tell you how he improves his performance through mental rehearsal.
In medicine, the placebo provides irrefutable evidence. In business, as in sport, The TeamWorks encourage people to set aside 5 minutes to allow the power of the brain to improve their performance. In a good, vivid visualisation, the brain sends signals, to the body, mimicking the action itself; the body may even move. The action has been played out in your mind. This breeds familiarity and confidence in the action and improved performance results. There is plenty of evidence. It’s time to believe it. And then enrol on our short course on visualisation.
If you want to understand the brain for commercial gain email william@the-teamworks.co.uk
Your Brain Food for November 2010 - Feed your Brain to Survive
Neuroscientists now know that we must all keep learning, through continuous training, to get the best performance from our brain now and in the future.
Cognitive Reserve is akin to brain power. It is a very precious thing. And it has a big impact on the capacity of your brain to maintain peak performance and to remain resistant to neurocognitive decline. The good news is that you can build your Cognitive Reserve through intellectual interests, brain train games and continuous learning. So keep feeding your brain with Brain Food. Neuroscientists believe that Cognitive Enhancers can help you work at a higher level. These are drugs that improve the higher functions of the brain such as planning, organisation and concentration.
If you want to understand the brain for commercial gain email william@the-teamworks.co.uk