After a lifetime of attending and leading conferences to get more from our awesome brains, I see why participants leave some traditional gatherings with so few takeaways. Interested in more meaningful outcomes from your next meeting?
My namungos (fictional characters with real brain parts) show a few cool ways we could rock that broken boat. I’m speaking of each contributing more innovation that benefits all, on a daily basis.
Most agree that those who benefit from get-togethers rock electrifying opportunities that remain hidden and unseen to most. Lesser known however is how to rock more brainpower regardless of your role or capabilities at any get-together.
Why namungos anyway?
Here are 6 surefire ways namungo brain parts in each of us can takeaway swag at team meetings or learning and leading circles of any kind.
1. Greet a stranger and let them know one thing you expect to do differently because you were here. What have you just triggered?
You’ll bypass your brain’s pack-rat basal ganglia which warehouses ruts like squirrels stockpile nuts in winter. Most meet-ups open doors into new ventures for those who ditch their basal ganglia routines and run with a new tactic.
@ 2016 Ellen Weber
2. Laugh out loud at something ridiculous you do now yet expect to do better when you leave the session. What have you just triggered?
Serotonin – the brain’s wellbeing chemical – packs new zest when we laugh at our own mistakes. Get others laughing too and serotonin sends its swag across an entire room.
@ 2016 Ellen Weber
3. Disrupt another attendee with something new you’re learning at the session. Ask, What if…? Or, Have you thought about? What have you just triggered?
Your plasticity (or brain’s ability to change itself) reshapes after each action you do. You literally grow more brainpower.
4. Jot down cool facts. Add hints to show how you’ll do it later. Expect to forget the good stuff because your working memory acts like a computer copy-paste file.
@ 2016 Ellen Weber
What have you just triggered?
When new facts fly in from the next session, your brain’s thimble sized capacity for new facts gets displaced. Outsource your memory by creating cheat sheets of tactics you will try.
@ 2016 Ellen Weber
5. Run from vents and people who sprout them. Instead offer a proposal and help to improve anything you dislike. What do vents trigger?
Cortisol – the brain’s toxic stress chemical – packs a sucker punch whenever we vent, rage, gloat, or nay-say. Get others proposing mental make-overs wherever you spot snags and the swag that follows is yours to enjoy after.
6. Ramp up emotional IQ in the sessions. Some call it taming your amygdala which is the brain’s seat of emotions. What have you just triggered?
@ 2016 Ellen Weber
Your amygdala stores every shout out you make for a peer, every thanks you offer a fellow participant, every smile you flash to a worker! A tamed amygdala sets the stage for life-changing takeaways – that get you more bang for every buck.
Ready to rock more brainpower from your next get-together! Will you become one of the few who takeaway more? If so, expect to rock electrifying opportunities that may well remain hidden and unseen to some.
We guide learners and leaders of all fields to takeaway more by ending sessions with an interactive celebration of innovation where all learning and all teach for instance. We use the unique 10-step mutual mentoring process that engages namungos to benefit all who both teach and learn at every level. How so? Check out this brief namungo video to see mental assets namungos could bring to transform your next interactions?
What will you do today to awaken minds and lead innovation?
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Created by Ellen Weber, Brain Based Tasks for Growth Mindset
An interesting takeaway, Robyn, and thanks for stopping by. Challenged already by your words – I see the value of naming a specific difference one would do. It’s a good reminder to all of us. Cool part if that by acting in a different way (an improved or growing way) the brain grows new neuron pathways for more of the same. Count me in! Ellen
I think if I shared something I expect to do differently because I attended the WNY TpT Conference in Rochester, it would certainly challenge others to name something they would do differently.