What if the unfortunate arrest of a middle school teacher, helped all future participants to speak up and feel heard at your next meeting? Had this meeting been facilitated as a brain based gathering for instance, leaders would welcome diverse voices and would value different ideas on all topics.
Imagine a discourse on any topic that offers a life-changing opportunity to build a breakthrough innovation that benefits all concerned. OK, if that’s too big a step to visualize, simply imagine a meeting you’d love to attend. Your brain’s equipped to shape meetings that bring different people together in ways that chase awesome goals with innovative outcomes.
In contract, the arrest we all witnessed in shock is merely a wake up call for the next meeting we lead or attend. You’ve likely seen it on occasion – that rare gathering where enthusiasm and curiosity emerge to lift up insights like geyser streams overflow and spray into refreshing streams?
Will your next meeting stoke talents and extend kindness across differences to every participant?
Brain based meetings offer opportunities for renewal through kindness, reconciliation, and rewards that benefit all concerned. Sounds like a missing ingredient from your meetings? I’m speaking of tangible benefits and observable takeaways human brains prime for.
How so? Mindful meetings prosper all, simply by sharpening and using mental tools participants already possess. Yes, even hidden and unused equipment, can determine and add to the success rate of your next meeting.
Or do your meetings dose and snuff out terrific ideas with terrifying toxins, in schools, Rotary groups, churches, boardrooms, libraries, or anywhere that humans come together?
Spot any incentives for genius meetings in this video?
Let’s rethink why we need to run from some meetings, and let’s take another look together at new possibilities all meetings could offer. How would you complete the following statement?
This meeting creates space and reaches me on the topic ______________.
Now let’s say your meeting topic is discovering strategies your organization might implement to appeal to and include more diverse ages and talents.
Question first, to discover insights from the backgrounds of diverse participants with the question: If you were new to this organization what top innovative feature would serve you and others best and why so?
Target second, to facilitate a shared goal that guides active engagement of all participants toward meeting outcomes. In this case all outcomes should address the umbrella question above. For instance two main targets here might be: a). participants will compare innovative features; and b). participants will come to an agreement about the top one or two innovations that will be developed and implemented.
Expect third, that high quality outcomes will be reached through a transparent set of criteria for the outcome, or in this case the proposed innovative features that appeal to all. Five criteria may include: a). research to see how similar groups have fostered diversity favorably; b). evidence that people of various ages will benefit from the innovation; c). qualities that may build on tradition but clearly reach forward into a new era; d). concrete description of the innovation that allows it to be seen as a concrete object that improves current situations; e). demonstration of support and sustainability within the organization.
Move mental attributes into action fourth, so that diverse mental capabilities such as multiple intelligences are surveyed, actively engaged and encouraged from all participants and teams.
Finally, reflect on, where to from here? This fifth step identifies clearly what you and the group accomplished during the meeting, what still needs to be done, and what specific plans you will make to take the next step toward your umbrella goal.
Every brain based meeting will use similar prompts to ensure that both sides of diverse minds are engaged as mental equipment to move shared ideas forward toward one goal.
Looking for ready-to-go materials that will engage your organization in what meetings could offer to individual and corporate wellbeing? Any implications here for teens or young adult learners or leaders you know or mentor at any age?
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Created by Ellen Weber, Brain Based Tasks for Growth Mindset