Brain Rules

Effectiveness Institute has a consulting relationship with Dr. John Medina, author of Brain Rules, 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home and School. Dr. Medina has been sharing his research and insights with us. We are using his insights to explore the impacts of brain science on the work place. We are hoping to better understand how we can adapt our consulting practices and training programs to address some of the truths we have learned about how the brain functions.

Visit www.brainrules.net for more information about Dr. Medina’s fascinating research.

As we look at Dr. Medina’s Rule #4 “We don’t pay attention to boring things” we at the Effectiveness Institute are re-examining how we deliver curriculum to adults in a business environment. Dr. Medina’s research shows that emotionally arousing events tend to be better remembered than neutral events. The brain remembers the emotional components of an experience better than any other aspect. So as we create classroom learning experiences, or e-learning modules, we are looking at ways in which we can create an emotional hook to enable higher levels of attention and thus more retention of the concepts and skills being presented.

Another brain rule we find particularly relevant to the work we do is Rule #8 “Stressed brains don’t learn the same way.” Dr. Medina found in his research that individually the worst kind of stress is the feeling that you have no control over the problem – you are helpless. Our team then asks, “If we do not empower our leaders and employees to provide awareness, options, choices and ultimately control over their performance or outcomes, are we are contributing to individual stress?” Stress we know leads to poor health conditions and has a negative impact on work place productivity. The work we do at Effectiveness Institute allows a leader to have control over their immediate projects, outcomes or business results which in turn leads them to control over their destiny. So by equipping leaders with the proper tools and resources to empower themselves and their employees, can we reduce stress in the workplace and increase productivity?

Dr. Medina’s research has provided scientific based findings that clearly lead to questions about changing business practices, changing learning environments and evolving theories around workplace productivity. We will continue to explore the brain and the research implications to our world of creating breakthroughs in the performance of individuals, teams and organizations.

Also, here's a custom link to download the PDF of the HBR interview.