Posts Tagged ‘thinking it through’

Brain exercises

December 2nd, 2009

The more vigorous and diverse your mental life, the more you will stimulate the growth of new neurons and new connections between them.  Different cognitive challenges exercise different components of the brain.  Much in the same way as no single exercise machine will make you physically fit, instead you need a balanced and diverse workout.

So here are a few logic and creative puzzles for you today…. to keep your Brain ticking over….

1) Alternate Universe

Mr. Bee Zarro claims to come from a parallel universe where afternoon comes before noon, tomorrow comes before yesterday, and later comes before now.  But you don’t need to go to a parallel universe to see the same things happen.  Where can you see this here on Earth?

2) All Together Now

What letter completes this group of 4?     J, P, G, ?

3) Take 30

Alf was the 93rd caller to a radio-station and was told he would win a car if he could go into a room and come out exactly 30 minutes later.  The room had no clock, and Alf was not allowed to wear a watch or bring in anything else that tells time.  The only thing he could take into the room was a lighter and a candle in a candle holder (supplied by the radio station) that was guaranteed to burn completely in exactly one hour.  Alf was not allowed to use a ruler to measure exactly halfway down the candle.  Alf went into the room and emerged exactly 30 minutes later to win the car.  How did he do it?

Need a hint??  Think creatively, don’t get bogged down in assumptions, question them …  or if you’re really stuck… ask me!

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Under pressure?

November 16th, 2009

We all know what happens to our bodies when we are under pressure.  A certain amount can help us perform better, keeping us alert and able to avoid danger.  Too much and the physical effects include, headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and problems sleeping. The emotional effects include depression and anxiety.

Know what happens to our brains?

Normally, our left and right hemispheres,  which see the world from different perspectives, work very well together.  Under pressure, we focus more on what it is we need to achieve making our left side more active.  Evolutionally very clever because at the point in time when we most need concentration and focus, our brain responds and allow the logical, serious, analytical side to take charge.  However, it is the creative right side of the brain, that permits us to see the bigger picture.  Without the right hemisphere, we become less able to see new and original answers or ways forward.

Result is we begin to struggle with problem solving due to an inability to think of lots of ideas and solutions.  We begin to not be able to see ‘the wood for the trees’ and our self-limiting concepts prevent innovation.

If you’re having difficulty finding an original solution, come away from the problem for a short time.  As difficult as it is to remove yourself from what is important enough to place you under pressure, take a break.  Stop thinking about it so hard, put it on the back burner…go do something else.  Allow the right hemisphere some space to check out some different perspectives and get creative.

Actually, we all know this already don’t we…..we’ve all been in the situation where it was only when we stopped trying so hard that we had a lightbulb burst into light inside our heads.  Something we see, read or hear….engages and suddenly we know what to do??

What we don’t all do already, when we are struggling to find an answer, is….relax!  Remember it was only when Archimedes went for a relaxing soak in the bath that he worked out how to measure volume…and thus solve the problem of whether the kings crown was indeed solid gold.

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Posted in Cause & Effect, Creativity, Human Nature

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‘Doing a Ratner’

November 13th, 2009

How many of us speak before we think?

It is true to say that we all say things without first thinking them through. Ever answered an employee’s question only taking that individual employee into consideration and not the very likely probability that, that same employee may recount the conversation to others?

Gerald Ratner had makes jokes about his merchandise previously, just provoking friendly laughter but he didn’t consider the breadth of his audience during a speach to 6000 fellow members of the Institute of Directors in 1991.  He claimed that his stores sold earrings for under a pound, which is cheaper than a prawn sandwich from Marks & Spencer – but probably won’t last as long!  Not content with this he went on to describe his sherry decanters as ‘crap’.

The result? In two minutes the reputation of a company was in tatters, £500 million was wiped from its stock exchange value, Gerald Ratner personally lost £6 million and his £600,000 a year job and the company had to rebrand to try and save themselves from total disaster.

Clearly Ratner did not consider his audience, in particular the fact that the Daily Mirror were present.  When speaking to others we are often thinking of how we will answer them instead of listening carefully to what is being said.  We also, occasionally become so embroiled in what we are doing that we forget the outside world.  We are told that our brain thinks four times faster than we speak….so we use that time to consider what we will say next.  We should be listening to what is being said and considering our reply in relation to not only the current conversation but also in how it will be perceived by others.   If Ratner had taken his audience into consideration, had thought through who was listening and who would potentially hear his comments….he may not have been so quick to make his flip remark.

Learning point – always consider your audience, both immediate and future….and use that wonderful extra thinking time wisely!

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Posted in Cause & Effect

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