Brain in Business

Having been on Ann and Stellas training I know that they encourage attendees to doodle as a way of aiding concentration whilst learning. So I was interested to see this http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7912671.stm item on the BBC online news yesterday.

It is ironic when I recall that at school (ok, before anyone says anything it was many many moons ago!) I used to get rapped on the knuckles (or worse) for doodling and "not paying attention"!

As someone who 'doodles' in a professional capacity I found this article particularly interesting. I've found that some people feel the need for a 'convincer' to give themselves permission to draw as doodling, or drawing, particuarly in a business context is not always seen as having value. So, any snippets of data or research that supports the benefits of working in a more visual way is always welcomed by me. Thanks for posting this Dave.

Hi
I found this article really useful and it then led me on to another on the Beeb website about a short nap improving memory too. news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7254555.stm

When we do our train the trainer workshop we run an active post lunch session on day 1 but on day 2 we encourage everyone to take a short 'day dream', which technically we call a visualisation, but it amounts to giving people permission to zone out, zizz, snooze or whatever they want. A number of people have reported increased alertness in the afternoon that follows and they almost all enjoy the opportunity to really relax. So next time I'll make sure it's 6 minutes long (get the stop watch out Ann!).

Regards,
Stella Collins

Thanks for your comments.

Vanessa - love your avatar! Looking at it reminds me of your fantastic session at a Brain Friendly Learning Group meeting last year.

Stella - thanks for the info about napping helping. Any advice about how to persuade the company that you work for that it's a good idea?

Vanessa - glad Dave's link was useful and thanks for the plug Dave. As a change from Mind Maps, Stella & I are thinking of giving participants an A4 black & white 'journey' picture, at the start of their 3-day journey to becoming a Brain Friendly Trainer. The idea being that they could colour in or doodle along the way. Is this something we (and others of course!) could commission you to do? - Ann.

Ann - I've designed and used a number of visual 'placemats' for events I've held. I agree, they're a great way to encourage people to engage with the idea that doodling and 'colouring in' is actually productive! I'd be delighted to talk with anyone who might be interested about designing a placemat, or something similar to support a piece of work.