thinkchange
21st July 2015
What a difference a word can make All of our work at Think Change is based around change; be this at an individual, team or organisation level. In particular it is about making change more effective, sustainable and positive than the current track record. Amongst the change models we frequently refer to are the Change Curve based on the work of Kubler Ross and the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) devised by Prochaska & DiClemente. Obviously both of these need to be adapted for usage in a work context but they have both proved to be very valuable. The Change Curve helps people understand […]
10th June 2015
Who knows if neuroscience will turn out to be the fifth revolution (along with Copernicus, Darwin, Freud and the discovery of DNA) as suggested by Ramachandran but there is already plenty of evidence that it will have significant implications for many aspects of society from Social Policy, to Defence and Security and the Criminal Justice System. In the domains of Organisation Development and Learning and Development there are undoubtedly practical, valuable changes that we can make to current practices in the light of our greater understanding of the brain’s processes, strengths and limitations. However, one area that may not change […]
7th May 2015
The fact that email is slowly strangling lots of workplaces was recognised again recently when Sir Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology and health at Lancaster University and former adviser for the Government Office for Science about mental health in the workplace spoke at the recent British Psychological Society annual conference. Sir Carey said that rampant email checking is damaging the mental wellbeing of employees, and in doing so slows them down and damages UK productivity. This recognition that email may now be doing more harm than good is not a new one, but what still seems to be lacking […]
23rd April 2015
Speaking season seems to be upon us again and there are a number of upcoming events where we will be speaking or running workshops. These include: • The NeuroBusiness 2015 Conference Wednesday, June 2015 at The Renold Building, Manchester University where we will deliver a sessin on ‘How the brain informs the design and delivery of change plans’ • The Knowledge and Innovation Network (KIN) Summer 2015 Members’ Workshop in Streatley on Thames where we will be discussing ‘The Neuroscience of how the brain works and what this means for how we create, store & retrieve ‘knowledge’ • The CIPD […]
16th February 2015
A good in-depth article here about the questions and challenges we will have to face in the light of the increased availability and use of cognitive enhancers. Although caffeine and nicotine have been used to boost performance for a long time the latest incarnation of ‘smart drugs’- typically in the form of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) prescription medicines such as Modafinil, Ritalin, Adderall and Dexedrine – is surfacing as an issue within Universities and it is only a matter of time before this becomes a workplace issue that organisations will need to address. When the evidence shows that taking […]
23rd September 2014
We recently attended an excellent session of the Warwick Business School Knowledge and Innovation Network where we heard some great accounts of how organisations are using technology to help join-up and share information. The value of networking groups can vary to say the least but this is one is definitely a valuable resource for organisations looking to enhance their knowledge management and innovation capabilities. We spoke about how neuroscience can inform our approach to individual and organisational learning and in particular how we can design Knowledge Management Systems to help make them more ‘brain-friendly’.
12th August 2014
The CIPD Annual Conference is being held in Manchester on November 5th and 6th and we will be presenting at it on both days. On the 5the we will co-deliver a session at the exhibition that will highlight the CIPDs new report (due for publication in late October) on the application of neuroscience in the real world. The research is intended to cut through the ‘neuro-hype’ and showcase where neuroscience can make a genuine difference, and add real value for individuals and organisations. The report should shed some welcome, objective light on this area. On the 6th we are […]
18th July 2014
Neuroscience is still very much ‘du jour’ but even more ‘en-vogue’ at the moment is mindfulness which certainly seems to be having an extended 15 minutes in the mainstream spotlight. A random selection of recent articles includes: Should we be mindful of mindfulness? (The Guardian) Who, What, Why: What is mindfulness? (BBC) ‘Mindfulness’ therapy adopted by stressed Britons (The Telegraph) And you must surely know you have arrived when there is an All Party Parliamentary Group set up in your honour? The APPG is closely connected with theMindfulness Initiative (a collaboration of the Mindfulness Centres at Oxford, Exeter and Bangor […]
25th April 2014
The brain is no longer a ‘black box’ as, thanks to the advances in neural measurement and imaging, we now have a much greater insight and understanding into how it works and the associated strengths and limitations. Aspects of the brain that are particularly relevant to the world of work include: how the brain processes change, its’ emotional and social elements, how creativity, innovation and insight occur, and how to develop the brains stamina and resilience. To be effective in the workplace leaders and managers should be aware of these points and how to work with them 1. Neuroplasticity […]
15th April 2014
Although it is 4 years old now, this TED talk by Derek Sivers is still great value for getting people to discuss leadership, change and the importance of bringing people with you. It also lends itself to really rich neuroscience conversations about self-directed neuroplasticity, emotion and positivity to name but a few.
1st April 2014
Many people have questioned the validity of inferences drawn from fMRI studies and this very timely article, published here today helps shed some light on the topic. The article states that: A new study has raised new questions about how MRI scanners work in the quest to understand the brain. The research, led by Professor Brian Trecox and a team of international researchers, used a brand new technique to assess fluctuations in the performance of brain scanners as they were being used during a series of basic experiments. The results are due to appear in the Journal of Knowledge in […]