One + May 2011 - (Page 70)

Brains Interacting There are 100 billion cells, called neurons, in the brain. Neurons circulate through the left and right brain and act as on/off switches that are either busy firing information at another neuron or at rest. The mating of neurons is how the brain learns. It takes two pieces of previously unrelated data and draws connections between them. The left brain processes information based on predetermined algorithms and models. By comparison, the right brain is more intuitive and emotional. Neurons that travel throughout the brain are similar to thousands of meeting attendees milling around the lobby of a busy convention center. One neuron (or attendee), Michelle, might see her friend, Tim, standing across the room. As Michelle and Tim navigate through the crowd to see each other, billions of other (non-threatening) sensory stimuli (such as people, colors, sounds and smells) will try to find their way to the conscious brain but will be stopped by the RAS (see sidebar). When they meet, Michelle and Tim exchange warm pleasantries and engage in some light and friendly chitchat. This type of interaction and transference of information appeals to the right brain. Later in the conversation, Michelle might ask Tim, “Which breakout sessions are you planning to attend?” or “Will you be sitting in on Tuesday’s keynote address?” This type of information (fact driven) is more geared to the left brain. As the discussion flows between intuition, emotion and facts, both sides of the brain become engaged so, in the end, Michelle and Tim walk away with more overall knowledge about each other. The Art of Learning The objective for all meetings is to communicate information and elicit some form of behavioral change. Meeting organizers, speakers and event staff members communicate with attendees in many ways and send thousands of messages, some overt and others subliminal. An event’s look, feel and branding; logistical layout; agenda topics; and even the style of PowerPoint slides are all messages received by attendees, and it’s the aggregation of these bits of information that shape the overall event experience. But before an attendee can understand the information or change behavior, data must be organized and contextualized for processing within the brain. Ackley describes the process of organizing and contextualizing as building models and filling buckets. Think of a model like the picture on the outside of a puzzle box. A bucket is similar to when you separate the puzzle pieces into two piles—borders and middle pieces. Models and buckets help people see the big picture, organize facts, evaluate the options, focus on details and then embark on a process to complete the task. Driving a car is an example of a model with buckets. Experienced drivers can climb behind the wheel and navigate without much conscious thought because they rely on previous experiences (the model) to guide them. Young drivers need to ADMINISTRATOR SALESMAN Office Space Think of the brain as a three-person office, occupied by the hindbrain, midbrain and forebrain. Each section has a unique role and area of responsibility. All three parts must work as a team for the brain to learn and remember. The Hindbrain The hindbrain is made up of the brain stem, the reticular activating system (RAS) and amygdala. The hindbrain functions much like an office admin and decides how incoming information should be disseminated. The process the admin uses to decide where information should go is similar to how the RAS functions. Billions of bits of information bombard the brain each second, but it isn’t capable of processing that much data so it relies on the RAS to filter through all of the colors, sights and sounds that surround us. Once the process of elimination is complete, only the most important 2,000 bits of data are allowed access to the higher functioning and conscious part of the brain. The hindbrain’s filtering decisions are based primarily on whether or not the data is critical for survival. If the RAS detects a threat or recognizes information as new or different, it is prioritized and moved to the head of the line where it is evaluated and pushed immediately to the forebrain for analysis. All other information is diverted to the unconscious brain where it is stored for future use. Midbrain and Forebrain The midbrain is similar to a company salesperson. It sits between the hindbrain and forebrain and is responsible for stimulating the muscles that control vision. The forebrain is similar to a CEO, who analyzes facts and data, and together with intuition makes highlevel, strategic decisions for the 70 one+ 05.11

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of One + May 2011

One + May 2011
Contents
Energy of Many
Impressions
Meeting Design Goes Mobile
Picking Brains
Agenda
Ask the Experts
Thoughts+Leaders
Overheard
Art of Travel
Web Watch
Radical Co-creation
Engagement + Innovation = Wunderbar
Top Spots
Connections
Irrelevant
The Business of Being Social
Safety in Numbers
Ads, Sponsors and Patrons
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
It’s Getting Better All the Time
Blame It on Rio
Ride Free
Learning How the Brain Learns
Just Face It
Becoming Mindful with Your Meetings
Group Think
The Mesh Meeting
Your Community
Making a Difference
Until We Meet Again

One + May 2011