Diplo Learning Corner

Get your brain in motion

Author: Beatrice (Page 7 of 7)

5 steps to “Thinking in New Boxes”

25/07/2018 /

We have all been told that thinking outside-the-box is often the secret to finding resolutive solutions to our problems. In a world that seems to be evolving faster and faster, it is imperative that we find ways to adapt ourselves and our businesses to new circumstances and new challenges.

But due to the way our mind works, it is often harder than expected to actually think out of the box. First of all, what box are we talking about? And second of all, if we get out of that box, where are we supposed to go.

This is precisely the problem that Alain Iny, BCG Associate Director, and Luc De Brabandere, BCG Senior Advisor, address in their book “Thinking in New Boxes: A New Paradigm for Business Creativity”.

They propose a new form of strategic creativity, which they defined “thinking in new boxes”, that helps people tap into their creativity while being sure of addressing the right questions.

We must come up with many new boxes, and then choose the most appropriate one to solve our problem.

The authors outline a 5-step approach to thinking in new boxes:

  1. Doubt Everything – Challenge your current perspectives. The way you are thinking right now could be preventing you from developing new solutions.
  2. Probe the possible – Maintain self-awareness while re-examining the world around you. Explore all options and be conscious of what is happening within and outside your environment.
  3. Diverge – Generate many new and exciting things, even if they seem absurd and opposing. Jot down even those ideas which are unpopular and unattractive. But always keep in the back of your mind the framed question that you began with.
  4. Converge – Evaluate and select the ideas that will drive breakthrough results.
  5. Reevaluate – No idea is a good idea forever. Embrace the change. Always reevaluate, relentlessly.

 

If you wish to learn more you can:

  • Watch Alain Iny’s TED talk: 

 

  • Watch Luc De Brabandere’s TED talk:

 

Master the Instant Speech in 3 easy steps

18/07/2018 /

So many times we are required to come up with sensible and insightful observations to make during a conversation. And many times we find ourselves struggling with organizing our ideas properly and more importantly conveying them effectively to our audience (whether small or large).

The Instant Speech is a powerful yet really simple technique to help us in those situations where we want to tell a story or get across a message in a few words.

There are 3 steps to creating the general framework of an Instant Speech:

  1. Decide your Key Message
  2. Choose 3 points or topics to support it
  3. Deliver your Instant Speech with confidence

To read more about this and to get more tips on Public Speaking you can visit Jezra Kaye’s website Speak up for success 

 

 

Image source: Pixabay (CC0)

MindMapping to learn better

11/07/2018 /

Mind Maps are a tool introduced by Tony Buzan which help organize our thoughts and ideas through key words in a hierarchical yet creative manner. Mind maps can be used for anything from studying, to tackling problems, to making decisions and even preparing for our next job meeting.

Here are the main steps to creating a mind map:

  1. Take a blank piece of paper and place it horizontally
  2. Write the core concept you wish to analyze
  3. Add branches which represent the main ideas which are linked to that concept
  4. Each branch can have further branches stemming from it
  5. Lines representing the branches should be thinner as you get further away from the central point
  6. Be creative: use colors, use curvy lines, use images which help evoke certain ideas
  7. DO NOT FOLLOW A LINEAR PATH: you can go back to branches and add or subtract as you wish

Most important of all, find your own mind mapping style. In order to make ourselves be understood by others, we must find our voice!

 

Here are two TED talks on Mindmaps:

 

 

 

If you want to learn more about mind mapping, you should check out these previous articles:

The Ultimate Book of Mind Maps (part 1)

The Ultimate Book of Mind Maps (part 2): the success formula

 

7 tips to remember anyone’s name

04/07/2018 /

Have you ever wished you could remember the names of all the people you met at that last networking event? Have you ever wondered how to read more books when the time available to us seems to be less and less?
Enter Jim Kwick: otherwise known as “memory superhero”. World expert in speed-reading, memory improvement and optimal brain performance, Jim was able to rewire his brain to function at top speed and is now teaching others to do the same.

In this wonderful “The School of Greatness” podcast episode Jim Kwik shares with host Lewis Howes his story and some tips about mastering the art of memory.

For example, he shares his method for remembering someone’s name: all you have to do is keep in mind BE SUAVE.

  1. Believe
  2. Exercise
  3. Say the name
  4. Use it
  5. Ask about it
  6. Visualize
  7. End by saying their name

Remembering someone’s name is perceived as a sign of caring. When people think you care, they trust you. Trust is what any leader wants from his co-workers.

So start working on your memory skills! As Jim says, “If knowledge is power, learning is a superpower.”

Here is the link to listen the episode: 

3 Ways To Master Your Memory and Unlock Your Inner Superhero

You can visit Jim Kwik’s website where you can learn more about his method and the courses he offers.

Drop Multitasking and focus on Time management

25/04/2018 /

Multitasking is defined as the ability to perform more than one task, or activity, over a short period of time. In today’s world, multitasking is becoming the norm in most offices and households. We’re always short on time so we figure that doing several things at once will help us get more done at the end of the day.

WRONG!

Our productivity actually goes down by 40% when multitasking, therefore eliminating any benefit we might have gained. This is because when we multitask, we are actually “switch-tasking”, which means quickly shifting our attention between multiple activities, constantly interrupting ourselves and losing our train of thought.

So what are some of the benefits of not multitasking?

  • Becoming more mindful of your surroundings and your experiences
  • Making big progress on challenging projects
  • Actually completing those projects in a shorter time
  • Reducing your stress levels

And here are some tips to avoid multitasking:

  • Switch off all interruptions
  • Shorten your deadlines so you can better focus on your project
  • Establish two kinds of office at hours to focus more:
    • Individual work hours – when all distractions are banned.
    • Open office hours – when people can have the opportunity to reach you and get your input on something.

Want to read more about the downfalls of multitasking? Here is a good book you might want to read!

“The Myth of Multitasking: How “Doing it All” gets nothing done” – Dave Crenshaw
(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3346363-the-myth-of-multitasking)

 

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Image source: Pixabay (CC0)

The Pomodoro Technique

18/04/2018 /

What do tomatoes have to do with management? Everything according to Francesco Cirillo, the man who invented this time management technique in the late 1980s.

The method is named after the kitchen timer shaped like a tomato some of you might have already seen.

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Image Source: Flickr – Marco Verch – (CC BY-NC 2.0)

This method consists in maximising your attention for short periods of time by taking frequent breaks to refresh your mind. By splitting a large task into many smaller tasks, you are able to keep up your motivation and enhance creativity.

The method is extremely easy to implement by following a few simple steps:

  1. Choose a task to be accomplished
  2. Set the timer to 25 minutes
  3. Work on the task, without any distractions, until the timer rings, then put a checkmark on a piece of paper
  4. Take a 5 minute break, then return to the task
  5. After four pomodoros (that is, four 25-5 minute splits) take a longer break (15-30 minutes), then get back to the task

The actions of recording pomodoros adds a sense of accomplishment to our work and helps us give our undivided attention to the task during the 25 minutes of work.

The times indicated are those suggested by the pomodoro technique, but we can adjust them to our needs, keeping in mind always to keep a short break and a long break every 4 short breaks.

Though the method was traditionally conceived using a mechanical timer, today there are many apps that can help us in using this technique.
I recommend the app “Clear Focus” – simple and effective!

If you want to read more about the pomodoro technique and its history, you can head over to the official website:

 https://francescocirillo.com/pages/pomodoro-technique

 

 

Emotional Agility

11/04/2018 /

In this TED talk, psychologist Susan David introduces the concept of emotional agility: the ability to recognise and manage our thoughts and feelings for what they are, without judging them through the veil of preconceptions. Susan reminds us of the importance of detaching ourselves from our emotions so that they do not own us, but at the same time allowing ourselves to feel them. In fact, keeping emotions bottled up inside is one of the elements which can lead to depression in the longterm.

Being hooked to our emotions can cause distress and make us take irrational decisions. On the other hand, emotional agility can help people alleviate stress, reduce errors, tap into their creativity and improve their overall job performance.

If you wish to learn more about emotional agility I suggest reading the following article on the HBR or picking up a copy of Susan David’s book “Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, embrace change and thrive in work and life.”

HBR article: https://hbr.org/2013/11/emotional-agility

 

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