Motivating these three aspects of the brain (Artist, Caveman and Thinker) helps us get our ACT together.
For more on the ACT team from “Energize”.
The ACT Team from a teenager’s perspective.
Browsing Tags communication
Get Creative with a Positive Focus
(Bob’s goofy caveman comes out in the outtake)
Supporting research: http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/releases/a-positive-mood-allows-your-brain-to-think-more-creatively.html
Learn more at Influencing Your Inner Movie – The Thinker and the Caveman (10 minute video by the Matchbox Group)
Brain Giggles: Romantic Spoof on our brain
The Caveman and Thinker do better when they work together. This funny, brief animation gives a great example of the problems when one of the brain characters takes over. The blue character is similar to what I call the Thinker, and the red one has the passion and impulsiveness of the Caveman (or Cavewoman, if you prefer). This part of the passion of the Caveman is not one we talk about much in class 🙂
Rebalancing our negativity bias
I explain some of the most helpful research I’ve read, with some tips… followed by a goofy outtake
A happy sense of purpose is good for our genes — who knew?
I love those wonderful discoveries that show how doing what we love is good for us physically.
Click on The New York Times to read this fascinating, and heartening article.
This is particularly exciting for living into what we call our “Best DNA“.
Feedback biting you in the …backside? Try feedforward
Feedforward is usually far easier to give than feedback. Most of the time it is more helpful: specific, clear, actionable, and positive. Learn what it is, and how to do it well. Improve relationships at work and home. Achieve success more easily.
This video is Bob Faw teaching how to use feedforward, in performance management, and elsewhere in life.
A Teenager Describes the ACT Team
I love this presentation! Sualeh, one of the participants in a Leadership University of ours taught his family about the concepts. His daughter, Zahra, put these slides together.
Get your A.C.T. together
When you have the whole A.C.T. team (Artist, Caveman and Thinker) working together, you are at your best. You can tell you are in this space when you have the following characteristics:
- You feel calm about whatever challenge you’re facing, but energized enough to make a difference. This means your Caveman is calm.
- You can see more than one perspective on the challenge; it’s not just “my way or the highway”. Understanding multiple points of view shows your Thinker is engaged.
- You use new approaches to the challenge and even want to try new things. This means your Artist is energized.
When you have your “A.C.T.” together, you can make your best decisions. You will be flexible, “change-ready,” have less stress, and be a more positive influence on other people. You’ll also be increasingly likable the more you are in this mode. The faster you can get your A.C.T. team to work together, the more you’ll enjoy your circumstances. You’ll increase passion and performance for a fulfilling and successful life.
Read more excerpts or buy the book.