WorkStyle Tip - Left or Right Brain?

Many years ago, my gal pal, Fiona Fraser (the mother of my goddaughter Ella pictured right) gave me a book called Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards. Fi is an artist and those of you who have visited merrymentality global headquarters will have seen some of her work adorning the walls. She is very talented and she also studied physics with me at school... a real renaissance woman.

Much has been written about Left vs Right brain thinking and, from my research, the general consensus is that society is moving more to the Right brained thinkers after many centuries of revering Left brained thinkers. As a mathematician I might worry about this (!) but I'm also a physicist which honours my creativity. In fact over Easter Don was reading Paul Davies' latest book called The Goldilocks Enigma on the origins of the universe and although I haven't read it myself yet, Don was sharing much of what it contained and it boils down to the concept that we have no idea where our universe came from. Very Right brained!!

My colleague Susan Adams in HCMC, Vietnam shared this fun exercise recently - click here to see if you are Right vs Left brained.

Spotlight on... Laurelle Halford

My name is Laurelle Halford and at the moment I have a split personality! For 4 days a week I am a Marketing and PR professional working for Central Australian public relations firm, Creative Territory. I am also a small business owner, about to launch DIY Tourguide, providing MP3 and CD audio tours for the independent, self-drive traveller. My first two tours include Alice Springs to Uluru and The West MacDonnell Ranges (Red Centre Way).

How would you define your WorkStyle? (work + lifestyle = WorkStyle®)
My WorkStyle at the moment is different than ever before. I am balancing a busy and fulfilling career job and a start-up business, and somewhere in amongst all that a bit of a social life too. I have to be passionate about whatever work I do, so it is no mistake that that I am working in the fields of tourism and marketing. Family and friendships are also key to me keeping a balanced WorkStyle as they help me to relax and keep my feet on the ground, and encourage me when I need it the most. I continually have to manage the balance between work and lifestyle.

How did you discover your WorkStyle?
I broke down my WorkStyle into what works and what doesn’t and was able to see patterns that I have repeated over the years. The many elements of my WorkStyle I thought were negative and worked against me, are in fact elements that I can use to my advantage. Things like working long hours, being a perfectionist or having too many things on the go at once are all things that used to frustrate me, but I can see that they all have their place, as long as I keep them in check.

Has it changed over the last few years? Why?
I have had periods in my career where I have worked with my head firmly down, hardly taking a moment to look up or breathe, all with disregard for my health or fitness. When I’d come out the other side and realise I had not taken time out or spent enough time with friends, there would be a long period of ‘recovery’ getting back to a more balanced way of life. Doing this over and over again is not sustainable and I now try to be more aware of balance each and every week, literally scheduling it into my diary.

What has been your biggest shift?
There have been so many! Seeing myself as a business owner and my business as a priority, instead of it just being a hobby was a big shift for me. It was also important for me to learn what my WorkStyle was and then to accept that the way I work is OK and to not beat myself up about it. Some other shifts include celebrating my successes more, not hanging onto negative words, looking after me more, stopping ‘shoulding’ myself on things I have not done, and being okay with ‘bargaining’ with my schedule.

What one WorkStyle practice has had the most impact? Why?
Language and self-talk. With lots of practice I have become more mindful of the things I say to myself and the language I use when talking to others. Some words in my vocabulary suck my energy. Words like 'never' (I’m never going to achieve this…), or 'should' (I should have done A, B and C…). And when I talk to others, I try to be conscious of saying positive things or framing it in a positive way. This takes constant practice, but I think if you are a positive person you are likely to attract positive people.

What are or have been the biggest issues for you around WorkStyle?
Discipline around my schedule. I used to call myself a procrastinator, but I have learnt it is sometimes just a lack of discipline. It is also a small (and often large) dose of fear! I have spent some time working out what it is that I fear most in achieving my small business goal, but try to remind myself that courage is just fear walking!

What tips would you give others to improve their WorkStyle?
If you are a third of the way or even half way in to achieving your dream, don’t give up. Giving up now is irrational! Also, accept your WorkStyle traits or at least the ones that help you achieve your goals and  throw out the ones that take away your energy. Practice getting rid of these habits or traits one by one; it may take some time, but eventually practice makes perfect. 

Brain Basics

Coaching is about focussing on where we are now and where we want to be. We identify the gap and look at how to move through it. Focussing on solutions and new ways of thinking assists change far more that trying to identify and fix the problem. These days there is a nexus of physics and neurology which is giving evidence to the 'coach approach'.

Latest research into the brain reveals that: 

1. We think in maps
2. Up close, our brains are dramatically different
3. The brain hardwires everything repetitive
4. What we expect is what we experience
5. Trying to deconstruct hardwiring is nearly impossible
6. New wiring is quite easy to create and turn into hardwiring

Dilemma Model
Disconnections irritate (like being out of gear in a car) – everything goes along well until 2 maps can’t be reconciled – a mental impasse has been reached, which we keep going over until it is resolved – ‘I’d like to but…'
We love new connections. It is an attention economy in the brain – focus creates and reinforces connections. As Mike Dooley says, 'Thoughts become things'.
From a neuroscience perspective, facilitating positive change involves helping people create new maps. These occur in a moment of insight.

Moment of Insight
What is insight? It is illumination, a reconfiguring of the brain.     
Insight is binary - you either have it or you don't. I like to say it insight is quantum. Initially it didn't exist and 'poof' then it did! You can't have half an insight!

The anatomy of insight goes like this:

• Awareness – questions/thinking
• Reflection – silence/lips tight/eyebrows up/alpha waves
• Insight – mental picture/adrenaline/dopamine
• Action – harness adrenaline

Insight + Action = Shift
The art of coaching is to create the space for clients to have insight. To give clients the space to self reflect, to slow down, to listen within.
Once insight has occurred the art of the coach is to move the insight from just that, an insight, to action so the brain has new hardwiring. 
We do this by giving attention and focus, often with repetition/practice. We give these new maps lots of attention by affirming and celebrating them. These new maps are fragile so positive feedback is crucial.

Update from Belinda

It was 21 years to the month since I last visited India. Back in 1988 India was a protected market so only Indian brands were available and allowed. In 2009 I witnessed a new India where global brands abound and the market is open to everyone. My visit to Mumbai and Bangalore (where I was a speaker at the inaugural International Coach Federation India conference) coincided with the general elections so security was extremely high.The bombings in November last year combined with the election made travelling slow due to the extra security. I very much look forward to returning to India to continue to grow the awareness of coaching in the subcontinent.

Last weekend I participated in the Byron Bay Ocean Classic 2.3 km swim, now in its 21st year. After my illness over Christmas, I set myself a goal of physical wellbeing and this swim was the measurable. So for the last months I have been training both in my pool and in the sea (in Sydney as it is too cold down here on the Mornington Peninsular!) As a swimmer from way back, I felt quietly confident that I could do the physical swim - even though the longest I had ever swum was 1.7 km. My fitness was high and I was swim strong. It was the mental self-talk that may have been my downfall. Fear of the 'creatures' in the water, the distance, the unknown, hitting the 'wall' at 2 km, etc... The good news is that not only did I finish the swim; I actually enjoyed every stroke and had only positive self-talk as I swam and took in the stunning surroundings on Australia's eastern-most point. The record for this swim is held by Olympian Grant Hackett in 19 minutes (when he was 15 years old!). My record was just under 54 minutes, coming 509 out of 2000+ competitors. Here I am coming out of the water running to the finish line... I was pumped!