In this talk from Agile Tour London 2017, our very own Philiy Lander discusses how the brain changes (neuroplasticity), how stress affects the brain and ways how to keep it engaged to become a better Agile Coach.
Firstly, let’s find out what exactly neuroplasticity is…
What is neuroplasticity?
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change and adapt due to experience. It is an umbrella term referring to the brain’s ability to change, reorganize, or grow neural networks. This can involve functional changes due to brain damage or structural changes due to learning.
Plasticity refers to the brain’s malleability or ability to change; it does not imply that the brain is plastic. Neuro refers to neurons, the nerve cells that are the building blocks of the brain and nervous system. Thus, neuroplasticity allows nerve cells to change or adjust.
Kendra Cherry MSEd
The Secret to Becoming a Better Agile Coach – a summary
- Philly introduces herself
- Basics of the brain, different parts, what they do and where they are
- What neuroplasticity is
- How neurons work and what they do
- Neural pathways
- Mirror neurons and how they affect emotions and behaviour
- Threat or stress physical response
- How survival mode (stress response) inhibits thinking, creativity, efficiency and productivity
- What stresses your team?
- Cognitive dissonance and the physical discomfort it triggers (A-B-C model)
- External signs of stress
- The oxygen mask principle
- 7-11 breathing technique
- Things you can do to help when working as an agile coach with other people
- Immediate things to help in the moment
- Scale of awfulness technique
- How do we form new behaviours and change habits?
- Using questions to explore motivations
- Model to help build new behaviours
- The Ulysses contract (accountability over willpower)
Further resources
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