Designing Meetings that Excite, Enlighten, and Empower your Audience  Presented by Dr. Lawana Gladney Creating Meetings that Excite the Brain for Optimal Learning 1

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5 Sensory Register ( sight and/or audio ) Short -term Memory (brief time – 30 seconds) Working Memory ( processing)

Short term Working memory Long term memory Creating Meetings that Excite the Brain for Optimal Learning 6

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Creating Meetings that Excite the Brain for Optimal Learning 11

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Brain Puzzle Creating Meetings that Excite the Brain for Optimal Learning 14

 Matthew Shelborn frequently has to travel for his company, which gives him a chance to meet many people from all parts of the USA. In April, Matthew flew to five different US cities on business and he flew a different airline each time. During each trip he chatted with the person next to him, and no two people he talked to were in the same profession. From the information, can you determine the date Matthew made each flight (each was on a Monday exactly one week apart starting on April 2nd), the airline he flew, his destination, and the profession of the person who sat next to him on each flight? Creating Meetings that Excite the Brain for Optimal Learning 15

 Use acronyms and chunking techniques  Less is more  Use pictures and graphics anywhere possible  Write content with learning styles in mind – visual, auditory, and kinetic  Include activities  Content has to be relevant to audience  Use humor

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 Avoid cramming information into meetings  Avoid scheduling too many learning sessions at conferences  Keep information light – not heavy  Make it fun  Encourage session overview  Create action plans Creating Meetings that Excite the Brain for Optimal Learning 18

Creating Meetings that Excite the Brain for Optimal Learning 19

Creating Meetings that Excite the Brain for Optimal Learning 20

Red  Physiological Effect: Red has been shown to increase blood pressure and stimulate the adrenal glands. The stimulation of the adrenals glands helps us become strong and increases our stamina. Pink, a lighter shade of red, helps muscles relax.  Psychological Effect: While red has proven to be a color of vitality and ambition it has been shown to be associated with anger. Sometimes red can be useful in dispelling negative thoughts, but it can also make one irritable. Pink has the opposite effect of red. Pink induces feelings of calm, protection, warmth and nurture. This color can be used to lessen irritation and aggression as it is connected with feelings of love. Creating Meetings that Excite the Brain for Optimal Learning 23

 Physiological Effect: Orange has proven to be a stimulus of the sexual organs. Also, it can be beneficial to the digestive system and can strengthen the immune system.  Psychological Effect: Orange has shown to have only positive affects on your emotional state. This colour relieves feelings of self-pity, lack of self-worth and unwillingness to forgive. Orange opens your emotions and is a terrific antidepressant. Creating Meetings that Excite the Brain for Optimal Learning 24

Physiological Effect: Yellow has proven to stimulate the brain. This stimulation can make you more alert and decisive. This color makes muscles more energetic and activates the lymph system. Psychological Effect: Yellow is a happy and uplifting color. It can also be associated with intellectual thinking: discernment, memory, clear thinking, decision-making and good judgment. Also aiding organization, understanding of different points of view. Yellow builds self-confidence and encourages optimism. However, a dull yellow can bring on feelings of fear. Creating Meetings that Excite the Brain for Optimal Learning 25

 Physiological Effect: Green is said to be good for you heart. On a physical and emotional, green helps your heart bring you physical equilibrium and relaxation. Green relaxes our muscles and helps us breathe deeper and slower.  Psychological Effect: Green creates feelings of comfort, laziness, relaxation, calmness. It helps us balance and soothe our emotions. Connection with nature Yet, darker and grayer greens can have the opposite effect and remind us of decay and death and can actually have a detrimental effect on physical and emotional health. Creating Meetings that Excite the Brain for Optimal Learning 26

 Physiological Effect: Blue proves to lower blood pressure. Blue can be linked to the throat and thyroid gland. Blue also has a very cooling and soothing affect, often making us calmer. Deep blue stimulates the pituitary gland, which then regulates our sleep patterns.  Psychological Effect: We usually associate the color blue with the night and thus we feel relaxed and calmed. Lighter blues make us feel quite and away from the rush of the day. Like yellow, blue inspires mental control, clarity and creativity. However, too much dark blue can be depressing. Creating Meetings that Excite the Brain for Optimal Learning 27

Physiological Effect: Violet has shown to alleviate conditions such as sunburn due to its purifying and antiseptic effect. This color also suppresses hunger and balances the body's metabolism. Psychological Effect: Purples have been used in the care of mental of nervous disorders because they have shown to help balance the mind and transform obsessions and fears. Indigo is often associated with the right side of the brain; stimulating intuition and imagination. Violet is associated with bringing peace and combating shock and fear. Violet has a cleansing effect with emotional disturbances. Creating Meetings that Excite the Brain for Optimal Learning 28

 Psychological Effect: Brown is the color of the earth and ultimately home. This color brings feelings of stability and security. Sometimes brown can also be associated with withholding emotion and retreating from the world. Creating Meetings that Excite the Brain for Optimal Learning 29

Black Psychological Effect: While comforting and protective, black is mysterious and associated with silence and sometimes death. Black is passive and can prevent us from growing and changing. Can be associated with authority.  In the western hemisphere black is associated with grieving. Black is a serious color that evokes strong emotions; it is easy to overwhelm people with too much black. Creating Meetings that Excite the Brain for Optimal Learning 30

Creating Meetings that Excite the Brain for Optimal Learning 31

Gray  Psychological Effect: Gray is the color of independence and self-reliance, although usually thought of as a negative color. It can be the color of evasion and non- commitment (since it is neither black nor white.) Gray indicates separation, lack of involvement and ultimately loneliness. Creating Meetings that Excite the Brain for Optimal Learning 32

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