id: rock2009
title: David Rock, Your Brain at Work
date: 2021-05-02
« References
David Rock, Your Brain at Work
David Rock, Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long, 1st ed (New York: Harper Business, 2009) .
Premise: Understanding how the brain works allows one to wield it more effectively 0G3 .
Referencing Notes
People possess limited mental resources. 0G1F0E1
How big is short term attention ? 0G1F0E1A
Understanding how the brain works allows one to wield it more effectively. 0G3
Prefrontal cortex. 0G3A2
Prefrontal cortex is inefficient with energy. 0G3A2A
Default network. 0G3A4A
Productivity requires effective planning . 0G3B
Mental capacity changes throughout the day. 0G3B1
Schedule tasks with mental capacity in mind. 0G3B2
Simplify ideas to wield them more effectively. 0G3C Other parts of the brain can help with simplified information . 0G3C4
Visual representations ease decision making. 0G3C1 Personification makes logic problems easier to understand. 0G3C2
There can only be 1 active focus at a time. 0G3E
Long term memory helps with focus. 0G3C3
Pending decisions steal resources and attention. 0G3E2
Distractions harm focus in a way that compounds. 0G3G
Stopping/preventing (inhibition) distraction is difficult . 0G3G2
Action potential is the signal the brain sends when it intends to do something . 0G3G2B
Stress creates or harms performance. 0G3H
Visualization manipulates brain activity. 0G3H1
Changes and novelty increase propensity for interest. 0G3H2
Stress can be reduced by focusing on other activities. 0G3H3 Insight comes from attention to the way a problem is being thought about. 0G3J
Focus on the details of a problem can stand in the way of solving it. 0G3J1
ARIA model can help create insight and action. 0G3J2 Sharing information with others furthers one's own understanding . 0B2 Limbic system tracks emotional relationship with the world and memory forming. 0G3A1 Emotions are a simplified heuristic for navigating a complex world. 0G3A1A
Once an emotion has come up, the main options are to express it or change viewpoints . 0G3A1B
Labeling internal states gives control over them. 0G3A1B1 Reappraising a situation allows one to apply a new perspective to choose a better approach. 0G3A1B2 Over-arousal of the limbic system causes many cognitive downsides . 0G3A1C
Generalizing effect leads to accidental connections between ideas. 0G3A1C1 There are two distinct ways of interacting with the world. 0G3A4
Direct experience network focuses on processing sensory information . 0G3A4B
Dopamine drives interest. 0G3H4
Norepinephrine and adrenaline drive alertness . 0G3H5
Cognition is largely concerned with predicting events . 0G3K
Expectations directly determine how we experience the world . 0G3M
Maintaining high dopamine involves certain steps. 0G3M1
People perform better when they are happy. 0G3M2
Investing in social connectedness increases productivity. 0G3N
Oxytocin reflects our emotional and goal entanglements with others. 0G3N1
Perception of inequity creates abnormally strong negative reactions. 0G3P
Strong emotions spread automatically through groups. 1B1F1
People invest themselves into what they sense control over. 1B8B1
Predictability is a prerequisite to autonomy. 1B8B2
The most important life skills for success are reappraisal and mindfulness. 6A
Giving people solutions is an ineffective way of creating desired outcomes. 0G3Q Effectively helping others solve problems . 0G3Q1
Outcome-oriented thinking creates insight by focusing on things related to the outcome. 0G3Q2 Positive goals are more successful because they emphasize outcomes. 0G3Q2A
Giving feedback more frequently creates defensiveness than change. 0G3Q3
People generally want more feedback to help them be more effective. 0G3Q3A
Managers often stop providing meaningful feedback after negative reactions to poor delivery. 0G3Q3B
Better performance outcomes come from facilitating positive change instead of feedback. 0G3Q3C