Description: It’s common to rank how smart or capable we consider one person over another to be within an organization. There are obvious skill sets and performance results underlying our opinion of an individual’s intelligence, or our own. But what is intelligence? The cognitive processes each individual goes though to solve problems, create, communicate, and make judgment calls are just now beginning to be understood. A wealth of new research indicates the brain has great malleability. For example, it has been proven that the results of an IQ test can be altered by the development of key sensory systems – at any age.

Thinking derives from sensory development and the growth and connections of neural pathways. That development has changed in the 21st century even while the latest research clearly indicates the ability to improve the foundational skills that allow us to process more information per unit time. As managers and leaders we seek to structure, and ultimately advance, the way in which our people perform. The systems we use are dynamic because the problems and opportunities change. But the sensory processing or cognition of the people operating within those systems is dynamically changing as well. How does information overload negatively impact decision-making? What do hidden processing problems have to do with emotion, and therefore behavior? What is the subconscious brain busy doing? What kind of processing skills can we expect from the next generation of workers?

There is untapped potential within yourself and others. With the advances in brain research we can now spend time developing our cognitive skills just as we would maintain a healthy heart. And we can imagine a world in which schools and workplaces are structured to honor the way the brain learns instead of unknowingly working against basic biology. 

In this highly interactive session you will: 

• Experiment with brain games
• Examine the malleability of your own perception
• Pair off to screen others for processing skills
• Create a brain health plan
• Engage in activities that develop processing skills and sensory integration

Target Audience: Educators, trainers, managers, leaders, coaches, therapists, nurses, parents and anyone interested in the brain.

Organizational Issues: Organizations are good at training individuals to perform tasks, yet we tend to think of each person as set in their ability to “think.” This leads to an under-estimation of potential and a disconnect between the way information is presented within an organization and how it is perceived.

Objectives: Examine brain research and your own perception to understand the unique ways in which each individual thinks. Create a plan for brain development activities in your home or organization. Question how your own thinking may be related to a perceptual reality that others do not share. Debate how all of the above impacts you as a manager, leader, peer, or parent.

Date: Monday, April 23rd

Length: 7 hours (8:30am-12:00pm, 1:00-4:30pm)

Location: Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne - 6633 Canoga Avenue, Canoga Park

Cost: $40 materials fee. Each participant leaves with multiple items, including the Multi-Matrix game (go to www.multimatrixgame.com for details.)

CEU/PDU Credit: If you are a nurse, occupational therapist, counseling, or psychology you may be able to receive 6.0 continuing education / PDU hours through Envision Education for attending this session. Please contact Leslie (lpeters@sensoryprocessingcourses.com) for more information.

Handouts: Available for download after the Forum

Biography: Leslie has over 20 years experience as an author/producer, specializing in leading multi-disciplinary teams of subject matter experts and administrators in the creation of multi-tiered, multi-media educational programs. Her training programs have been used in over 800 schools and government agencies and garnered over 60 awards, including 3 Emmy awards and 30 Telly awards. Her educational broadcast programming has been seen and heard on public television and radio stations around the country. Ms. Peters has produced leadership and management training programs for a variety of organizations, from the Department of Justice to billion dollar corporations on the topics of crisis management, coaching, best practices, corporate change, and the psychology of retention. Each program is research-based and relies on extensive input from both experts and end-users. Most recently she authored the Educator CE Vision and Learning professional development series and it’s companion courses for therapists and nurses in partnership with the California State University, San Bernardino and other educational distributors.

Contact: Leslie can be reached by e-mail at lpeters@sensoryprocessingcourses.com for additional information about this Post-Conference session.

Website: www.sensoryprocessingcourses.com and www.multimatrixgame.com

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/pub/leslie-peters/b/aaa/669