July 2024 – MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors

5 Ways to Help Your Brain Learn Better

Five takeaways:

About a year ago, Sweden’s education system intentionally decreased its reliance on technology in the classroom– prioritizing paper/pencils over use of computers, for instance. The outcome has been positive, showing that less reliance on technology-based learning yields greater academic success & overall understanding of information. Neuroscientists have dug into why, and presented these five findings:

Learning requires empathy: Learning is interpersonal. The understanding of new information is reliant a social connection we build with whomever is giving that information. This accounts for why 85% of tuition-free students and 50% fee-paying students never complete online programs.

Creativity demands personally coded knowledge: Technology, including AI, effectively erases the need for humans to memorize large quantities of information. But it is often our practiced understanding of learned information that allows us to use it, build upon it, or employ it creatively. Technology gives us access to knowledge, but hinders our ability to retain it– or put it to creative use.

Learning requires undivided attention: Given that technology is used for both academic and recreational purposes, humans become inclined to multitask between the two. Multitasking worsens performance as the functions necessary to perform multiple tasks often blend together. It also redirects our information of how to perform tasks to our subconscious memories, making them more inaccessible in the long term.

Location plays a key role in memory: On a neurological level, printed information is easier to recall than digitized information because print ensures that the information stays in an unchanging location, whereas digitized information can change location and form across screens.

Use Flashcards: committing facts to memory is the foundation for higher-level thinking. Flashcards are one of the most effective ways to get information to sink in, because they stimulate recall. Information written on flashcards help construct memory and become more easy to access in the long term.

From Jared Cooney Horvath, PhD for Psychology Today
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Note: At the time of this posting The Atlantic offers five free article views per month.

This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.

Here’s Some Advice: You’re Asking the Wrong Person for Advice

Three takeaways:

During difficult times, it often feels natural to seek support from someone who has experienced the same issue you are facing. However, recent research indicates that individuals who have faced substantial challenges, even if those challenges differ from our own, may provide more effective support.

Social scientists say that those without intimate knowledge of your particular problem will not assume they have full knowledge of your situation, and be more likely to listen with empathy rather than stretch to apply their experience to yours.

Similarly, Close friends who are familiar with your past may feel more comfortable casting judgment or making broad statements when go to them for support. Going to people you might consider “weak ties” can lead the more insightful, sensitive conversation and a more open set of ears.

Here are three tactics for finding the right person to go to for support:

Know what you need: do you need specific advice, or are you just looking to vent and feel heard? Once you know what you are looking for, be clear with the person you’re reaching out to about what type of support you need from them.

Ask Multiple People: We seek second opinions from doctors all the time. Why don’t we apply this to our personal problems as well? Asking multiple people can provide a balanced and more comprehensive viewpoint.

Find someone who’s had a different challenge: “Emotion match.” Seek support from someone who has faced a different but emotionally similar experience. For instance, if you are going through a divorce, someone who has endured a significant job loss may understand your pain and sense of loss, but also ask the basic questions that will allow you to feel heard.

By being intentional about your need for advice or support, and considering that your closest friends or family may not be the most productive people to seek it from, we can forge a better path towards overcoming the challenges we face.

From Elizabeth Bernstein at The Wall Street Journal:

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This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.

The Art of Asking Smarter Questions

Five takeaways:

Advances in technology and increases in the severity of global problems have elevated the importance of inquiry as a hard skill. Asking the smartest possible question can offer pathways to innovative, unforeseen solutions. So how do we sharpen our inquiry skills?

It is a leader’s job is to flush out information, insights, and alternatives, unearthing critical questions the team has overlooked. The greatest problems can arise from leaving the most important questions unasked.

Thus, these researchers analyzed their survey of business executives and found that strategic questions can be grouped into five leading classifications. Each unlocks a different aspect of the decision-making process. Together they can help you tackle key issues that are all too easy to miss. These 5 types of inquiry are:

Investigative: Good leaders begin by clarifying their purpose and identifying what they need to learn; often using successive “Why?” questions to uncover deeper insights. Additionally, driving at “How?” can help groups move beyond generic solutions.

Speculative: Speculative questions, such as “What if…?” and “What else…?”, enable leaders to reframe problems and explore creative solutions. The global design company IDEO uses the prompt “How might we…?” to overcome limiting assumptions and foster innovative problem-solving.

Productive: Productive questions, such as, “How can we get this done done?” aid in evaluating the available capability, talent, time, and other resources. These questions drive the discussions in which action is explored and execution plans are honed.

Interpretive: Interpretive, or “sensemaking” questions, enable action by continually redefining the core issue or probing deeper into the problem at hand. They follow up on investigative, speculative, and productive questions to draw out new conclusions, such as considering the impact of trends, exploring opportunities, and understanding the implications for scaling up.

Subjective: The final category of questions addresses allows us to take reservations, frustrations, tensions, and hidden agendas that can derail decision-making into account. You have to emphasize the emotional aspects of a decision. Neglecting to do so can cause well-crafted solutions to be undermined by subjective reactions, despite solid analysis and plans.

By pinpointing strengths and weaknesses in your question-asking and considering the five types of questions outlined above, you will be more empowered to ask better questions- and create an atmosphere of smarter strategic inquiry.

From Arnaud Chevallier, Frédéric Dalsace, and Jean-Louis Barsoux for The Harvard Business Review
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Note: At the time of this posting Harvard Business Review offers two free article views per month. Four if you register for a free account.

This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.

Monthly Archives: July 2024

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