Did you know only one-third of our brain functionality is predetermined by genetics and biology, while two-thirds is shaped by lifestyle, diet, rest, stress management, etc.?
In the last two decades we’ve learned more about the brain than in the last two thousand years—specifically in relation to what’s in our control. Much of this discovery centers around two remarkable abilities: neurogenesis and neuroplasticity.
Let’s dive into what these terms mean and how they relate to our work as learning and development professionals.
Neurogenesis is the incredible ability of the brain to grow new neurons, while neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to change, reorganize, and forge new neural pathways. To simplify it, neurogenesis refers to the growth of new neurons, which facilitates brain repair, while neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s capacity to change its structure and how it functions.
A Powerful Start—and Lifelong Growth
Our brain launches into the world with some serious power already installed, ready to be activated. The average brain contains roughly 100 billion cells, most of which are formed before we are born! Once ignited, our brain growth accelerates for a short period of time in the earliest stages of childhood. As we age, neurogenesis gradually declines, but this process of creating new cells never stops entirely, even into our elder years. Good news, right?
Better still, neuroplasticity is lifelong. With some intentional effort and focus, we can strengthen and reroute neural pathways, opening the door to lasting learning and behavior change. This bodes well for our learners!
The Trainer’s Superpower
When we teach people new concepts and skills, we are literally helping them grow new neurons and neural connections.
There are several behaviors that encourage neurogenesis, including exercise, intermittent fasting, eating certain foods—and learning new skills. Simply by offering consistent training options in your organization and creating opportunities for learners to access that learning, you are creating an environment for them to activate the process of creating new neurons.
That’s not all. Our work also contributes to expanding, growing and elevating our learners’ neuroplasticity. Our most significant impact as certified trainers is in the classroom, guiding our learners to create new neural pathways. Neuroplasticity is aided by:
- Differentiated stimulation
- Attention
- Sustained engagement
- Effortful processing
- Novelty
- Complexity
Crucial Learning’s course design encompasses all these principles. Coincidence? I think not! As trainers, we can amplify their impact by making the neuroscience visible, helping learners understand why training feels challenging and how it’s changing their brains.
Making Brain Science Tangible
Here are a few ways I highlight the brain-building we do in the classroom:
Exercise Example: In Crucial Conversations® for Mastering Dialogue, we have the “How Did You Get Your Way as a Child” exercise that underscores how neuroplasticity works. Knowing what you know now, this exercise should shine a little brighter for you as a trainer.
As kids, we built new neural pathways daily and created connections around behaviors that consistently got the message, “If I do this behavior, I get this result.” As an adult, these pathways grow more ingrained and become default behaviors. Some of these, like going to silence or verbal violence, work against us in dialogue. The highlight: we can get better by creating new connections.
Pathway-Building Skills: The skills we teach are all aimed at re-engaging our brain (specifically the pre-frontal cortex area) and moving away from the flight, flight, or freeze area (amygdala and surrounding areas of our brain stem). When we ask ourselves questions, it activates that critical thinking center (what did I see/hear, what do I really want, why would a reasonable person, etc.) and builds pathways that make access to our pre-frontal cortex readily available.
Strengthen in Sleep: At the end of your first session, remind learners to get a good night’s sleep. At the next session, share this brain trivia: during sleep, the brain strengthens those new connections and builds new off-shoots of pathways. They quite literally woke up with a fresher, stronger brain!
While our most significant impact is in the classroom, it doesn’t end there. You can sustain what started in your learning session by encouraging—and reminding—your graduates to keep exercising their new neural pathways. True change requires practice, and that’s where the real work continues.
Looking for ways to keep that learning going? The Implementation Guide in Certification Zone explains how to sustain the learning journey beyond the classroom and foster neuroplasticity. It ensures those new neural pathways and neurons are supported well beyond your course!
