The BRIEF Lab - Just Saying

Gratitude is the engine that drives people forward when everyone else gets stuck spinning their wheels.

How can we plan for significantly better meetings, ones that don’t make people angry but help them get important things done? Links: BRIEF Map download link: www.thebrieflab.com/tools

If you’re watching television and the sound gets too loud, you grab the remote control and hit mute. What if you could do that for all the noise in and around you? Links: NOISE music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-VAXRC_hxk Remote control fails (funny, long video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aadof0Dns9w&vl=en

After-action reviews (AARs) are feedback sessions meant for groups to make important adjustments and improvements after meetings, training or missions. They are often a waste of time and need to be fixed. Links: Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/After-action_review

In a moment of serious difficulty, pain, challenge or set back, can you hear the rising voice of an inner critic? How can we change that negative influence?

Insights are a powerful force behind the best ideas (and best comedy), yet many of us struggle not only to define the term but also to develop how we discover them. Links: Thrive: https://thrivethinking.com/2016/03/28/what-is-insight-definition/ Jim Gaffigan and Bacon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoTS0hvWDW8

A declassified World War II OSS/CIA field manual shares hidden instructions that guided average citizens to subvert their own employers. Today, it reads like an operating manual for a typical organization. Links: OSS Field Manual summary: https://www.businessinsider.com/oss-manual-sabotage-productivity-2015-11 CIA archive manual: https://www.cia.gov/news-information/featured-story-archive/2012-featured-story-archive/CleanedUOSSSimpleSabotage_sm.pdf

How can we learn to put more balance back into our meetings, presentations and conversations? It turns out two different sports hold the answer. Links: Famous tennis rally: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLDm254jtZA

Why are most of us are not naturally gifted at crafting great questions? After all, it’s the key to unlocking better conversations and building stronger connections. Links: A deep dive into better questions: http://scottberkun.com/2018/how-and-why-to-ask-better-questions/ TedX Talk: How to ask better questions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8xfuCcXZu8

Napoleon turned to his corporal to check if the battle plan could be easily explained. Why are so many leaders destined for defeat before they even begin? Links: Napoleon’s Corporal explained: https://awealthofcommonsense.com/2016/04/napoleons-corporal/ Corporate jargon “unpacked” video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ab2ZeZ-krY

Our open work environments are a battle of fostering creativity and collaboration versus privacy and protection from constant distractions. Office space scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNai8OYhdxA

Have you ever heard of “the Irish goodbye?” Learn what it takes to master those difficult farewell moments we all need to face. Links: Hollywood hates goodbyes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDJbllu1wdU

A recent hurricane forced thousands in the Carolinas from their homes. It also forced many of them off their phones to talk with each other. Bored game warning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eWdJ8HY2dE

A scene from the animated movie “Inside Out” inspires a deeper dive into the power of feelings to reshape what we think is real. Emotion wheel graphic: https://goo.gl/images/8odR6Z “Inside Out” trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRUAzGQ3nSY “Inside Out” facts and opinions scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sav2L2E38XA

What do you call it when you make an up-front promise regarding how much time you’ll take? It will take more than a minute to find out. Links: It doesn’t mean talking faster: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha9-Y_NX1JA