The brain is social and it loves to build relationships. When this happens the brain is what neuroscientists call “in a toward state”. As I love sport and dancing I call it being “on the front foot”.

To get on the front foot we need to be mindful of a couple of things. Today, I want to bring to your attention  “Survival” and “Ambiguity”.

In any situation we want to survive. That maybe as simple as being heard at a meeting. Our survival in any situation is affected by our perceived status and this can be built up by using more of your core strengths. So work out what your strengths are and how can you use them more.

Then theirs ambiguity. People like to know where they are heading. I have sat in many meetings where the direction and strategy has changed more times than me heading out to dinner on a Saturday evening.

Its because our hardworking brains find it difficult to keep new ideas on a steady pathway until they are repeated over and over. Its called the quantum zeno effect. The problem with ambiguity, is that many people simply forget their direction and what they were aiming for. They key to having less ambiguity, is to remind ourselves of our strategic plans. The brain will then retain the ideas, or hard-wire the plans deeper in the brains circuits. Making us feel better.

To counteract the negative effect of ambiguity start by consciously creating more certainty – write your plans up and keep them on your phone, show people your plans, send regular emails to let people know what has been done and what has not been done.

Ask the questions, how can I remind myself of what I am doing? and how can I be honest and transparent with my plans that include others?

You will be appreciated and acknowledged for taking care of the bigger picture and making other people feel more confident and on the right track.