Stephen E. Walker, PhD » News

The Significance of Six Seconds & Our Emotions

Stephen Walker, Ph.D. — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:21:05 +0000

Josh Freedman is the COO of Six Seconds, a world-wide not-for-profit organization created for the purpose of advancing our knowledge of the importance of EQ – Emotional Intelligence. This is a key concept in understanding leadership, and more importantly for every leader – how to develop follower-ship. One of my friends, who is an expert on branding has told me several times “People make buying decisions because the message offers them solutions (the end of pain) – or – positive feelings. Observe how Freedman articulates the neurophysiology of this process and consider the implications for how emotions contribute to the water quality of our blood.

Heart Disease as a Water Quality Issue

Yes. Heart disease clearly involves problems with our cardiovascular system and heart disease does involve atherosclerosis, plaque building up within our arteries, unstable clotting factors and years of poor choices (what we eat, how much we exercise, emotional outbursts, etc). Freedman’s message implores us to make conscious choices with our emotions – first to know ourselves, know what we may be projecting, and to make a considered decision in each “now” moment to revise and modify our emotional messages. We have six seconds to catch ourselves, reassess and decide differently. More on this later, but for now – check this out:

Click here to view the embedded video.

To learn more about Freedman and the Six Seconds organization visit: www.6seconds.org. The organization features programs for teachers, professionals, business organizations, leadership training with a broad array of assessment tools designed to help one understand their emotions better, recognize the importance of authenticity and how those emotions are projected amongst those we engage with, and finally, “how” to make a conscious choice as to what kind of emotional messages we aim to offer up – every six seconds. Although the organization is a 501(c)3 it’s programs are not inexpensive. In addition, they offer a large number of well-thought-out certification programs. Check it out: 6Seconds.org.

Finding Pearls Where We Least Expect Them

Stephen Walker, Ph.D. — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 01:08:54 +0000

One of my good friends is a media guy – does large scale marketing involving Television and emerging PPV internet applications. Pretty complicated stuff and frankly is engaged in a business that seems to have lost a lot of its humanity, especially when you consider the revelations amongst Rupert Murdoch’s “NewsCorp – News of the World” lack of respect for people – all in the name of making money and brokering power. Thanks to Pete Moran for sending this along, and to Bob DeSena for reminding us to “keep it in perspective”.

On Perspective
by Bob DeSena, Tuesday, August 23, 2011

I wrote something several months ago about Peter Rabar, an agency legend I had the privilege to work for, and to learn from. It was called “In Peter We Trust.” The piece, on one level, talked about the nature of the client-agency relationship — that is, what it takes to achieve a long-term, productive one. And it questioned whether we were talking ourselves out of the notion that such a quaint concept can apply today, with so much more specialization, technology and pace.

Of course it can. In fact, it is needed more today than ever. If we need to debate that idea, perhaps we can do it another day.

There was another lesson Peter taught me, which happened on a very busy winter day.

I mentioned that he was the former secretary to the agency’s founder, and had become over time the head of its largest and most profitable account — a position he held, brilliantly, for three decades. He ran this account with one assistant for all those years, and for a few of them, I was that assistant.

We were working on our key, first-quarter member solicitation campaign. It involved the integration of television, print and mail, with the kind of complex test vs control plans that direct marketers routinely execute. This was just on a major scale.

One of the key components of the campaign was tens of millions of preprinted newspaper inserts. They were to be supported by the TV buy and provide a supplement to the mail, to build up a critical penetration level in each market.

We were really busy when we got the call.

One of the trucks carrying several million of the inserts was late with its delivery. After a few more phone calls, we discovered there was a massive snowstorm on this route, and no one could assure us when the delivery would be made, or if it would be made. This was our key campaign of the year. As John Belushi might have said, millions of dollars and thousands of lives (or maybe the other way around) were at stake.

Several hours later we got another call. The truck was found. It had slid off the side of the road and lost its cargo.

We were frantic. Production directors were calling printers, media directors were calling publications and TV stations, and we were all trying to figure out what to tell the client about the status of the campaign.

We gathered in Peter’s office to review the options. After allowing us to vent and pretend to have a plan, he sat back in his chair, removed his ever-present cigar and asked, “How’s the driver?”

No one else had asked that question. We looked at each other, understood that we had lost sight of the important stuff, and left his office to find out.

The driver was OK. The inserts were lost. We reprinted them and everything else fell into place, delay and all. It always does.

I think of Peter often when things get a bit frenetic. And I thank him for reminding me of the important stuff.

Bob DeSena – CEO of Engagement Marketing Group. EMG is a business advisory firm of senior executives.

Music, Movement & Learning Potential – Without Saying a Word

Stephen Walker, Ph.D. — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 17:36:12 +0000

Music and it’s spiritual qualities have been known to help (or hinder) concentration and our abilities to learn. How movement might fit into this mix is just now beginning to be understood. A teaching lesson without hearing a word? Well, not only is it unorthodox, but extremely potent. This widely seen video of singer Bobbie McFerrin as he demonstrates the pentatonic scale at the World Science Festival illustrates a number of things I will be discussing in a series of articles coming up on this website in the next few weeks. McFerrin’s contribution to the Festival has garnered much attention as he engaged the audience to sing with him. He illustrates how music, movement, and learning come together in his teaching the pentatonic scale without saying a word.

Click here to view the embedded video.

There are a good number of discussion points that come from this demonstration and I will address a few of them as I begin to speak to the relationships amongst these elements (movement – music – and our learning potential) in the weeks ahead.

Stay Tuned in the Next Few Weeks

This posting was prompted by a recent read – the book - Spark – The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by Dr. John Ratey (Harvard Neuropsychiatrist) with Eric Hagerman. Ratey discusses the importance of exercise and demonstrates the wonders of cognitive development as its facilitated through exercise and his examples are beyond exciting. Just his portrayal of the transformation of the Naperville Illinois school district is proof enough….but what follows is even more profound. Those who have read The Protective Effects of Positive Emotions on this site have a head-start – but Ratey’s discussion of the stress response and why it is so damaging (becoming more so everyday) is the most elegant and coherent explanation of the process I’ve read. In addition, the clarity of how exercise serves to minimize these deleterious effects is superb. I look forward to sharing these things and more along with the implications for our happiness – perhaps even our survival.

Healthy Choices – Make it Fun!

Stephen Walker, Ph.D. — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 22:55:10 +0000

The fun theory gets traction from the fabulously effective “Piano Stairs”. This is an encore for this piece in Podium Sports Journal – but perhaps because its been so effective. Almody 13 million viewers have watched this video produced The Fun Theory in an effort sponsored by Volkswagen. Located in a subway station in Odenplan, Stockholm – this is a video of what happened when a fun alternative was presented to thousands of commuters.

There are countless studies in exercise adherence literature that indicate the importance of making healthy choices fun. The application has never been more real or effective as in this piece originally posted on YouTube a couple of years ago. Imagine all the applications for better choices we could employ in encouraging exercise, driving safely, making personal hygiene fashionable, depositing trash, displaying food choices….almost any healthy choice might be made more palatable by giving folks another reason to “Try it.”

Enjoy!

Click here to view the embedded video.

An Interesting Experiment in People’s Willingness to Connect

admin — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 17:07:52 +0000

This little experiment in “Free Hugs” has had a huge You Tube following. You may or may not have seen it before – but check it out now – and think about what it took to embark on this endeavor….and for that matter – what it took for those to respond. Where would you line up on the endeavor? How open and free are you to share one with your family and friends – Why or Why not?

The founder of the movement – yes, there is a movement – is a man named Juan Mann and his story is compelling.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Site Rebuild

Stephen Walker, Ph.D. — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 15:00:34 +0000

I’m having my personal site rebuilt using WordPress so I can bring you more articles and blend this site with Podium Sports Journal

Stay tuned!