Until a few years ago, scientists thought that the brain, once it reached 25 years of age, no longer changed. This idea is completely overwhelmed by recent discoveries in neuroscience.
Why should a company be interested in this?
Have you ever tried to create a pivot table or to facilite of your monthly meeting after a long work stoppage? Your reflexes are slow, your landmarks far away. This is because the less you use a neural circuit, the more it fades, a bit like a little-used footpath would see nature take back ownership by naural growth, eventually covering the space of weeds!
If the neurons encoding the “I create my pivot table” action were frozen in time, you would surely have no difficulty in picking up where and when you stopped*. However, science shows us that our brains are constantly reconfiguring, even in adulthood. It has the extraordinary power to constantly reshape itself. And it is precisely these frequent changes that allow us to create new skills, knowledge and competencies.
This is the process decribed as neuroplasticity.
In concrete terms, if our neural connections can change, we have the opportunity to influence these changes. The idea that intelligence would be decided by a good fairy or witch at birth and would remain fixed immutable until death is therefore obsolete! The more the brain is stimulated and in different ways, the more it develops!
Lifelong learning
In a world where we must continually reinvent our self to guarantee employability and update our knowledge, as well as that of our employees, it is gratifying to say to ourselves that the dice are not thrown forever!
Neuroenterprise 4.0, with its infinite ramifications, changing and digitally interconnected processes, will not have any problem with this concept. It will no longer be able to reasonably lend too much credit to the “I’m too old” or “we don’t change”, heard with each new development or change announced… But in return, it will have to do everything possible to support this learning flexibility. And give the means to its employees.
How?
Create new paths based on proven methods
- First, the brain – like your collaborators – needs to know why you want to memorize this or that! It too is in search of meaning… Explain why and how this is important.
- Then, repetition is fundamental: regularly follow the same path to shape it by creating and instituting rituals, then anchor them in our personal culture
- Finally, at work, as in the city, focus on active** learning strategies:
One thing is for certain! That is your brain definitely won’t be the same tonight. And it’s very good that way.
