Left Sided Brains Can Be Right Too!

We’ve all heard the theory of people being either left-brained or right-brained.   This means that one side of the brain is more dominant than the other.  If you’re a logical, analytical, and numerical minded person, you’re said to be left-brained.  On the other hand, if you’re more imaginative, creative, and free thinking, then you’d resonate with being right-brained.  

Fortunately for me, I’m a bit of both

As a business owner, no matter the company size, we are tasked with the majority of left-brained priorities and responsibilities.  Living within the confines of business administration, development, strategy, analytics, profit and loss, and contracts, our world revolves around words and numbers.  Even if you’re in a creative industry like myself, there’s no escaping it if your goal is to grow and expand your company.  Some business owners have the fortunate advantage of having a business partner that is left-brained allowing them to thrive in the world of visual creativity, storyboarding, and free thinking.  In my business, I am mostly left-brained with a right-brained business partner.  Our strengths combined compliment the way we run our company.  Though on a rare occasion, I have the opportunity of picking up a camera for a photoshoot or creative directing.

If you don’t have that advantage, do not fret, I’d like to share a few tips on how you can incorporate right-sided techniques with left-sided tasks.

1. Utilize Color
- Spreadsheets are a great platform to categorize and organize columns, rows, and sections using colors.  This tactic can even help your direct reports and those below them, better understand the information if they’re visual learners.  
- Another way colors can be helpful are in prioritization or status lists.  Think red, yellow and green, for example, like the lights of an intersection.  
- Red can represent a high priority action item or overdue status
- Yellow can represent a medium priority action item or in-process status
- Green can represent a low priority action item or open project status
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2. Ice Breaker
- Whether you’re leading a group meeting or a one-on-one, an ice breaker in the beginning can calm nerves, encourage contribution, and help get to learn about each other more.  This can come in the form of a question, fun fact, or even a physical stretch.
- Question examples: “If you could hop on a plane right now, where would you go, and what would you do?”  “If you were famous, what would you be famous for?”  “The zombie apocalypse is coming, who are the 3 people you want on your team and why?”
- Fun Fact: Did you know... “Turkeys can blush”  “The first Disney Characters wore gloves to keep animations simple”  “A company in Taiwan makes dinnerware out of wheat, so you can eat your plate”
- Stretches:  Head rolls, shoulder rolls, stand and reach towards the ceiling, then down to touch your toes
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3. Superlative Trophies
- Think of a few superlatives that can promote teamwork, boost morale, and encourage productivity.  At quarterly meetings, these can be awarded to team members that showed exemplary examples in these.  Each quarter, an anonymous vote can be casted for the trophy to be passed on to another team member, or kept with the current holder.  All you need is a small pack of trophy cups (inexpensively sold on Amazon) and a label maker.  

Examples:
- Confetti Award: Most likely to find a reason to celebrate
- Silver Lining Award: Most likely to see the positive
- White Knight Award: Most likely to save the day
- On the Dot Award: Most likely to meet their deadline
- Gold Metalist Award: Most likely to exercise
- Bright Idea Award: Most likely to contribute a fun idea

You see?  You don’t have to be a creative and artistic right-brained thinker to boost morale, promote teamwork, and bring a little color into your work.  It just takes a little thought and intention.