Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning

Andrea Samadi
  • 4.8 (66)
  • HOW TO
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning

The Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast provides support for school leadership and the workplace with a proven approach for implementing social and emotional learning as it’s well-known in our schools today and emotional intelligence in the modern workplace, with a proven strategy to increase well-being, achievement and results, backed by the most current neuroscience research. Andrea Samadi, a teacher from Toronto, (now living in Arizona, USA) began working with success and social and emotional learning principles with students in the late 1990s. Her programs, and trainings, grounded in brain-based research and practical neuroscience, help parents, teachers, coaches and employees to optimize learning, well-being and achievement at home, school or the workplace. Learn more at https://www.achieveit360.com

  1. 6 DAYS AGO

    Unlocking the Science of Bias: Mastering Self-Leadership and Cognitive Awareness

    Welcome back to Season 12 of the Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, where we bridge the gap between neuroscience and emotional intelligence to enhance well-being and productivity. In this episode, host Andrea Samadhi continues the 18-week self-leadership series, focusing on the neuroscience of biases as explored in Grant Bosnick's book, "Tailored Approaches to Self-Leadership." Episode 347 delves into Chapter 16, examining cognitive biases through the lens of current neuroscience research. With insights from past episodes and experts like Jenny Woo and Howard Rankin, Andrea highlights the nearly 200 cognitive biases that influence our decision-making. The episode introduces Bosnick's strategies for identifying and managing these biases using Daniel Kahneman's dual-system theory of thinking. Listeners will learn practical steps to recognize biases, categorize them, and apply thoughtful approaches to mitigate their effects. This exploration aims to enhance self-awareness and improve decision-making processes by leveraging both reflexive and reflective thinking systems. Join us on this enlightening journey to understand the intricacies of human cognition and prepare for upcoming discussions, including the neuroscience of trust. This episode is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to refine their self-leadership skills and cognitive understanding. On today's EPISODE #347 “The Neuroscience of Biases” we will cover: ✔ A review of past episodes where we covered biases. ✔ Chapter 16 of Grant Bosnick’s Tailored Approaches to Self-Leadership on The Neuroscience of Bias. ✔ A review of our two types of thinking (X-system=reflexive/automatic and C-system=reflective/intentional). ✔ 3 Steps to Understand and Manage our Biases ✔ 4 Strategies for Mitigating our Biases For Today, EPISODE #347, we are moving on to Chapter 16, reviewing “The Neuroscience Biases” that we first covered on EP 17[i] with Harvard Researcher, Jenny Woo. On this early episode on our podcast, I mentioned I had just learned that there “are almost 200 known cognitive biases and distortions that cause us to think and act irrationally.” (72 Amazing Brain Facts by Deane Alban). Then we explored cognitive biases even further with EP 146 with our FIRST interview with Howard Rankin, on “How Not to Think”[ii]  where he explains why "the more we know, the more we realize we know nothing at all." (Howard Rankin). If you’ve taken the leadership self-assessment[iii], look to see if Biases (in Pathway 6, our final pathway in this book study) along with relationships/authenticity, trust and empathy is of a low, medium or high priority for you to focus on this year. I was not surprised to see this pathway is a high area of focus for me. I remember being surprised at how many common problems occur with our human thinking process, and wondered how to be aware of all of these cognitive biases. Learning is a continual process, and awareness that our thinking contains these biases, is the first step towards improving our thinking process. So what does Grant Bosnick have to say about biases in chapter 16 of his book, Tailored Approaches to Self-Leadership? He opens the chapter with an exercise that came from Daniel Kahneman’s book, Thinking Fast, and Slow[iv] a book that sold more than 2.6 million copies.   IMAGE CREDIT: (Ch 16, Biases, Bosnick). If you are listening to this episode, look at the image in the show notes, and don’t forget how you went on to solve this puzzle. Read the instructions and then solve the puzzle. It says “spot the error.” We will come back to the solution at the end of this episode. Bosnick next goes on to define what cognitive biases are, reminding us they are “mental shortcuts that allow us to quickly sort, categorize and make decisions on pieces of information in order to navigate the world in an efficient way. They can be positive, negative or neutral, although most of us probably associate t

    14 min

  2. OCT 27

    The Midlife Shift: Discovering Authenticity and Vulnerability with Mo Issa

    Welcome back to Season 12 of the Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning podcast, where host Andrea Samadhi connects the dots between neuroscience and emotional intelligence for improved well-being and productivity. In this episode, we dive into a transformative journey with Mo Issa, an inspiring author known for his authentic writing and motivational talks. Join Andrea as she reconnects with Mo, a long-time supporter of her work, to explore his latest book, The Midlife Shift. Mo shares his personal journey from living a life of success and prestige to finding deeper meaning and authenticity. Through candid conversations, Mo reveals how vulnerability and self-discovery have reshaped his life, offering invaluable insights for those seeking to live their true, authentic selves. Discover how Mo's experiences with writing, running, and reflection have guided him towards a more fulfilling life. Learn about the importance of embracing vulnerability and simplifying life to enhance self-awareness and personal growth. Whether you're navigating midlife changes or seeking to deepen your self-awareness, this episode provides a profound exploration of living with authenticity and purpose. Watch our interview on YouTube here https://youtu.be/tr661XZK438 On today's EPISODE #346 “The Midlife Shift: Discovering Authenticity and Vulnerability with Mo Issa” we will cover: ✔ An overview of Mo Issa's forthcoming book: COMING NOV 12th, 2024 to Amazon ✔ Mo will share his personal journey from living a life of success and prestige to finding deeper meaning and authenticity. ✔ Mo reveals how vulnerability and self-discovery have reshaped his life, offering invaluable insights for those seeking to live their true, authentic selves. ✔ Andrea and Mo explore ways we can all dive deeper, embrace vulnerability and simplify life to enhance self-awareness and personal growth.  On today's episode #346 we meet with someone I’ve known over the years. It was about 10 years ago, that I was connected to our next guest through our mutual friend, motivational speaker, Bob Proctor. At the time, I had no idea how much of a supporter to my work, he would be over the years, and he’s one of the influencers who has helped me to discover, and live on my own authentic path. He was one of the first to use our curriculum for teenagers for a soccer school he ran in Accra, Ghana, and his belief and trust in me, helped me to see this in myself. We never forget those who have helped us along this journey called life, and I’m forever grateful to have met Mo Issa[i], when I was starting out on my journey of self-discovery, where I left the corporate world for a 10-year period, to make an impact in our schools. Over the years I followed Mo’s work, specifically his writing, which until reading his book, that we will cover today, The Midlife Shift[ii], I had no idea how much Mo’s writing would inspire me, to keep going (learning and growing) on my own path. Right on the front page of his website, you can read his own words.  He says “I am a writer who believes when we find ourselves stuck in life it is because we lack meaning and don’t feel challenged. (In his books, essays and podcasts, he encourages) making small changes to embrace self-discovery, simplify life, and focus on a deep sense of fulfillment.” (Mo Issa) Let’s meet Mo Issa, an author of three books, who has spoken regularly at conferences and workshops, including TEDx Accra Conference[iii], someone who has read 50 books per year, for the past 10 years, and see what we can learn about living our true authentic life, and improve our own self-awareness in this discovery process. Welcome Mo Issa!! It’s been a long time since we have spoken, thank you for coming on the podcast, and sharing your work with us. I can’t even tell you how much your writing specifically has helped me over the years. This is an important and special interview. Thank you for being here. INTRO: For our aud

    57 min

  3. SEP 29

    Unlocking Authenticity: The Neuroscience of Relationships

    Welcome back to Season 12 of the Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning podcast! In episode 345, we continue our 18-week self-leadership series based on Grant Bosnick's tailored approaches. This week, we dive into Chapter 15, exploring the neuroscience of relationships and authenticity. We revisit key insights on relationship-building from past episodes and introduce the concept of authenticity, drawing on reflections from Andrea Samadi and insights from Mohamed Issa's forthcoming book. Learn what authenticity means, how it impacts our lives, and practical steps for fostering genuine connections with others. Discover the balance between the reflexive and reflective systems in our brain, and how understanding these can enhance our social interactions. Reflect on your unique gifts and talents, and find out how to nurture them to build deeper, more authentic relationships. Join us for an enlightening episode that blends neuroscience with practical advice, helping you to live a more authentic life and improve your personal and professional relationships. On today's episode #345 we continue with our 18-Week Self-Leadership Series based on Grant Bosnick’s “Tailored Approaches to Self-Leadership: A Bite Size Approach Using Psychology and Neuroscience” that we first dove into with our interview on EP #321[i] the end of January. The goal was that each week, we focused on learning something new, (from Grant’s book) tied to the most current neuroscience research, that builds off the prior week, to help take us to greater heights in 2024. On today's EPISODE #345 “The Neuroscience of Relationships and Authenticity” we will cover: ✔ A review of one of our FIRST interviews, with Greg Wolcott EP #7, July 2019 on his book Significant 72 ✔ Ch. 15 from Grant Bosnick’s Tailored Approaches to Self-Leadership book on “Relationships and Authenticity ✔ A review of Mo Issa’s definition of Authenticity from his book, The Shift: How to Awaken to the Aliveness Within ✔ The Neuroscience of Our Social Brain ✔ 4 Steps to Building More Authentic Relationships For Today, EPISODE #345, we are moving on to Chapter 15, reviewing “The Neuroscience of Relationships and Authenticity.” We’ve covered relationships on this podcast, right back to the beginning, with Greg Wolcott EP #7, (July 2019) with his book Significant 72: Unleashing the Power of Relationships in Today’s Classrooms. Greg Wolcott, an Assistant Superintendent from Chicago, IL, has dedicated his life to this topic through his work at Signficant72.com.[iii] It’s here where you can learn more about Greg’s Relationship Mindset Movement, his book, tools, and resources to improve student-teacher relationships in the classroom. Relationships are also one of the six social and emotional competencies that we built our podcast framework upon, knowing how important relationship skills are for our well-being and future success. “Social relationships—both quantity and quality—affect mental health, health behavior, physical health, and (even our) mortality risk.”[iv] If you’ve taken the leadership self-assessment[v], look to see if Relationships and Authenticity (in Pathway 6, our final pathway in this book study) along with biases, trust and empathy is of a low, medium or high priority for you to focus on this year. I was not surprised to see this pathway is a high area of focus for me. While we have covered relationship building often on this podcast, the one topic we have NOT covered yet is authenticity. This is interesting timing for me, as I’m currently reading a book by a good friend, Mohammed Issa[vi], where he covers the topic of authenticity, in depth. It’s the title of chapter 8 of his forthcoming book, The Midlife Shift[vii] (Reclaiming My Authenticity). I remember years before Mo wrote this book, I could tell he was thinking deeply about this topic. In 2021 he sent me a message, and asked me “what does living an authentic life me

    24 min

  4. SEP 15

    The Neuroscience of Resilience: Building Stronger Minds and Teams: Insights from Grant Upbeat Bosnick (Chapter 14)

    Welcome back to Season 12 of the Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning podcast, where we connect the science-based evidence behind social and emotional learning and emotional intelligence training for improved well-being, achievement, productivity, and results using practical neuroscience. In Episode 344, we continue with our 18-week self-leadership series, diving into Chapter 14 of Grant Bosnick's book to explore the neuroscience of resiliency. We revisit past episodes with Horacio Sanchez to understand the factors that contribute to resilience and discuss the intriguing analogies presented by Bosnick, including the donkey in the well and the carrot, egg, and coffee bean story. Learn how to build resilience within yourself and your teams by focusing on Patrick Lencioni's five functions of a high-performing team. Discover how developing willpower, a crucial faculty of the mind, can enhance your ability to overcome adversity. We also delve into new research on the anterior mid-cingulate cortex, a brain region associated with willpower and resilience. Join us as we uncover strategies to harness resilience, strengthen our brains, and emerge stronger from life's challenges. Don't miss this insightful episode that equips you with the tools to face adversity head-on and lead with resilience. On today's EPISODE #344 “The Neuroscience of Resilience: Building Stronger Minds and Teams” we will cover: ✔ A review of past EP 74 and EP 286 on “Building Resiliency, Grit and Mental Toughness” ✔ A review of Horacio Sanchez’s work on resiliency: protective vs risk factors. ✔ Ch. 14 from Grant Bosnick’s Tailored Approaches to Self-Leadership book with 2 intriguing analogies presented by Bosnick, including the donkey in the well and the carrot, egg, and coffee bean story. ✔ Learn how to build resilience within yourself and your teams by focusing on Patrick Lencioni's five functions of a high-performing team. Discover how developing willpower, a crucial faculty of the mind, can enhance your ability to overcome adversity. ✔ Discover how developing willpower, a crucial faculty of the mind, can enhance your ability to overcome adversity. ✔ We also delve into new research on the anterior mid-cingulate cortex, a brain region associated with willpower and resilience. For Today, EPISODE #344, we are moving on to Chapter 14, reviewing “The Neuroscience of Resiliency,” a topic we have covered a few times on this podcast, way back with Horacio Sanchez, who named his Educational Consulting Business Resiliency Inc. back on EP #74[i] and then we did a deep dive Brain Fact Friday on EP #286 “Building Resiliency, Grit and Mental Toughness.”[ii] On this episode we reviewed Horacio Sanchez’s definition of resiliency as “a collection of protective risk factors that you have in your life” and that there are some factors we are born with, and others come in through childhood, family, school, life events and social experiences. Horacio reminds us that “if you have little risk, it takes less to be resilient. But—if you have a lot of risk, it takes a lot more protective factors to offset the scale.”  This is why two people can possibly respond in two completely different ways after a traumatic experience. One person walks away, dusts themselves off, and recovers quickly, (they had more reservoirs of resilience to tap into) while the other has a completely different outcome, and needs more assistance to get back on track. With resiliency, we can overcome adversity or difficulty and have good outcomes in our life, but you can see why not everyone is born with exactly the same protective factors needed, so we don’t all have the same levels of resiliency. Horacio mentioned that “25% of the population are naturally resilient” and his work focuses on instilling this trait in those who are not naturally resilient due to the number of risk factors associated to them. To this day, he continues with his mission, fl

    23 min

  5. AUG 31

    Unlocking Brain Health: Insights from a Leading Neuro-Ophthalmologist Dr. Sui Wong

    Welcome back to Season 12 of the Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning podcast! In episode #343, host Andrea Samadi interviews Dr. Sui Wong, a renowned neurologist and neuro-ophthalmologist based in London, UK. With over 110 peer-reviewed publications and extensive research in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, Dr. Wong shares her holistic approach to improving brain health and patient outcomes. Discover the science behind visual snow syndrome, the impact of lifestyle-specific interventions, and the connection between eye health and neurological disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Dr. Wong also delves into the importance of mindfulness, nutrition, sleep, and a balanced lifestyle in enhancing overall well-being. Join us for an insightful conversation that bridges neuroscience with practical strategies for everyday life. Don't miss this episode filled with valuable insights and actionable tips to help you thrive. Welcome, Dr. Sui Wong! Watch our interview on YouTube here https://youtu.be/GwR82IYJTbE EPISODE #343 with Dr. Sui Wong on “Unlocking Brain Health: Insights from a Leading Neuro-Ophlamologist we will cover: ✔ Dr. Sui Wong's career path in medicine, that led her to write 4 books to help her patients (and the world) improve their brain health. ✔ How understanding our eye health can help us to prevent neurological disorders (like Alzheimer's Disease) in the future. ✔ What we should all understand about our eye health for improved health and longevity. ✔ What common neuro-ophthalmology cases she sees. ✔ Why did she introduce Mindfulness into a study on Visual Snow Syndrome? ✔ What would Dr. Wong add to our list of Top 6 Health Staples? ✔ How to learn from Dr. Wong, and find her books.   On today's episode #343 we meet with Dr. Sui H. Wong, a Neurologist and Neuro-Ophthalmologist based in London, United Kingdom. In addition to her clinical work as a medical doctor and physician, Dr. Wong is an active neuroscience researcher, who translates pertinent and clinically relevant questions into research, to improve person-centred patient outcomes. Additionally, she has the qualifications and experience to consider a broader spectrum of lifestyle-specific interventions. Dr Wong’s holistic approach in empowering patients has been recognized with many awards, and this is just the beginning for her. When I was introduced to Dr. Wong, an active neuroscience researcher with a mission of translating important clinically relevant questions into research for improved person-centred patient outcomes, I knew I had to speak with her. She is a widely published author and researcher with over 110+ peer-reviewed publications in medical journals, chapters and conference abstracts, to date.  I looked at the articles Dr. Wong has published, and one caught my eye. She’s done extensive research that you can find in Ophthalmology Journals, like a recent article that I’m going to paraphrase, but it was called Visual Snow Syndrome (which is a neurological condition where individuals see persistent flickering white, black, transparent or colored dots across the whole visual field) After Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy.[i] We have spent some time on this podcast walking through Pubmed.gov, and if you go there, and put Mindfulness into the search bar, you will come up with over 30,000 results. Let’s meet Dr. Sui Wong, and see what we can learn from her decades of research and her thoughts on what lifestyle-specific interventions she recommends. Welcome Dr. Wong, thank you for coming on the podcast today, and meeting me, all the way from the UK (where I was born)(Worthing, Sussex). Welcome. Q1: Can you give us an overview of why you chose this path and ended up in Neuro-Ophthalmology with an explanation of what you do with your work? Q2: How can understanding our eye health help us to prevent neurological disorders in the future? We’ve covered Alzheimer’s Prevention strategies and I wonder what you

    53 min

  6. AUG 25

    Mastering Mental and Physical Agility: Strategies for Self-Leadership Insights from Grant Upbeat Bosnick (Chapter 13)

    Welcome back to Season 12 of the Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning podcast! In episode 342, we continue our 18-week self-leadership series inspired by Grant Bosnick's book, diving deep into Chapter 13, which focuses on the neuroscience of agility. Join Andrea Samadi as she explores how physical and mental agility play critical roles in our ability to handle sudden changes and stressors. Discover practical strategies to enhance your mental agility, build resilience, and thrive in the face of adversity. This episode not only highlights the importance of maintaining physical fitness but also delves into the science behind mental flexibility. Learn how to identify and manage your stressors, strengthen your neural pathways, and become anti-fragile in both your personal and professional life. Stay tuned for insights from neuroscientist Tara Swart and actionable tips to improve your brain's agility, ensuring you are better prepared to navigate life's challenges. Don't miss this enlightening episode and the upcoming interview with Dr. Sui Wong on resilience! On today's episode #342 we continue with our 18-Week Self-Leadership Series based on Grant Bosnick’s “Tailored Approaches to Self-Leadership: A Bite Size Approach Using Psychology and Neuroscience” that we first dove into with our interview on EP #321[i] the end of January. The goal was that each week, we focused on learning something new, (from Grant’s book) tied to the most current neuroscience research, that builds off the prior week, to help take us to greater heights in 2024. So far, it’s taken us 8 months to cover the first 13 chapters thoroughly, and we still have 6 chapters to go.  After this week on agility, we have chapter 14 on resilience, 15 on relationships and authenticity, 16 on biases, 17 on trust, 18 on empathy and the final chapter 19 (and one of my target areas to focus on this year), the topic of presence. When we finish each of these chapters, we will put them all together, with a review of each one, in one place. It really has surprised me that a thorough study of this book will take the entire year to complete. On today's EPISODE #342 we will cover: ✔ The Neuroscience of Mental and Physical Agility ✔ An overview of our personal and professional stressors ✔ Why being antifragile can help us overcome life’s obstacles and challenges ✔ Characteristics of an Agile Brain ✔ 6 Pathways of an Agile Brain ✔ 4 STEPS to Developing an Agile Brain for Future Problem Solving Success For Today, EPISODE #342, we are moving on to Chapter 13, covering “The Neuroscience of Agility” which came out as a low priority for me with the with 0% (Pathway 5) along with Change and Resilience. If you’ve taken the leadership self-assessment[ii], look to see if Agility (in Pathway 5) along with change and resilience, is of a low, medium or high priority for you to focus on this year. I was surprised to see this topic showing up with a low priority, not because this topic is something that I don’t think about daily, but it was when I read the first few paragraphs of Grant Bosnick’s chapter 13, on Agility, where I was reminded that we are talking about physical agility, in addition to mental agility, and as I’m getting older, I notice this area requires extra effort to stay on top of. While the self-assessment says this is not an area of focus for me, it’s one of my TOP priorities at the moment. Grant Bosnick opens up this chapter by talking about a basketball player who pivots by “maintaining one foot having contact with the ground without changing its position on the floor and utilizes the other foot to rotate their body to improve position while in possession of the basketball. In life and business, when we are faced with a change or challenge immediately in front of us (Bosnick says) it is the same.” (Chapter 13, Bosnick, Tailored Approaches to Self-Leadership). He reminds us that “in basketball, to be agile and pivot, a pl

    24 min

  7. AUG 11

    Unlocking the Power of Soul Health: A Conversation with Pam Buchanan

    Welcome back to Season 12 of the Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning podcast! In this enlightening episode, we delve into the intersection of neuroscience, corporate innovation, and soul health with Pam Buchanan, founder of QuantumSense. Pam shares her journey from the high-paced boardrooms of Silicon Valley to exploring the concept of soul health, which she believes is crucial for achieving true well-being and productivity. Watch our interview on YouTube here https://youtu.be/4SNJuB3hfEg Throughout her career, Pam has been at the forefront of innovation, from introducing mutual funds to the banking industry to working alongside visionaries like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg at NASDAQ. Now, through QuantumSense, she aims to bring the concept of soul health to the masses, offering programs that help reduce anxiety, increase energy, and boost overall life satisfaction. Join us as we explore how practical neuroscience can be integrated with soul health to create a paradigm shift in the workplace and beyond. Pam shares actionable insights and tools that you can start using today to improve your energy levels and overall well-being. Don't miss this thought-provoking discussion that could redefine how you approach your mental, physical, and soul health. For more information, visit our website and stay tuned for more episodes that bridge the gap between science and practical application. EPISODE #341 with Pam Buchanan on “Unlocking the Power of Soul Health” we will cover: ✔ How practical neuroscience can be integrated with soul health to create a paradigm shift in the workplace and beyond. ✔ Actionable tools you can start using today to improve your energy levels and overall well-being. ✔ Ideas to BEGIN thinking about soul health, in addition to our physical and mental health. On today's episode #341, we welcome Pam Buchanan, founder of Quantum Sense, a consulting agency for the new paradigm, something we talk about often on this podcast. After Pam took an introspective look at how she was able to perform throughout her career – which required her to be able to keep up with the pace of Silicon Valley – she accredited her successes to more than physical and mental health. She began what would be over a decade of research and self-examination to eventually define this as Soul Health. Throughout her personal and professional life, Pam has a long-history of being at the forefront of innovation. She was among the first to bring mutual funds to the banking industry in the 80s, and she identified unicorn startups to take to the public markets.Prior to starting Quantum Sense, Pam served as a Managing Director at Nasdaq for 15 years and was responsible for identifying, building, and maintaining relationships with pre-IPO, companies, founders, c-level executives, venture capital and private equity firms. It is in this role where she was in the boardrooms and minds of some of the world’s greatest innovators including Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. Pam understands how the corporate mindset has evolved over the past few decades and is ready to lead the next evolution through Soul Health. Now, as the Founder of Quantum Sense, Pam is drawing from her wide-ranging experience and ability to distill and convey complex concepts to bring Soul Health to the masses. She has developed programs and services designed for companies proven to help their employees reduce anxiety, increase energy, create focus, boost creativity and ultimately improve their overall satisfaction in the office and life. If you look at the direction our podcast is taking, you will see that while I’m always looking for ways to connect the most current brain research to improve our productivity and results, I am also extremely wide open to what else is out there. What else could we all be thinking, and doing, that might be a paradigm shift from our old ways of thinking in the workplace, but ways that will be necessary for us to ALL reach these higher

    52 min

  8. AUG 3

    Navigating Workplace Conflicts: Insights from a Mediation Expert, John Ford

    Welcome back to Season 12 of the Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning podcast! In episode number 340, host Andrea Samadi speaks with John Ford, an experienced workplace mediator and author of "Peace at Work: The HR Manager's Guide to Workplace Mediation." With a wealth of expertise in conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, and soft skills training, John shares his journey from practicing law to becoming a mediator. He discusses the importance of trust, effective communication, and addressing conflict head-on in both personal and professional settings. Discover practical tools like talking sticks and empathy cards, and learn how to apply neuroscience and emotional intelligence to navigate conflicts and improve workplace dynamics. Don't miss this insightful conversation that bridges the gap between science and everyday application! Watch our interview here https://youtu.be/NShwQio_QAk EPISODE #340 with John Ford on “Peace at Work: Connecting Emotional Intelligence to Conflict Resolution” we will cover: ✔ The importance of acquiring Emotional Intelligence Skills for conflict resolution in our workplaces of the future. ✔ The influencers who inspired John Ford's work (Daniel Goleman, John Gottman, Ken Cloke and many more. ✔ Tools and resources to support Conflict Resolution in our workplaces.      On today's episode #340, we welcome John Ford[i] BA. LLB (UCT) Founder, Author of Peace at Work: the HR Manager’s Guide to Workplace Mediation, who is an experienced workplace mediator and works as a Conflict Resolution Coach and Workplace Mediator.  He’s also a past president of the Association for Dispute Resolution of Northern California and served as managing editor for Mediate.com for over 10 years. Currently, he teaches negotiation and mediation through UC Law SF (formerly UC Hastings). When I saw the work John has been doing, providing soft skills training on communication, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, assertion, negotiation, mediation, dealing with difficult behavior, customer service, nonverbal communication, de-escalation, stress management, diversity and inclusion, I knew I had to have him on the podcast. I saw the importance of teaching our next generation of students these important social and emotional learning skills over 25 years ago, working with 12 teenagers, who turned their results in school, sports and their personal lives around, in a matter of weeks. I had to learn more about John Ford’s pathway that took him from practicing law, to working on workplace mediation, training others in these important emotional intelligence training skills. Let’s meet John Ford, and see what we can learn from his vast experience with conflict resolution to see how he gains trust, with a calming effect in the most difficult and tense situations.  Welcome John, thank you for meeting with me today. Where have we reached you today? (I’m located in Arizona). Q1: John, can you share what inspired you to transition from practicing law to focusing on workplace mediation and soft-skills training? Q2: Can you also explain how your work was influenced by all of these researchers and influencers that our listeners would know well. Like Daniel Goleman, the author of Emotional Intelligence, neuroscientist Antonio Damasio, John Gottman’s evidence-based research as well as Paul Ekman’s work on facial expressions. Q3: What are some other books that you can point us to improve these important skills, books, like Difficult Conversations (Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton and Sheila Hein), or Nonviolent Communication to help us to improve how to better communicate our feelings in our work and personal lives? Q4: I see you have created tools to help express our feelings without using blame (which we all know takes us down a pathway to more conflict). I don’t remember how long along it was that I learned to take “you made me feel” out of my vocabulary, since no one can make me feel anythi

    58 min
See All (351)

4.8
out of 5
66 Ratings

About

The Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast provides support for school leadership and the workplace with a proven approach for implementing social and emotional learning as it’s well-known in our schools today and emotional intelligence in the modern workplace, with a proven strategy to increase well-being, achievement and results, backed by the most current neuroscience research. Andrea Samadi, a teacher from Toronto, (now living in Arizona, USA) began working with success and social and emotional learning principles with students in the late 1990s. Her programs, and trainings, grounded in brain-based research and practical neuroscience, help parents, teachers, coaches and employees to optimize learning, well-being and achievement at home, school or the workplace. Learn more at https://www.achieveit360.com

Information

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada