Category: Persuasion

Teamwork skills online or face-to-face involve spreading the team’s story, prioritising social skills, mixing genders, building trust and more…

Teamwork is more important than ever — especially now that some of it has moved online.

Failures in teamwork have caused accidents in nuclear power stations, planes to crash and businesses to fail.

Many organisations are trying to do more with less by relying on the efficiency of teamwork.

However, a collection of individuals doesn’t become a team just because it’s a called ‘a team’.

There are a whole range of psychological processes that need to be nurtured in order for ‘teamwork to make the dream work’, as the saying goes.

While all teams are different, there are some universals that all teamwork need, or at least can benefit from.

Here is what psychologists have discovered over the decades:

1. Prioritise social skills for great teamwork

Surely if you want to build a fantastic group whether online or offline, you put the smartest people together?

Not necessarily.

According to research conducted by Woolley et al. (2010), highly performing groups need social sensitivity.

In their study, 699 people were observed working in groups of two to five.

They found that the intelligence of the group is…

“…not strongly correlated with the average or maximum individual intelligence of group members but is correlated with the average social sensitivity of group members…”

And this finding is not an isolated one.

The importance of social skills emerges in the research again and again.

So, it’s not about putting all the biggest brains together, it’s thinking about the social dynamic:

• Who will listen to others?
• Who will share criticism constructively?
• Who will have an open mind?
• Whose will back other people up?

Great teamwork requires great social skills.

Teamwork quote:

“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” – Henry Ford

2. Mix genders in teams

Since women’s social skills tend, on average, to be a little stronger than men’s, including women is one way of prioritising social skills for better teamwork.

Woolley et al.’s study reached the same conclusion: teams which included women did better than men-only teams.

But, that doesn’t mean you should take it to the logical extreme and build women-only teams: it’s all about the mix.

For example, Hoogendoorn et al. (2011) found that teams with equal gender mixes outperformed male-only and female-only groups in a business exercise.

Similarly, this Credit Suisse Research Institute report found that companies with at least some female board members have better share price performance than those that are men-only.

So, it makes sense to mix up the genders for effective teamwork.

Teamwork quote:

“A diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone.” — Sundar Pichai

3. Build trust for better teamwork

It’s very hard for people to work together effectively if they don’t trust each other — and this can be even harder online.

They also have to appear trustworthy to others or it may be difficult for them to do their job.

Teams that appear more trustworthy (hopefully because they are!) have been shown to perform better when negotiating with other groups (Naquin & Kurtzberg,…

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Brain benefits of listening to music include feeling chills, promoting happiness, soothing problems, aiding sleep, motivation and mental energy.

Every fan knows the tremendous benefits and power that listening to music can have over both thoughts and emotions.

Great music can transform an ordinary day into something magical, even spiritual.

Listening to music can provide solace, release, strong sensations and more.

But the benefits of listening to music spread further still: right up from our genetic code, through our thoughts and bodies and out into how we relate in groups.

1. Feeling chills when listening to music

Have you ever felt chills down your spine while listening to music?

According to a study by Nusbaum and Silvia (2010), over 90 percent of us have.

How powerful the benefits of music, though, depends on your personality.

People who are high in one of the five personality dimensions called ‘openness to experience’, are likely to feel the most chills while listening to music.

In the study, people high in openness to experience were more likely to play a musical instrument, and more likely to rate music as important to them.

2. Happiness benefits of music

One of the benefits of music should be feeling the chills; if not, perhaps you should try a little harder.

A study contradicts the old advice that actively trying to feel happier is useless.

In research by Ferguson and Sheldon (2013), participants who listened to upbeat classical compositions by Aaron Copland, while actively trying to feel happier, felt their moods lift more than those who passively listened to the music.

This suggests that engaging with music, rather than allowing it to wash over us, gives the experience an extra emotional power.

3. Listening to music soothes relationship problems

Sad music and gloomy movies help to soothe the pain of relationship problems (Lee et al., 2013).

People having difficulties in their personal relationships are more likely to choose tearjerker dramas and downbeat music.

This is unusual, because sad people usually prefer fun comedies and upbeat music to turn their mood around.

However, there is something about experiencing relationship problems, such as a break-up, that makes people want similar emotional companionship.

4. Music motivates exercise

Listening to higher tempo music makes exercise easier and more effective (Patania et al., 2020).

Endurance exercise, like walking, running and cycling benefit most from high tempo music in comparison to resistance exercises like weight-lifting which benefit less.

People walking on a treadmill reported feeling they were exerting themselves less while listening to high tempo music.

Music with tempos of between 170 and 190 beats per minute may help distract people from the workout.

5. Music helps people overcome mental fatigue

Listening to music while running helps pump up motivation even when mental fatigue has set in (Lam et al., 2021).

While many people listen to music while exercising, this is the first study to demonstrate that the practice is effective for overcoming mental fatigue.

After listening to a self-selected motivational playlist, runners who were mentally tired displayed the same performance as those who were mentally fresh.

6. Listening to music benefits…

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Episode 2003 Scott Adams: Trump’s Energy Messaging Is A Disaster, TikTok Ban Update, Iran Attacks

Content:

• Josh Hawley’s ban TikTok bill
• Iranian drone factories attacked
• Trump’s energy policy messaging
• Measles wipes out immunity for other illnesses
• Did Pfizer execs take all the COVID shots & boosters?
• What percent of medical professionals are vaxxed?
• If you would like to enjoy this same content plus bonus content from Scott Adams, including micro-lessons on lots of useful topicsto build your talent stack, please see scottadams.locals.com for full access to that secret treasure.

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The drink can also reduce blood pressure and lead to better cholesterol levels.

Replacing just one sugary soda with water can lead to weight loss and improve health, research suggests.

One study has linked drinking a pint of water before every meal to losing five times as much weight.

Another has found that switching to water can lead to a loss of 5 percent of body weight.

Changing to water also decreases fasting glucose levels, which is better for weight loss and general health.

Drinking water is one of the most popular weight loss techniques used by people.

Drinking water works by making people feel more full before a meal, so that they eat less.

Water works as a natural appetite suppressant and may aid in the burning of calories and fat.

The current study looked specifically at additional calories consumed in sugar-sweetened sodas, energy drinks and sweetened coffee.

Switching these to water is not only linked to weight loss, but also to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Dr Kiyah J. Duffey, the study’s first author, said:

“Regardless of how many servings of sugar-sweetened beverages you consume, replacing even just one serving can be of benefit.”

For the study, researchers modelled the effect of replacing an 8-ounce sugar-sweetened drink with water.

They found that this one substitution could decrease daily calorie intake and reduce obesity.

Dr Duffey explained:

“We found that among U.S. adults who consume one serving of sugar-sweetened beverages per day, replacing that drink with water lowered the percent of calories coming from drinks from 17 to 11 percent.

Even those who consumed more sugary drinks per day could still benefit from water replacement, dropping the amount of calories coming from beverages to less than 25 percent of their daily caloric intake.”

Switching a sugary drink to a non-sugary alternative will also reduce blood pressure and lead to better cholesterol levels.

The study was published in the journal Nutrients (Duffey & Poti, 2016).

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Just six minutes of exercise improves memory while reducing the risk of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.

The reward for doing 6 minutes of high-intensity workout is a brain that is more resilient to aging, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.

According to a study, short intervals of vigorous exercise improve the production of a protein involved in brain function related to memory, learning, and flexibility.

Our brain has the ability to learn, adapt, and function through a process known as neuroplasticity.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is the particular protein that boosts neuroplasticity and protects neurons.

Past research has suggested that higher levels of BDNF enhance memory storage, memory formation, improve learning processes, and increase cognitive function.

BDNF’s capability of protecting nerve cells has encouraged researchers to find out if this protein can slow brain aging.

Mr Travis Gibbons, the study’s first author, said:

“BDNF has shown great promise in animal models, but pharmaceutical interventions have thus far failed to safely harness the protective power of BDNF in humans.

We saw the need to explore non-pharmacological approaches that can preserve the brain’s capacity which humans can use to naturally increase BDNF to help with healthy aging.”

The team wanted to see if either calorie restriction or exercise or both have any effect on BDNF production.

For this, they compared the factors below to examine the solo and joint impacts:

• 90 minutes of low-intensity cycling
• Six minutes of high-intensity cycling intervals
• Fasting for 20 hours
• Fasting with exercise

Short but vigorous exercise appeared to be the most effective approach for elevating BDNF levels compared with light exercise or fasting with or without prolonged low-intensity workouts.

The 6-minute high-intensity workouts increased serum concentration of BDNF by five times.

Prolonged low-intensity cycling showed a slight increase in serum levels, from 336 pg/L to 390 pg/L, while fasting had no effect.

Such contrasting findings might be due to a cerebral substrate switch, the brain’s fuel source shifting from glucose to either ketone bodies or lactate.

It appears that the brain switches from glucose to lactate during exercise, leading to production of BDNF, while fasting causes an increase in ketone body delivery to the brain.

Platelets are tiny blood cells that store BDNF and exercise increased numbers of platelets by 20 percent compared to fasting.

The team also want to find out whether intermittent fasting with exercise would have a greater influence on BDNF and cognitive functions.

Mr Travis Gibbons, added:

“We are now studying how fasting for longer durations, for example up to three days, influences BDNF.

We are curious whether exercising hard at the start of a fast accelerates the beneficial effects of fasting.

Fasting and exercise are rarely studied together.

We think fasting and exercise can be used in conjunction to optimize BDNF production in the human brain.”

The study was published in the journal The Journal of Physiology (Gibbons et al., 2023).

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Episode 2004 Scott Adams PART1: Alternative WEF, Dogbert Takes On Canada, Biden Documents Scandal & More

Content:

• CNN ratings at nine year low
• Dilbert today on Jordan Peterson’s situation
• Social media is a drug
• Medical school rankings based on diversity
• Sweden’s pandemic success
• My tragic lack of skills
• If you would like to enjoy this same content plus bonus content from Scott Adams, including micro-lessons on lots of useful topicsto build your talent stack, please see scottadams.locals.com for full access to that secret treasure.

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There is a higher risk of premature death for those who are deficient in this vitamin.

Being deficient in vitamin D can lead to serious health issues.

Examples include bone loss, poor immune system, increased risk of heart disease and diabetes, multiple sclerosis, depression, and anxiety.

Further evidence from a University of South Australia study reveals a strong link between low vitamin D levels and increased odds of premature death from any cause including respiratory diseases, cancer and cardiovascular disease.

The study also found that the likelihood of early death reduced steeply when vitamin D concentrations increased by 50 nmol/L.

Vitamin D deficiency is identified when a person’s serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) is less than 25 nmol/L.

Our skin absorbs vitamin D by exposure to sunlight — but even with its abundance in Australia, one third of Australian adults are vitamin D deficient.

Mr Joshua Sutherland, the study’s first author, said:

“While severe vitamin D deficiency is rarer in Australia than elsewhere in the world, it can still affect those who have health vulnerabilities, the elderly, and those who do not acquire enough vitamin D from healthy sun exposure and dietary sources.

Our study provides strong evidence for the connection between low levels of vitamin D and mortality, and this is the first study of its kind to also include respiratory disease related mortality as an outcome.

We used a new genetic method to explore and affirm the non-linear relationships that we’ve seen in observational settings, and through this we’ve been able give strong evidence for the connection between low vitamin D status and premature death.

Vitamin D deficiency has been connected with mortality, but as clinical trials have often failed to recruit people with low vitamin D levels — or have been prohibited from including vitamin deficient participants — it’s been challenging to establish causal relationships.”

The research used the records of 307,601 white adults in the UK Biobank study who were between 37 and 73 years old.

The average levels of vitamin D were estimated at 45 nmol/L and vitamin D deficiency was classified as concentrations below 25 nmol/L.

During the 14 years of follow-up, 18,700 of the participants died.

The risk of premature death was increased by 25 percent for those with vitamin D deficiency.

However, when vitamin D concentrations increased to 50 nmol/L, the odds of dying were reduced, especially among people who were severely deficient.

Professor Elina Hyppönen, the study’s senior author, said:

“The take-home message here is simple — the key is in the prevention.

It is not good enough to think about vitamin D deficiency when already facing life-challenging situations, when early action could make all the difference.

It is very important to continue public health efforts to ensure the vulnerable and elderly maintain sufficient vitamin D levels throughout the year.”

Signs of vitamin D deficiency

Vitamin D deficiency exhibits various signs and symptoms.

Sleepiness and fatigue during the day, weight gain, and muscle weakness have all been reported among those who suffer from vitamin D deficiency.

However, all of these symptoms are general and could be related to other conditions.

That is why, if…

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Episode 2004 Scott Adams PART2: Alternative WEF, Dogbert Takes On Canada, Biden Documents Scandal & More

Content:

• CNN ratings at nine year low
• Dilbert today on Jordan Peterson’s situation
• Social media is a drug
• Medical school rankings based on diversity
• Sweden’s pandemic success
• My tragic lack of skills
• If you would like to enjoy this same content plus bonus content from Scott Adams, including micro-lessons on lots of useful topicsto build your talent stack, please see scottadams.locals.com for full access to that secret treasure.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Episode 2005 Scott Adams: Pretending To Care About Kids, Bill Maher & CNN, China Can’t Make Chips

Content:

• Bill Maher to slightly join CNN
• Kids getting dumber because of smartphones?
• Dan Crenshaw’s strong anti-fentanyl stance
• China’s state managed manufacturing system
• Excess COVID deaths or psychogenic death?
• MSNBC Yasmin Vossoughian’s Myocarditis
• If you would like to enjoy this same content plus bonus content from Scott Adams, including micro-lessons on lots of useful topicsto build your talent stack, please see scottadams.locals.com for full access to that secret treasure.

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Episode 2006 Scott Adams: Lots Of Conspiracy Theories Confirmed This Year. Big Things Coming

Content:

• Watergate was a deep state operation
• Whiteboard: Odds of War With Cartels
• Dan Crenshaw’s Declare War on Cartels bill 
• Do the Mexican cartels own Biden?
• Medicare paid rehab scam
• A functional drug rehab solution
• If you would like to enjoy this same content plus bonus content from Scott Adams, including micro-lessons on lots of useful topicsto build your talent stack, please see scottadams.locals.com for full access to that secret treasure.

 

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