Mixon's Memos
May / June 2016
Questions to "Walk the Brain"
Different Questions connect with different parts of the brain and therefore resonate with different team/class members. If you want to leverage the way each of your team/class member’s brains are wired you will have to ask all four types of questions!
“What” is walking the brain?
“What” is the upper left quadrant of the brain that demands definition and analysis. What then is “walking the brain”? It is an intentional process of asking all four questions that the brain is designed to ask when exploring some topic or issue.
“Why” walk the brain?
“Why” is the conceptual upper right quadrant. It represents purpose. The purpose of “walking the brain” is to make sure that every individual on the team has their brain itch scratched.
Who” is involved when we walk the brain?
“Who” is the lower right quadrant, and it demands answers to the questions about who is affected. Individuals who are red brained (“who” quadrant dominant) are interested in relational effects of the decision or action. These individuals want to know about people’s feelings as a result of what action is taken. When a leader “walks the brain” with a team, every member has “voice”, which has been found to be a major contributor to commitment of members to the team’s decision.
“How” do I walk the brain?
Finally, there are the green brain people. These are the lower left brain individuals that must know “how” things will get done. These are often the task oriented members who do not deal well with ambivalence. The process of walking the brain is literally taking the issue at hand and asking various questions for each quadrant, usually in the order of why, what, who and how.
In his book, “Great Leaders Ask Questions”, Bob Tiede shares four questions :
What is going well?
What’s not?
Where are you stuck?
What needs to change?
Now taking these 4 questions and applying them to the Walking the Brain process you have 16 questions to pose to your team/class. (See chart below. Of course your questions would be worded a little differently - this just gives you a framework)
Walking the Brain by Steve Caldwell
May / June Dates to Remember
5/3 PACE Screener 5th grade @8:00 in Sci Lab, Fire Drill, 5th grd Sci Days, 3rd and 5th Parent Night
5/4 3rd grd Sci Assess opens, 5th grd Sci Days, Progress Reports go home, Leadership mtg., 1st and 2nd Parent Night
5/5 PLCs, Kinder and 4th grd Parent Night
5/6 Last Assembly
5/9 STAAR Math testing 3rd-5th (campus closed to ALL visitors), QUEST Fair for Kinder & 1st @ 5:00 in Library
5/10 STAAR Rdg testing 3rd-5th (campus closed to ALL visitors)
5/11 STAAR Sci testing 5th grd (campus closed to ALL visitors), Nurse's Day
5/12 PLCs, LA/MA benchmark assessments for K -2 open, Retirement Celebration in library, IC Surveys due to Tracey, PTA Hot Dog Social 6:00-7:30
5/13 Cedar Park MS band visit tryouts for 5th grade
5/16 Spring Book Fair starts, K and 1st Math Check Up 4 opens, 4th grd Sci assess opens, Sci Assembly in MPR
5/17 Last week for Literacy Partners, Talent Show rehearsal 3:30 - 5:00
5/18 3rd grd PACE screeners @ 8:00 in Sci Lab, 1st -4th grd PACE screener window opens
5/19 PLCs optional, 4th grd PACE Screener @ 9:00 in Sci Lab, Book Fair Night 5:30-7:00
5/20 Talent Show rehearsal
5/21 Naumann Talent Show 5:00 - 7:00
5/23 NO SCHOOL- bad weather day!!!
5/24 2nd grd PACE Screeners @ 8:00 in Sci Lab, EOY RtI summaries for 1st, 2nd and 5th
5/25 EOY RtI summaries for 3rd, 4th and Kinder, 5th grd Graduation trip, Faculty mtg
5/26 Red Nose Day, PLC - class list, ALL assess due in AWARE before you leave school, 7th grd QUEST visitors
5/27 Kinder graduation, All PACE screeners and DRAs due in AWARE,
5/30 Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL!!!
5/31 5th grd Business Fair preview day
6/1 5th grd Business Fair buy day, Faculty mtg to do Class Lists
6/3 Last day of school, Kinder and 1st Check Up 4 due in AWARE, EOY Luncheon
6/6 Teacher Work day
6/7-9 Teacher Leader Work days