How brain training can help you get an edge – and a raise – at work
In an age of mass layoffs, thousands of people applying for two job openings, and perky 20-somethings competing for positions with Boomers, you need an edge to get – or keep – a job. No, it’s not an Armani suit or pearly whites; it’s not even a list of references or the fact that you’ve never called in sick. The bottom line to compete in today’s tough job market is performance.
Yes, closing a multi-million dollar deal is good, but it’s usually a result of your consistent performance. So what type of brain skills do you need, and how do you strengthen them? Here are four must-haves for today’s competitive market.
1. Auditory processing. Reading and writing in some form are a vital component of most jobs. Whether you write sales letters and emails, read technical instructions or even just want to take a continuing education class, strong auditory skills are a necessity.
Auditory processing is the ability to perceive, analyze and conceptualize what is heard and is one of the underlying skills needed to learn to read and spell. “One of the core sub-skills of auditory processing is phonemic awareness,” explains Tanya Mitchell, VP of development for LearningRx, a national brain-training franchise that works with adults, teens, children and soldiers with traumatic brain injuries. “Phonemic awareness is the ability to blend sounds to make words, to segment sounds, to break words apart into separate sounds, and to manipulate and analyze sounds. We’ve found that in adults with reading and writing difficulties, the weakest cognitive skills are phonemic awareness and auditory processing, although other areas may suffer as well.”
For working adults who suffer from dyslexia (“trouble with reading”) or dysgraphia (“trouble with writing”), brain training can be the transformation between struggling and excelling.
““Having been a student of sight reading, learning how to use phonetics has increased my confidence,” says Lisa* from Virginia Beach, who completed a brain training program for adults. “I now feel more comfortable reading aloud with less fear of coming across a word that I do not usually see in print. It is a confidence builder.”
2. Attention. If you struggle with multi-tasking, staying focused on long-term projects or coping with constant interruptions in the workplace, you likely have weak attention skills.
Although there’s a lot of talk about children and teens with ADD and ADHD, weak attention skills are a factor for many working adults as well. Although many people loosely define attention as “focus,” in reality there are three types of attention: divided (enables you to pay attention to several things at once); sustained (enables you to pay attention for long periods of time); and selective (allows you to stay on task even when a distraction is presented).
Many adults struggle with more than one type of attention skill weakness. Professional cognitive skills trainers can measure the different types of attention skills and essentially ‘retrain the brain’ to strengthen the learning skills.
“I have always had difficulty with learning compared to friends/coworkers,” says 54-year-old Lorie*, who underwent brain training for her attention struggles. “I have recently been diagnosed with ADHD (inattentive type). I wanted to identify specific learning issues and how they affect me so that maybe I can learn to love the learning process instead of looking at it with frustration and fear. After training, for the first time in my life I felt no shame or that I was lacking in someway, but instead I felt a sense of acceptance for me and my abilities and not my disabilities. The level of support, encouragement and just feeling the gains in my learning process was and is amazing!”
3. Memory/retention. Thanks to recent losses in the stock market, many would-be retirees are staying at their jobs longer. This makes for tough competition for seniors, who are often competing against younger brains with stronger memory skills (the most rapidly weakening learning skill for humans).
Memory can affect your job in many ways: forgetting clients’ names, missing appointments and meetings, and losing big accounts by forgetting important details.
And while age-related cognitive decline is a given, there are things you can do to decrease and delay its impact.
“There are actually three types of memory,” explains Dr. Ken Gibson, author of “Unlock the Einstein Inside.” “Short-term, long-term and working memory. In the workplace, short-term memory might be telling yourself to call a client after you finish typing up a letter. Long-term might mean remembering a customer’s name from five years ago. Working memory is about your ability to retain information for a short period of time while processing or using it, such as when you do math computations in your head. All three are important to almost every type of job, and cognitive skills training can strengthen these learning skills.”
“I came to the brain-training center looking to improve my memory skills in order to further myself at work,” said Chuck*, a 25-year-old who is a lineman for a major power provider in Green Bay. “ I had a major test coming up at work that would determine whether or not I could become an independent worker. After completing the cognitive skills training program, not only did I pass my test with flying colors, but I have now been able to take on a leadership role. All because of the skills gained through brain training and the confidence it has given me.”
4. Processing speed. Ever noticed how some people can complete a task in half the time of their coworkers? It’s not that the other coworkers are lazy – or even slow. It’s more likely that the faster employee has exceptional processing speed.
Processing speed is basically the rate at which the brain handles information. No matter what your age or education, processing speed can be improved.
“Many people assume processing speed has to do with intelligence or education,” explains Mitchell. In reality, it’s just about the number of connections between your brain synapses. Cognitive skills training increases these pathways so the brain can find the shortest route to get information from point A to point B. It’s very common for us to see people with high intelligence that have low processing speed.”
According to Mitchell, processing speed is often one of the most significant determinants of performance. It helps employees respond quickly, process math computations faster, move from task to task in a timely manner, and perform well under stress – such as with deadlines or time-sensitive responsibilities. Just imagine what a slow processing speed could do if you worked at the New York Stock Exchange!
“I have always had difficulty taking timed tests,” explains John* from Palm Harbor, Florida. “I applied for time extension for the GMAT in order to go to graduate school and was denied. I was referred to a brain-training center where we concentrated on processing speed and I completed the test with time to spare. I am much more efficient on my job and can accomplish in three days what it was taking a week to accomplish before. Needless to say, my boss is very happy and I received a promotion.”
For most people who undergo cognitive skills training, the two biggest results can be found in work performance and self-confidence.
“”I feel more confident and I don’t feel overwhelmed,” says Anne of Virginia Beach. “I can write contracts faster and more easily now. I ordered lunch the other day and could figure the tip right away! Someone told me their birthday and I immediately figured out how old they were in my head. I am more confident dealing with numbers now. I can concentrate better. I remember appointments and remember names of people I’ve just met! I don’t fall apart when the pressure’s on. I am better organized.”
To learn more about how you can improve your brain by strengthening your cognitive skills, contact your nearest brain-training center.
*All last names have been removed for privacy.
