P R O J E C T M A N A G E M E N T I N S T I T U T E D O W N T O W N M E E T I N G

J A N E T R O T S E N K O J A N E . T R O T S E N K O @ G M A I L . C O M

7 1 3 - 8 2 5 - 6 5 8 0

1 0 / 3 1 / 2 0 1 3

Attention and Memory

Goals

Improve attention Improve memory Improve project management

Challenge #1: Rubik’s Cube

1974, Ernő Rubik Total combinations: 43 quintillion = 43 𝑥 1018

Challenge #2: Project Management

Challenge #3: Language Acquisition

Spanish 22 verb tenses Irregular verbs Indicative vs. subjunctive vs.

conditional vs. imperative

Quería comprar el nuevo disco de Serrat, pero cuando llegué ya habían serrado la tienda.

Chinese 4 basic tones Over 20,000 characters No alphabet

岛 上海

Attention

“What we pay attention to expands. What we pay attention to we become.” Brenda Shoshanna

Richard Atkinson and Richard Shiffrin, 1968

Attention is a prerequisite for memory Problem-solving takes place at short-term memory

Our Toolbox

Knowledge Acquisition

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

5 Senses

Tasting 1%

Smelling 1.5%

Touching 3.5%

Hearing 11%

Seeing 83%

Visual Learning Auditory Learning Kinesthetic Learning

How Attention Works

General Principles

Stimulus-driven Goal- directed

Schneider and Shiffrin's Automaticity Model

Controlled Processing is slow and conscious.

Demands substantial mental resources

Limited capacity Can be modified Requires effort

Automatic Processing is fasted and unconscious.

No demands on an individual's attentional resources

No capacity limitations Cannot be modified Effortless

The Stroop Effect

General Principles

Coupling

Parts grouped in a whole

General Principles, Multistability

General Principles, Multistability

Magic Eye Pictures, Simplicity

Likelihood, Change Blindness, Simplicity

4 Videos http://www.simonslab.c

om/videos.html

Cocktail Party Effect

Selective Attention Filter Mechanism

How Attention Works

How Does It Apply to PM?

No distractions Emails Phone calls Tell everybody that you

are unavailable Create a quiet

environment Focus on one activity Take breaks Result? Higher productivity Higher quality

Real Life Example: Robert Knuth

Robert Knuth (1938) Professor Emeritus of The

Art of Computer Programming at Stanford University

Recipient of numerous awards and honors, the prestigious Kyoto Prize for advanced technology

26 books, 161 papers Read: http://www-cs-

faculty.stanford.edu/~knuth/email.html

Memory

“A clear conscience is the sure sign of a bad memory.” Mark Twain

Richard Atkinson and Richard Shiffrin, 1968

Sensory, short-term, and long-term memory Encoding, storage, retrieval Only long-term memory is unlimited

Richard Atkinson and Richard Shiffrin, 1968

Long-term Memory

Implicit (unconscious)

Procedural (biking)

Priming (palm tree)

Classical Conditioning

Emotional Responses

Skeletal Musculature

Non-associative

learning

Explicit (conscious)

Semantic (Facts)

Episodic (Events)

Network Model

Networks Semantic knots Semantic connections Routes/Trails Gradual growth Complexity and depth

How to Improve Memory

Create a good working environment (quiet, no distractions)

Gradual learning Depth of knowledge Repetition Practice Retrieval Eat healthy Sleep and take breaks

Brain Rules, John Medina

Exercise Survival – improvise and

be creative Wiring – individual

approach Attention – 10 min span Short-term memory –

elaborate Long-term memory –

repetition

How to Improve Memory

Brain Rules, John Medina

Sleep – nap, early birds vs. night owls

Stress – control Sensory Integration Vision – add a picture

10% vs 65% to remember Gender – mixed gender

teams Exploration – Google

20% time

Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell

Opportunity 10,000 hours (20 hours

of work a week for 10 years)

Meaningful work Timing Upbringing Legacy

Beatles gave over 1200 concerts between 1960-64

Summary, Memory & Attention

Our conscious capacity is very limited => Use it wisely! Project Management

Unconscious processes are much more efficient => Take Advantage of them! Rubik’s Cube Language Acquisition Move your PM knowledge

from conscious level to unconscious one

It is not “either…or”

Implications for Project Management

Make a commitment to excel in PM

Find an area in PM that you like and find meaningful

Expand your knowledge and practice what you learn We remember 80-90% of

what we hear, see and do Use opportunities to

grow Become

Implications for Project Management

“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” Confucius

THANK YOU FOR COMING!

J A N E T R O T S E N K O

J A N E . T R O T S E N K O @ G M A I L . C O M 7 1 3 - 8 2 5 - 6 5 8 0

Attention & Memory