TED Community » Michael Perman

More About Me

I'm passionate about

Innovation, Story Telling, Bergamot, Neursocience, Seafood, Pelaroniums, Community

An idea worth spreading

The middle brain.

Organizational and social constructs general pose dichotomous views of the ways people think and operate. Left brain and right brain. Science and Arts. Meyers-Briggs personality types. Burgundy and Chablis. I think innovation will prosper when we embrace the middle of the brain which straddles both worlds. That could work if people learn empathy skills.

How might we develop the middle brain for creation and evolution of ideas?

Talk to me about

Orchestrating innovation, Story-telling, Community, Millennials, Women, Smoked Seafood, Pelargoniums

People don't know that I'm good at

Writing, Gardening, Psychology

My TED Story

One day found myself swimming in the middle of a metahporical ocean, swept by the current of Millennial women which we have been researching for Levi Strauss & Co. We learned from women in ten countries, hearing about their coming-of-age stories, how they are transcending societal expectations for success, navigating in non-linear ways to discover who they are meant to be and in so doing are making a difference in the world. We created a global community for Millennial women to pursue their passion and potential with a re-imaginged form of mentorship, peer-to-peer instead of multi-generational, communal instead of one-to-one. Then we discovered and helped sponsor the TEDWomen conference which is a wonderful forum for exploring what's next - and help shape what's to come. I've been a TED devotee ever since - and we also sponsored TED Global. I've since helped facilitate TEDX sessions. TED inspires me daily and I use TED films in my innovation workshops to inspire others.

Comments

• TEDCred score: +101.50 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• +5

  A comment on Conversation: What is the key to smarter decisions?

  Oct 3 2012: First, I think there is a mis-conception that decisions need to be fast and somehow society equates speed and "decisiveness" with being smart. I think perspective is important - allowing a bit of time to pass (unless the decision about running from a bengal tiger that's come loose in the suburbs).
  
  So, the key is about processing impact and thinking through the chain of events that are set off by decisions. We often think of how the decision effects the outcome of the current choice, but try to predict the ripple effect. What choices will be presented as an outcome of this first decision? What/who will be impacted?
  
  Also, really think about the magnitude of the decision and allow for unpredictable outcomes. No matter how carefully you process information, the energy flow and randomness shape what happens next

• A comment on Conversation: Is our age of innovation actually an age of stagnation?

  Oct 2 2012: When we see change in front of our eyes, it moves very slowly. But, that's not stagnation. You can watch a flower bloom in your garden but watching a time lapse film provides a more stunning perspective on the change that's happening. I agree with your point that lots of innovation is product development and lots of the product development is created just because it can be created - whereas innovation is more purposeful. Massive innovation happens at an ecosystem level where communities of people can co-create to serve the needs of the community and make it flourish. If you look closely at bio-technology, physical science, nano and even music - there's really quite a bit of stunning newness. Yes, we're still basically driving the same cars and flying the same planes. But, since we're also entering an era of massively reduced consumption - many innovations are going to be more virtual and not tangible. And, innovation may come from changes in behavior, e.g. massive simplicity
• +1

  A comment on Conversation: Why is absolute silence so terrifying ?

  Oct 2 2012: Let's consider this posed in a different way. There's a month-long waiting list for people to spend time in the "room of extraordinary tranquility". For $100 you can stay 30 minutes. For $500 you may stay for 45 minutes and for $1000 you may stay for one hour, which is the ultimate experience in peace. The effects are long lasting - you'll reach nirvana and that will linger for nearly six months, when you may re-visit.
  
  Of course, being in South Minneapolis a more terrifying thought would being alone in the room with a large mosquito
• +2

  A comment on Conversation: What motivates you?

  Oct 2 2012: What motivates me most is stillness. The visual manifestation expressed in a clear pool just before a pebble drop. In my mind "nothing" is under-rated. The state of nothingness is the genesis of creation. The blank page, I guess. Once there, my motivation comes from a run in the woods, a rest on the hammock and books about how people's brains function. My 'go-to" book is "Maps of The Mind", by Charles Hampden Turner. A digest of 50 + different views of how our minds operate.
• +2

  A comment on Conversation: Does formal education as a child hinder a child's creativity?

  Oct 2 2012: Let's start viewing creativity as more than just "art". One of the challenges of typical early formal education now is that creativity is often connected to a visual system, rather than the broader role of problem solving. What we should be teaching is developmental thinking and co-creation - ways that children can learn to build on each others ideas. Collaboration is a form of creativity - one that is interdependent.

• A reply on Conversation: What are the most important cultural trends influencing our future behavior

  Jul 9 2011: I think you are correct and I believe more people will consume content and ideas more than material possessions in an environment of scarcity
• +1

  A reply on Conversation: What are the most important cultural trends influencing our future behavior

  Jul 9 2011: I love this perspective because I am indeed part of an institution and can empathize with what you say. However, I do like to understand where humanity is moving - and think creatively about how to address the conditions that exist

• A comment on Conversation: Where do you think consciousness comes from?

  Jul 9 2011: Consciousness comes from what we will be thinking in the future which is what someone else has been thinking in the past. The brain cells stay within our universe which is why consciousness is collective.

• A comment on Conversation: What do you guys say about bullying?

  Jul 9 2011: I think bullying is indeed an old problem but as societies mature they need to adapt to greater social consciousness. I have an autistic son who is 12 years old and he's not yet encountered this and his school has a zero tolerance policy. But a friend of his in another school has been bullied to the extent that police were called, suspensions administered and yet the bullying continued. That kid had to change schools because the school would not protect or defend him. It impaired this child's learning experience. So, yes I think it's a real issue.
• +3

  A comment on Conversation: What have you learnt from watching TEDTalks?

  Jul 9 2011: I've learned new ways to learn. New ways to understand knowledge and transform into wisdom. Learned new ways to share information,