What we can learn from visiting the ‘hippocampus’
Go on, admit it.
Like me, this is what your mind’s eye conjures when you see or hear the word ‘hippocampus’.
This made-up mental image is actually the hippocampus doing its job: connecting memories of previous learning (just not quite the right ones in this case!)
And now we have an eye-worm. You can’t unsee it.
Because now you have a new memory of reading this post.
Did you know that a 1957 study showed that humans lost the ability to form new memories when the hippocampus was removed from the brain?
The hippocampus is the seahorse-shaped part that sits above the ear. We’ve actually got 2 hippocampi.*
I’ve been checking that the training I provide in workshops and coaching sessions engages the hippocampus to optimise learning ‘stickiness’.
The NeuroLeadership Institute’s AGES model makes a nifty neuroscience checklist:
✅ Attention – introducing the unexpected and sensory stimulation
✅ Generation – active, creative, participative experiences
✅ Emotion – connecting feeling to learning
✅ Spacing – a steady rate of info transfer with regular breaks
I’ve also checked if my brain-friendly training and coaching engage the 3 biological stages that are key to learning success:
✅ Readiness – evoking curiosity and anticipation to trigger dopamine
✅ Construction – semantic shaping (metaphors and stories), chunking, multisensory instruction and filter-switching (through the lens of…) to spark new neural connections
✅ Consolidation – practice and reflection to smooth and strengthen retrieval
Phew! All ticks, but I know I have to work more on spacing, especially when there’s so much I want to share.
When you’re ready for ‘sticky’, brain-friendly communication training for your team, let’s make new memories together.
If your team is struggling to meet expectations, manage information overload, and express themselves effectively, let’s talk about bringing the True Colors program to your workplace so we can identify who likes to communicate how.
* when I hear the word ‘hippocampi’ I think of hippos in kimonos toasting with cups of sake – kanpi!
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