Sep/110
Q & A on Whole Brain® Thinking
The Whole Brain® Model (shown above), based on 30 years of research, is a validated metaphor for how we think, providing a useful framework to diagnose and describe the different types of thinking involved in any organization. It divides thinking into four quadrants, two on the “left brain” side and two on the “right brain” side. All four of the different thinking modes are in use and available to all of us, but we tend to prefer certain types over others.
In what kinds of situations can Whole Brain® Thinking be used?
Any situation that requires thinking that goes beyond a given quadrant’s specialized mode can benefit from Whole Brain® Thinking. To insure that each quadrant has been explored in a given process, an approach called a Walk-Around™ is used. (The Walk-Around™ pad is a great tool for facilitating this.)
Here are four examples of frequently used applications of Whole Brain® Thinking:
Decision Making
Most decisions benefit from a thought process that includes the review of multiple options and perspectives. A typical example is the purchase of a car. Quadrant A thinkers look at information on the actual performance of the vehicle. Quadrant B thinkers read a consumer report to gather research on the reliability and practical features (trunk size, safety records, etc.) of the vehicle. Quadrant C thinkers test drive the car to see if it “feels” right. And Quadrant D focuses on the aesthetics, color, styling and innovations of each model.
Using Whole Brain® Thinking—the thinking of all quadrants—contributes to a better choice and avoids unpleasant surprises. Overlooking even one quadrant can result in a less than ideal outcome.
Problem Solving
Every problem situation can benefit from a Quadrant A review of the data and facts, as well as an analysis of the real problem at hand; the Quadrant D “big-picture” context and possible creative ideas; Quadrant C viewpoint of the “customer” of the problem and how the problem affects others; and Quadrant B step-by-step process to solve the problem and implement the solution.
Improving team interactions and performance
Most teams are formed to make the most of the differences among team members. But very often those differences stand in the way of the team living up to its potential. Whole Brain® Thinking can help a team to acknowledge the differences among team members and then use those differences to make the most of the ideas of each team member. In addition, once a team knows its preferences it can use that knowledge to enhance its communication with other teams and work groups which may have thinking preferences that are quite different.
Communication
The objective of most communication is to convey an idea, transfer information or persuade someone. How many times have you experienced the frustration of delivering a message only to realize that the other person “just didn’t get it.” In order to communicate effectively, it’s important to understand the “language” and mindset of the person(s) you are communicating with. A diagnosis of the thinking preferences of the audience can provide the critical planning information you need to tailor your language and presentation to the audience. When the audience’s preferences are in doubt, taking a Whole Brain® approach to communication ensures that you’ve covered all the “languages.” This reduces the possibility of miscommunication and improves the chance that your message will be successfully received by the audience.
This guest post was contributed by Herrmann International Asia.
In addition to the thinking preferences of people, we can also use the Whole Brain® Model to diagnose processes, organizational cultures, vision and value statements, and a host of other systems we engage with on a daily basis. How are you applying Whole Brain® Thinking to get better results?
Aug/110
Learnings From The Leadership Challenge Forum Conference
Orin Salas, VP of Sales for Herrmann International, checked in from The Leadership Challenge (TLC) Forum in Chicago.
175 people attended The Leadership Challenge (TLC) Forum Conference this year, with participants from across the US, Canada, the UK and Asia. It was a good, enthusiastic group of people who are certified in the TLC methodology or are users of the materials.
On Thursday morning, Ann Herrrmann-Nehdi and I attended several sessions including the kick-off by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, the leaders of TLC. There were several breakout sessions featuring companies using TLC methodology.
The afternoon started with the Chicago Comedy Company leading us through a number of improvisational activities in a session entitled, “The Improvisational Leader.” They did a good job of connecting the activities back to the business challenges leaders face.
And with that as an introduction, Ann took the stage for the final presentation of the day, her keynote, “It’s Not Left Brain or Right Brain, It’s Whole Brain®.”
The group took a few minutes to warm up, but less than 10 minutes into her presentation, Ann had full participation. She led them through some background information about the brain, connected thinking preferences to leadership competencies, and reviewed the Whole Brain® Model, exploring how Whole Brain® Thinking is becoming even more critical for leadership success in today’s business environment. As always, the participants were wowed by the handouts and the tools they received.
Friday began with focus groups discussing the future of leadership and development. The groups touched on topics such as virtual leadership, technology, technology etiquette, generational challenges and the “size” of learning. This was followed by an interesting presentation on emotional quotient (EQ) and emotional intelligence.
All in all, it was a learning-filled two days in Chicago with plenty of opportunity for best practice sharing and knowledge exchange about how to develop leaders in an increasingly complex world.
For other participants’ take on the event, you can search the Twitter hashtag #TLCForum11 and read the live updates at @TLCTalk.
Mar/110
Whole Brain® Thinking In Action: Contest Winners!
We asked and you delivered.
Thanks to everyone who participated in our recent blog contest about the organizing principle of the brain and contributed to the list of ways Whole Brain® Thinking can be applied.
The list keeps growing, and even though the contest has ended, we hope you’ll continue to come back to the post and add your thoughts and ideas about how you’re driving the Whole Brain® Advantage and how that’s fueling success in your work and personal life.
In the meantime, the lucky winners…
Congratulations to commenter number 6, Andy Radka, and commenter number 4, Mary Simpson, who each won an HBDI® Profile Board!
Feb/119
The Organizing Principle of the Brain (And Our Latest Blog Contest!)
Ned Herrmann, founder of Herrmann International, wrote that the Whole Brain® Model is a metaphor for an organizing principle of how the brain works.
Wikipedia defines an organizing principle as “a core assumption from which everything else by proximity can derive a classification or a value. It is like a central reference point that allows all other objects to be located.”
When you consider the brain as an organizing principle, you begin to realize how many ways Whole Brain® Thinking can be applied and how far-reaching the applications are for driving the Whole Brain® Advantage, both in work and in personal life.
In fact, over the years Ned came up with quite a list:
40 Ways to Drive the Whole Brain® Advantage
Under the Organizing Principle of the Brain
Advertising
Applied Creative Thinking
Boredom
Career Orientation
Coaching
Communication
Counseling
Creative Problem Solving
Customer Service
Decision Making
Family Relationships
Group Process
Health
Human Resource Development
Innovation
Investing
Job Design
Leadership Development
Learning
Learning Design
Management Development
Marketing
Marriage
Meeting Design
Organization Design
Organization Effectiveness
Personal Growth
Post-Merger Integration
Process Design
Product Design
Project Management
Sales
Sports
Strategic Thinking
Task Force Creation
Teaching & Training Delivery
Team Building and Bonding
Time Management
Workshop Design
Writing
Now we want to know what you think (and we have a terrific prize for two lucky commenters!):
1. What would you add to this list?
2. Which one application do you think will be most important to organizational success in 2011?
Leave a comment with your answers, and you could win a free HBDI® Profile Board. The Profile Board is a great tool for reinforcing the application of Whole Brain® Thinking and organizing team activities and interactions around a central reference point of Whole Brain® Thinking.
This is your opportunity to contribute to the collective intelligence of the Whole Brain® Thinking community! We’ll publish the updated list in a future issue of our BrainBytes™ newsletter.
Two winners will be selected by random drawing from comments on this blog entry related to the questions above. Contest is open until March 18, 2011.
Apr/100
Putting the ‘Fun’ into Functional
It is rare that anyone pushes back on having some fun, unless it feels like we are doing something “too serious.” Fun is, in fact, one of the most effective ways to engage, learn and gain compliance.
Perhaps you have seen the video on YouTube that shows the piano stairs in Sweden, designed to get people to take the stairs rather than the escalator for improved health reasons. Before they know it, subway riders have actually enjoyed their climb up the stairs.
The current issue of BusinessWeek Magazine has a fascinating story about a new approach to childhood education and compliance for those who suffer from diabetes. Didget is a glucose testing meter that plugs into a video console: Why not make the annoying process of drawing blood for testing something fun?
Research done with our partners in South Africa clearly demonstrated the challenges associated with getting compliance from diabetic kids. The typical approach used by educators and parents focused solely on the rules, schedules and other compliance issues (the B quadrant of the Whole Brain® Model). Once they adopted a Whole Brain® approach – which included an element of fun – compliance happened (and parents stopped nagging!).
What are your examples of making functional more fun?
What could you do in your day-to-day that would take an unpleasant activity and turn it into something really appealing and enjoyable? Share your ideas—we will send a “fabulous prize” to the person who submits the best example.
Mar/100
Brains 3.0: Building Leaders in the 21st Century
With the world around us continuing to change ever more rapidly in the wake of the current global economic crisis, what will the impact be on today’s – and tomorrow’s – leaders?
This is a topic I discussed in a recent article, “Building Leaders in the 21st Century: Brains 3.0” and will be exploring further in a forthcoming book on leadership.
In the article, I assert that the demand for Whole Brain® Thinking is no longer limited to the CEO ranks of leadership. I believe our world now requires leaders at every level to possess the adaptive and integrative thinking that spans all four quadrants of the brain, as represented in the Whole Brain® Model. We simply don’t have the luxury to relegate ourselves to “limited brain bandwidth” in this environment.
The article is intended to provoke thinking, and I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts and observations on the subject. Add your voice to the discussion by posting a comment.
- Some questions to think about:
- How do you define the “new normal” we will see post recession, and what will be the impact on the leadership requirements?
- How will younger generations emerge as leaders? Do you think their very different life experiences influence their level of interest and capacity for this breadth of thinking?
- How will social learning and networks impact how we look at developing leaders and the leadership function?
- What are the most radical “pictures” you have of the new organizational models, which will, of course, require different leadership?
- Should we look for ways to devise a “leadership chip” to insert into peoples brains once we can do that safely? If so, what would be the characteristics? What we would want to keep? Let go of?
Download the full article here:
Building Leaders in the 21st Century: Brains 3.0
Read more and view a video “Learning Byte” on this topic in the March 2010 issue of the BrainBytes™ newsletter.
Mar/101
“My Brain is Full”…Time for Spring Cleaning?
As spring begins to slowly emerge, I am reminded of the natural desire to do “spring cleaning.” We may do that for our homes, our closets or our offices, but do we do that for our minds?
Research on learning has shown that we need to clear some space to allow for new learning to occur. “Much of what we learn in a day, we don’t really need to remember,” Chiara Cirelli, of the Center for Sleep and Consciousness says. “If you’ve used up all the space, you can’t learn more before you clean out the junk that is filling up your brain.”
I know I have experienced that feeling of “my brain is full.” It happens even faster on a day when I am sleep deprived. There is a reason for that: Once again, sleep is one critical ingredient to our ability to refresh and renew our “learning space.” Many have shared with me that a full brain actually prevents them from sleeping, which just perpetuates the cycle.
What are some ways you can do some mental “spring cleaning?”
- Take a “brain dump” break once a day or at least one a week. Depending on your preference, it can be in the evening after a full day or in the morning to get organized, or both. Just writing the stuff down that is floating in your head can allow you to let it go and help move it onto long-term memory. It is even better if you keep a running priority list that you can review and update. (Whole Brain® Model “B quadrant” tip)
- Power up by taking a mini-walk, run or mental breather. Often the “noise” in our heads is the same information cycling around again and again. Just taking a five-minute physical break will send blood flow to your brain, and that’s often enough to flush out the clutter and allow you to refocus. (Whole Brain® Model “C quadrant” tip)
- Leverage technology. Use recorders, smartphones or your gadget of choice to capture a recurring thought for processing later or for filing in your brain dump list. (Whole Brain® Model “A quadrant” tip)
- Treat your brain to some escape. Daydream, take a powernap or listen to some music to calm your thinking and give it a rest. It does not take much to shift your brain state. (Whole Brain® Model “D quadrant” tip)
Oh, by the way, don’t wait for Spring!
Dec/090
Back to The Future…but Which One?
As Dorothy said to Toto in the Wizard of Oz: “I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas any more.”
The most predictable trend for the year ahead is that 2010 will be unpredictable. Helping others (and yourself) through this “new yet unpredictable normal” will represent a new set of demands on us all.
A few of the most challenging aspects can be addressed by applying what we know about the brain. Here are three ways you can shift your thinking to prepare yourself for the unpredictable future
Staying Positive Through Uncertainty: Sustained and unpredictable change can significantly impact our mindset and brain states. One recent brain study found that such uncertainty leads to more anxiety, and for many, that can make an experience seem more negative than it actually is. You may have seen this in your own workplace—there seems to be a consistent undertone of negativity, regardless of what is really going on.
- Shift Your Thinking: Make a list of all the positive things you know will NOT change. Even simple routine activities count (e.g., time with family, hobby-related activities, get-togethers with friends, etc.). This can set your mind at ease that not everything is different or negative.
Reality Checks: Plato stated, “nothing endures but change.” Seems obvious, and we know that will be more true than ever in 2010. This state of constant flux may exacerbate the sense of uncertainty, which, as noted above, will often makes things “seem” worse.
In fact, recent research shows that some of us actually will fare better hearing the tough truth rather than being stuck with uncertainty, worrying about what might be. I believe this is true for most of us.
- Shift Your Thinking Do a reality check! Ask the tough questions and seek out as much information as you can, even if is the answers are hard to take or not what you want to hear.
- Many people will hide in denial because they don’t want to deal with the unpleasantness they predict will occur. But in fact, knowing what is ahead allows you to plan and look for alternatives rather than get caught off guard. A warning: Make sure your information is based on real data and facts before you assume the worst. Use the Whole Brain® Model as a guide to make sure you are looking at all perspectives.
Thinking Around Corners: A distinct trend is the need for more strategic thinking. I am hearing managers and leaders across the globe ask how they provide support for this essential need. While true for all functions in the organization, the events that occurred in ’09 make this very critical for the Human Resources professionals who will be facing a broader and more demanding landscape and broad set of needs across all roles – from recruiting and outsourcing to career development to healthcare.
- Shift Your Thinking: Never has scenario-planning been more important! Use your Whole Brain to look at possible scenarios, and rely on your left brain thinking to plan around them. Here are some more tips on the best way to do this process.
The pace of our day-to-day lives keeps us moving so quickly that, more often than not, we may be skimming the surface rather than taking advantage of all of our thinking power and knowledge. The best approach as we prepare for whatever future lies ahead of us in 2010 is to stop and think!
Oct/090
Serving Up Blended Learning with a Whole Brain® Twist
Is “blended learning” on the menu for your organization’s learning and development initiatives? It can certainly offer some powerful advantages, but only if it’s done right.
Blended learning has built up momentum in the last few years as many organizations are looking for ways to turn the challenges of a fast-changing work environment and continually evolving technological capabilities into an opportunity to think differently about how we develop and deliver training.
But if you get too caught up in the latest tools and trends, you’ll risk losing focus on what really matters: the learning. And watered-down learning can be pretty unsatisfying.
On the other hand, when it’s done right, blended learning offers a very brain-friendly way to reach diverse audiences and achieve desired learning and business objectives. It can also provide the impetus for more innovative thinking around approaching instructional design and delivery from the learner’s viewpoint.
In the white paper, The Best of Both Worlds: Making Blended Learning Really Work by Engaging the Whole Brain®, Herrmann International provides a recipe for applying the Whole Brain® model to develop an effective blend.
What are some of the things you’re doing to diversify your menu and get more innovative with training design and delivery?
