Ever heard of Whole Brain Thinking? There is a great deal of research into the mysteries of the brain, how we think, what we are inclined to be good at, how we learn and perceive, and the difference between ourselves and others.
As a sales team, filled with different brains, with the help of an external agency Mirador, we got to know each others brains a little better.
So what is Whole Brain Thinking?
Whole Brain Thinking applies the research and models of Ned Herrmann into the human brain. Each of us has the ability to use all quadrants, but we clearly have preference for some over others. The research led to the development of the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (R) which is a visual mdoel of an individual's, pair's, team's or organisation's mental or thinking preferences.
What are the quadrants?
BLUE Analytical Thinking Logical, Mathematical, Critical and Problem Solving |
YELLOW Experimental Thinking Synthesising, Creative, Holistic and Risk Taking |
GREEN Practical Thinking Controlled, Detailed, Decisive and Administrative |
RED Relational Thinking Interpersonal, Emotional, Spiritual and Expressive |
How did we measure up?
Our team were certainly a mix. However, we certainly saw some BLUEs in Senior Management, GREEN across our Administrative team, HR was RED through and Marketing spiked in YELLOW.
What did we learn?
We are all different and we need to communicate effectively with our colleagues and our customers in a way that their brain thinking most suits.
For BLUES, communicate concisely with facts, figures and tangibles.
For GREENS, provide attention to detail, with procedure, prioritised tasks and timelines.
For REDS, ensure you relate to those included, keep communication friendly and light.
For YELLOWS, provide excitement, new ideas, variety and possibilities.
As we all had stronger quadrants, we tried and tested communication methods. What were the most comfortable communications approaches? How we could include related problem solving strategies to our way of thinking. When making decisions, what should we ask?
What's next?
As we all set back into our daily work, we started to notice those around us and how their thinking and behaviours may reveal their quadrant strengths. Once we had determined their likely colour, we matched our communication to reflect that.
Our sales team began to use Whole Brain Thinking.