Multi-dimensional

We are multi-dimensional human beings, even though we sometimes perceive ourselves and each other to be one-dimensional. If we believe that we are one-dimensional, it’s likely to limit our creativity, effectiveness and life satisfaction. The HBDI®, the world’s leading thinking style assessment tool, helps us become more aware of the multi-dimensional nature of our thinking and capabilities. It also helps us to understand the multi-dimensional aspects of the issues and opportunities in our work and personal lives.

The HBDI® is the assessment at the core of Herrmann International’s Whole Brain® Thinking approach. The HBDI® evaluates and describes the degree of preference individuals have for thinking in each of the four brain quadrants, as depicted by the Herrmann Whole Brain® Model. Research has shown that everyone is capable of flexing to less preferred thinking styles and learning the skills to diagnose and adapt to the thinking preferences of others. Presenting information in a way that recognizes, respects and is compatible with different preferences is crucial to meeting colleague and client needs.

Teams of like-minded thinkers perform less well than teams of diverse thinkers

The HBDI® also has the ability to draw a team and pair profiles. Research proves that teams of like-minded thinkers perform less well than teams of diverse thinkers. The team and pair profile gives a complete view of the similarities and differences in each team member’s thinking style and highlights areas of improvement and identifies potential blind spots and challenges that could interfere with a team’s success. The way teams think, collectively and as individuals, has a profound effect on performance, from the quality of decisions, to problem solving, to harmony within the team itself. Team and pair profiling creates highly cohesive and motivated groups of people who can maximise their own unique contribution, while appreciating and encouraging the contributions of others. Team and pair profiling leverages team skills and talents, and also enables alignment between the way the team thinks and the tasks assigned to it; gives teams the tools to become accountable for their own productivity; reduces the stress and conflict that hinders group interactions; and facilitates better, faster decisions and outcomes from every team engagement.

Applications of the HBDI®

  • Individual and team effectiveness
    • Increase individual and team success
    • Foster appreciation for the value of diverse thinking styles
    • Overcome thinking-style barriers to achieve team integration and collaboration
    • Clarify individual accountabilities vs team responsibilities
  • Communication
    • Thinking preferences have an influence on the kinds of words and images that people choose to use and how they organize and communicate them
    • Helps understand how a person can feel impatient and frustrated when they are communicated to in a style that is different than their preferences and then make negative judgments about the communicator and the content
    • Learn how to be flexible in the way we communicate
  • Leadership development
    • Improve and accelerate decision-making and problem solving
    • Communicate better with direct reports, peers and supervisors
    • Increase mentoring and coaching success
  • Talent management
    • Improve job fit and ramp-up time
    • Decrease turnover
    • Increase employee engagement
    • Scan for high-potential leaders and factor thinking preferences into their career paths
  • Sales, service, marketing effectiveness
    • Build stronger customer relationships and increase loyalty
    • Close more deals by adding customer preferences into sales/negotiation methods
    • Apply thinking styles to shape market research and gain insight into target markets
  • Creativity and innovation
    • Compose research and development groups, task forces and other groups based on an optimum blend of thinking preferences
    • Foster openness and appreciation for diversity of thought
    • Use Whole Brain® tools to spark creativity and breakthrough ideas

How and in what circumstances, might your current thinking style be a blind spot or prevent you from growing?

What might shift if you should start testing the waters in understanding yourself and others better?

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