We loved Having Sally with us in The Studio to deep dive into our Thinking Styles! Sally Rundle (a client and friend of The Studio) is a leadership coach, facilitator, author, educator and, all round excellent human. You can learn more about Sally HERE.
Read on to get a sneak peak into the EP Team Thinking Styles session from Sally’s perspective…
I loved facilitating the EP team session this week. Erin is a wonderful leader and was keen to provide an opportunity for each of the team to understand more about themselves and also each other as a team. It was a generous initiative on her part to support everyone with their personal growth and provide a thinking tool for their professional development.
The tool we used is called Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument® (HBDI®)
The core idea behind Whole Brain® Thinking is that the ways individuals think guides how they work. We all think differently and what the Whole Brain framework shows is that some of us like facts while others prefer ideas, some of us trust systems while others place their faith in feelings.
The Whole Brain® Thinking framework is the world’s leading Thinking Styles assessment tool. It identifies your preferred approach to emotional, structural and strategic thinking. It helps team to closer look at their thinking and build an appreciation for thinking differences that exists and how they can really bring it to the fore in their work. It also provides individuals with an increased level of personal understanding and how this plays out in their professional lives and personal relationships.
As a coach and facilitator, I find the Whole Brain® Thinking framework a wonderful lens to help teams and individuals have more awareness of the impact that their thinking preferences have on how they “show up” at work and relate to the team and their clients. I’ve been using this tool with my clients for many years and have observed so often that is empowers individuals and teams to bring their strengths to the fore and be more mindful about what is happening with their thinking, communication and decision making. This is powerful for better communication, innovation, productivity collaboration and satisfaction at work.
Before the EP team session everyone in the team completed an online diagnostic which identified their thinking preferences and what happens to their thinking under pressure. At the session, everyone got their personal profile and we spent time unpacking and exploring the four different thinking styles.
Metaphorically they are four different thinking “selves” – the analytic fact self, the organised risk mitigation self, the feeling self and the future big picture self. (See the model below). Each of us has a combination of these four selves in different levels of strength. These thinking preferences have an impact on virtually everything we do, including communication, decision making, problem-solving and managing styles.
During the team session we explored each person’s thinking profile and where the team shared similarities and differences. It gave the team an opportunity to talk through what works for each of them, how they listen, learn and make decision. We also had a great discussion on what happens to everyone under pressure and what support they need to find their balance again. I loved watching the aha moments unfold, the connections get stronger, the laughter and excitement build and the real sense of possibility of being able to create something amazing together.
written by Sally Rundle
