I know that I am onto something when you’re explaining a tool and the person that is being debriefed, leans back, gets a bit of a faraway look in their eyes, and then says “oh, so that’s why this happens..”.. Truly, you can hear the penny drop.
From time to time I use a tool called HBDI (Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument) to help individuals and teams develop. The beauty of this tool is that it has so many applications from personal relationships, to work and team dynamics to effective communication and problem solving.
HBDI measures the thinking preferences of an individual (or pair or team). I explained it to one participant by saying “it really matters to my husband how you stack the dishwasher or hang up the washing, because to him it is a process with consequences if you don’t do it ‘right’. Whereas to me, it is something that just needs to be done (any which way) in order to get onto the more interesting things in life”. Over the years, this has been a source of pretty constant niggling in my household – and so, having a tool explain why something matters to someone and really not to someone else, is pretty useful.
The possible applications in the workplace are equally interesting. For example the thinking preferences of some will mean that email correspondence is short, succinct and to the point. A person with the same thinking preference will respond perfectly well to this communication. But for someone with an opposite preference, that very same email could be read through a completely different lens.
As always, awareness is one thing, but it is what you do with that information which is important.
Is there someone that you “just don’t get”? If so – perhaps their thinking preferences are opposite (or different) to yours. Understanding those preferences goes a long way to building effective relationships, effectively communicating and working productively within a team.
Have you got a story about someone who you truly thought was on a different planet?
