Video: Ann Herrmann-Nehdi Discusses Thinking Under Pressure
Ann Herrmann-Nehdi discusses how Whole Brain® Thinking is making a difference in the decision-making ability of emergency response teams facing extraordinary situations and pressures. She points out that the applications can be made to our daily pressures and stresses as well. View the video.
When Disaster Strikes: Better Thinking Helps Emergency Teams Make Better Decisions
In the last few months we have all witnessed some of the worst natural disasters in recent years. We’ve watched the tragedy and horror unfold following the earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand, but we have also been amazed and inspired by the ability and courage of the emergency management teams and individuals that are first to respond to the disaster.
To the outside eye emergency response teams appear very physical: alert, active and purposeful. But emergency management is less about managing physical activity than it is about solving problems in extraordinary situations and making decisions under pressure with unusually limited information. It’s about communicating with a team who can implement those decisions rapidly and effectively.
Chris Webb, program leader of emergency management studies in the faculty of health and environmental sciences at AUT University in Auckland, conducts leadership programs for people working in emergency management. He has introduced the Whole Brain® Model and Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument® (HBDI®) assessment into his course to improve students' decision-making and leadership skills in an emergency.
As Chris explains:
Different thinking and responses are required in emergency recovery situations. The HBDI® helps people understand two principles that are important in emergency management. The first: Everyone has a different learning profile. The second: People may change their thinking preferences under pressure. If you’re leading a team you need a way to ensure you are thinking clearly while under tremendous pressure. You must also have a very, very good understanding about how others in your team will think and react in a given situation.
A recently published case study of Chris’s work at AUT University explores how emergency response teams can apply the Whole Brain® Model as an organizing principle to reach better decision-making in recovery and emergency management.
According to the study, by giving decision-makers a clear understanding of individual team members’ thinking and how they react under pressure, HBDI® data and Whole Brain® Thinking skills put the decision-maker in a stronger position to assess task allocation, the dependency of individuals and teams, and the interpersonal dynamics that support or detract from the desired outcomes.
The study concludes that, “Whole Brain® Thinking ensures that the 'bases are covered.' Those involved in emergency situations are better equipped to demonstrate proactive decision making in their approaches to managing recovery and other emergency management processes.”
back to topTHINC™ Webinar: The 2020 Leader: Whole Brain® Thinking Required
With the year 2020 looming on the horizon, what will be necessary for leaders to transcend growing market complexity and competitiveness, volatile economic conditions and ever-expanding globalization?
In this interactive, content-rich webinar, you’ll learn what researchers and thought leaders deem to be the emerging leadership characteristics essential for the future. From this foundation, presenter Lori Addicks will show you how to overlay these characteristics on the Whole Brain® Model to inform the leadership development direction for your emerging leaders.
Examining research from Herrmann International, the Harvard Business Review, Marshall Goldsmith, the 2020 Workplace Book, DDI and other influential resources and organizations, Lori has done the legwork for you, uncovering the overlaps and consistencies in the forecasts to draw a clear picture of the challenges and realities your 2020 leaders will face.
You’ll discover how to fully prepare today’s high-potentials for success tomorrow by plotting the competencies of 2020 leadership against the Whole Brain® Model.
You’ll learn:
- The challenges, complexities and realities leaders are likely to face in 2020, based on a wealth of respected research and data
- The characteristics and competencies necessary for successful 2020 leadership
- Why Whole Brain® Thinking skills will be more important than ever for all leaders in 2020
- How to prepare your emerging leaders for success by using the Whole Brain® Model to organize and align development plans with 2020 leadership requirements
THINC™ Webinar Details:
The 2020 Leader: Whole Brain® Thinking Required
Speaker: Lori Addicks, President, Larkspur Group
Date: May 18, 2011
Time: 1:00 PM EDT / 12:00 PM CDT / 10:00 AM PDT / 6:00 PM GMT
Hurry – Space is Limited!
Reserve Your Seat at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/444106585
Missed a THINC™ Webinar? You’ll find recordings from previous THINC™ Webinars in the Webinars section of our website, along with downloadable summary slide decks.
back to topAsk The Expert: Whole Brain® Thinking in the On-Boarding Process
Herrmann International Asia recently welcomed two new members – Mellissa Loveridge (Customer and Administration Services) to the New Zealand team and Ken Butler (Accountant) to the Sydney team.
Michael Morgan, Herrmann International Asia’s CEO, shared some best practices for applying the Whole Brain® system and the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument® (HBDI®) to the on-boarding (induction) process.
Having hired our new staff, one of the first things we did was ask them to complete the HBDI® assessment to get their HBDI® Profiles. They were then each individually debriefed and provided with a full explanation of the Whole Brain® Model.
We also integrated their profiles into the existing HBDI® Team Profiles, Mellisa’s in New Zealand and Ken’s in Sydney. This was a great way to discuss the people they will be working with and the relationships they will each need to develop.
They were then given their Job Descriptions, firstly in a traditional format then presented it in a series of Job Maps. These Job Maps will be used to guide Mellissa and Ken as they each master their job and responsibilities over the coming months.
How you can use Job Maps:
- List all the activities and responsibilities of the job.
- Allocate them to the most appropriate quadrant based on the mental demands required by the task.
- Break the Job Map into 3 or 4, based on what you want your new recruit to master in the first month, the second month and so on.
- Use the Job Maps as the basis for ongoing coaching.
Just Posted: New Video Resources
Pressed for time? Looking for a quick learning nugget?
As a management expert for Athena Online, Herrmann International’s CEO Ann Herrmann-Nehdi contributes video lessons for the SmartByte™ Library of Leadership & Management Advice. Several new videos have been added in recent months. You can access them all on our website in the Audio and Video section.
E-Learning TV also caught up with Ann at the Training 2011 Conference earlier this year. Hear what she had to say about current projects at Herrmann International and how better thinking systems are helping organizations get better results.
Do you have a topic you’d like Ann to address in an upcoming AthenaOnline SmartByte™ video? Let us know! Send your suggestions to Jennifer Lyons (Jennifer@hbdi.com).
back to topUpcoming Events: ASTD 2011 International Conference and Exposition
Are you headed to Orlando this May for the ASTD 2011 International Conference and Exposition? We’d love to see you there!
On Wednesday Ann Herrmann-Nehdi, CEO of Herrmann International, will be presenting the session Sticky or Stuck? Really Engage Learners' Brains for Lasting Results (W304: May 25 from 1:15-2:45 pm). She'll also be signing copies of The Creative Brain and The Whole Brain® Business Book in the ASTD Conference Bookstore immediately following her session.
Both of the books can be purchased in advance directly from our website. The ASTD Conference Bookstore will also have copies in stock for sale at the conference.
Bring your books and meet Ann!
Book Signing in the ASTD Conference Bookstore
- Wednesday, May 25: 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
And while you’re at ASTD, be sure to stop by Booth #722 in the Expo Hall to catch up with the Herrmann International team.
On the Horizon:
- The Conference Board Talent Management Workshop, New York, NY (May 26, 2011)
- The Leadership Challenge Forum, Chicago, IL (July 28-29, 2011)
Be sure to check our Calendar for the latest updates and full details on all of these events.
back to topProduct News: The Business of Thinking® Buy One, Get One
Take advantage of special, limited-time offers as part of our 30th anniversary celebration this year!
Now through June 30, 2011, HBDI® Certified Practitioners can purchase The Business of Thinking® participant workbooks at a special buy one, get one price – that’s two for $30 – with Coupon Code 2BOTsfor30.
With the Business of Thinking® Series, you’ll be able to put the brainpower of your organization to work for targeted business results.
The flexible, modular workshops bring Whole Brain® Thinking to your mission-critical business areas, increasing individual and organizational effectiveness for a direct bottom-line impact.
Participants get hands-on experience applying Whole Brain® Thinking skills to:
- Build effective teams and improve teamwork
- Improve decision-making, problem-solving and communication
- Increase revenue and profitability
- Design consumer-centric products
- Enhance creativity and innovation
To receive the special buy one, get one price: Use Coupon Code 2BOTsfor30 when ordering online, or mention the code when ordering from Client Services (call 828-625-9153, option 6).
NOTE: You must be an HBDI® Certified Practitioner to purchase the Business of Thinking® materials and have a signed License Agreement on file with Herrmann International for the module(s) you wish to purchase.
Clients outside the US and Canada, please contact your local Herrmann International representative for pricing.
back to topRecent News on Thinking and the Brain
- Improving memory to improve academic performance. A recent “Learning and the Brain” symposium explored current brain research around the connection between memory and learning.
- Meditation can change your brain. Studies show meditation’s positive benefits can be attributed to how it changes areas of the brain associated with empathy, stress, memory and learning.
- A potential long-term payoff from childhood music lessons. A new study suggests childhood music lessons may improve brain function and combat the effects of aging on the brain decades later.
- The mystery of yawns. Scientists continue to look for clues in our brains to understand why we yawn and why yawns are contagious.
Upcoming Certification Workshops
You'll be integral in driving the Whole Brain® Advantage when you join the ranks of the Herrmann HBDI® Certified Practitioners.
Herrmann HBDI® Certification
May 17 – 20, East Hanover, NJ
For detailed location and registration information, please email service@hbdi.com or call 800-432-4234 and select option 6 for Client Services.
Host a Dedicated Certification Workshop. When you host an internal dedicated certification workshop, your participants will explore the concepts, tools and skills necessary to deliver the HBDI® with individuals, pairs and teams in a learning environment that is tailored especially to their needs and the organization’s objectives.
If you are interested learning more about the benefits of a dedicated certification workshop, contact your Herrmann International representative.
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