Ann Herrmann-Nehdi checks in with the Herrmann International Europe team. Click on the image below to view the video.
On a recent trip to Paris, Ann Herrmann-Nehdi checked in with members of the Herrmann International Europe team and got a sneak peak at their new game, “Mind Your Words.”
View the video.
Get Sticky! Engaging Learners' Brains Pays Off
How much of your organization's intelligence are you tapping into?
When participants in the “Sticky or Stuck? Really Engage Learners' Brains for Lasting Results” session at ASTD last month were asked that question, we heard some pretty dismal numbers:
- 8%
- 5%
- 1%
Just imagine if you could up that capacity by even 5%. What impact would that have on performance and results?
Now imagine that you're not only capitalizing on more of the organization’s brainpower, you’re also building your employees' knowledge and skills at a much faster pace. If you could double the speed in which people master their jobs and sustain critical learning over the long term, would it give you an advantage over the competition?
In any industry and within any function, the answer is an unqualified “yes.” That’s why we continue to hear so much about neuroscience in learning and business. Understanding how people think, what they pay attention to, how they process information and the mental demands of the job or task are all essential to engaging people and delivering training that “sticks.” And when you engage their brains, you get there faster – whether “there” refers to new skills, better connections or higher revenue numbers.
But the scientific theories can only take you so far. You need a practical way to apply these concepts to get real impact back in the workplace. As part of our Summer Spotlight on Sales series, we’re highlighting a real-life example of how one pharmaceutical company was able to accelerate job mastery for their sales reps and make the learning stick by embedding the Whole Brain® system into their sales training. The results went all the way to the bottom line.
Selling the “Wonder Drug”
In the hyper-competitive pharmaceutical sales world, learning effectiveness, speed and retention can spell the difference between establishing a foothold with a new drug or losing momentum as the competition rolls out their “me-too” copycats.
“ABC” Pharmaceutical Company had a huge opportunity as they were about to launch a new “wonder drug,” but to take advantage of the very short window of time available to get the drug in front of physicians and make an impact, they knew they would have to make some changes to their sales training approach. To outpace the competition, they’d have to rethink how they were engaging their sales reps’ brains.
When Herrmann International began working with ABC Company in Australia, there was a sales training program in place, but it typically took 24 months to get new sales reps up to a necessary level of job mastery. Getting there faster was now a business imperative: They simply didn’t have the luxury of waiting two years for sales reps to get fully ramped up.
With a goal of cutting that time to mastery in half – down to 12 months – the company integrated the Whole Brain® system into an overarching program that included training for sales coaches, job mapping exercises, and training for the sales reps. (Download the full case study.)
In fact, they did better than cutting it in half. In the end, they reduced the time required to achieve job mastery from an average of two years to just 7 months.
At its core, the approach was based on what we know about thinking and the brain. Because every brain is wired differently, everyone has different preferred modes of learning and thinking. But if we understand where learners are coming from mentally, within the context of what they need to learn, then we can use specific techniques and tools to ramp them up more quickly.
Part of the process included looking at the mental demands of the pharmaceutical sales job and mapping it against the four quadrants of the Whole Brain® Model. This provided a foundation for the sales training that followed, and the sales reps, in turn, were able to compare their own profiles against the profile of the job to see – and plan for – the areas that might create challenges for them.
The sales reps also learned that even if certain aspects of the job might be more mentally taxing, they could do it. While the Whole Brain® Model serves as a metaphor for brain specialization, it also shows that the brain is designed for interconnection. We all have preferred modes of learning and thinking, but we also have the ability to stretch outside our preferences.
Putting it to Work
For those developing learning, the key is to both recognize the mental effort that can be required when people will have to handle tasks outside their preferred styles and to design in elements that can make the learning process easier on them.
When it comes to outthinking, outpacing and outperforming the competition, you have to really engage learners’ brains and make that learning last. While everyone is different, remember that the world is a composite Whole Brain®:
- Be aware of the filters your own preferences might be creating; you should design and deliver with the preferences and styles of your audience in mind.
- Using a Whole Brain® approach will ensure you reach all learning styles for maximum readiness and retention.
- The more important the learning points, the more important it is to use a Whole Brain® approach.
Consider all aspects of your learning activities, including:
- Curriculum Development
- Teaching and Training
- Learning Design
- E-Learning
- Presentation Design
- Course Titles
- Communication/Marketing
- How You “Sell” the Course and Its Value
You can use the Whole Brain® Stickiness Checklist (right) as a way to organize different kinds of activities and approaches.
> Related: More from the Summer Spotlight on Sales Series:
- Special Offer on The Business of Thinking® Series (including ThinkAbout™ Your Customer)
- On-Demand Webinar: Leading, Developing and Optimizing Sales Performance with Whole Brain® Thinking
Fire Up Sales with A Hot Deal on The Business of Thinking®
If you want to heat up sales activity and connect better with your target audience, you need to ThinkAbout™ Your Customer.
As part of our continuing 30th anniversary product specials and in conjunction with our Summer Spotlight on Sales series, we’re extending the special buy one, get one offer on The Business of Thinking® participant workbooks.
That means that now through September 30, 2011, HBDI® Certified Practitioners can purchase The Business of Thinking® participant workbooks at a special buy one, get one price of two for $30 by using Coupon Code 2BOTsfor30.
Included within this flexible learning series is the bottom-line focused ThinkAbout™ Your Customer module.
In this half-day workshop, participants use the Whole Brain® Customer Assessment and Planning tool to determine the customer’s thinking style, identify the features and benefits that will most appeal to the customer, and practice presenting information in the most effective manner possible.
By making better connections with customers, sales professionals are able to close more deals faster while improving overall customer satisfaction. The techniques learned in this program will not only improve effectiveness in negotiations and sales, but in marketing, service and loyalty as well.
To receive the special buy one, get one price (good for any participant workbooks in The Business of Thinking® series): Use Coupon Code 2BOTsfor30 when ordering online, or mention this code when ordering from Client Services (call 828-625-9153, option 6).
Offer expires September 30, 2011.
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 topUpcoming Events: The Leadership Challenge Forum
On July 28th, Ann Herrmann-Nehdi will present the keynote presentation, “It’s Not Left Brain or Right Brain, It’s Whole Brain®,” at The Leadership Challenge Forum in Chicago.
Drawing on current research and what we know about the brain, Ann will discuss strategies for developing the creative, integrative, adaptive thinking skills essential to every leader’s success as they navigate the obstacles in today’s work environment.
She’ll show attendees how to effectively leverage the right tools to address their strategic leadership development requirements.
The Leadership Challenge Forum 2011, Chicago
“It’s Not Left Brain or Right Brain, It’s Whole Brain®”
Keynote by Ann Herrmann-Nehdi
Thursday, July 28 from 4:15-5:30 PM
Read More
Be sure to check our Calendar for the latest event news.
back to topAnn Herrmann-Nehdi Interviewed for T+D’s “Long View” Series
Ann Herrmann-Nehdi, CEO of Herrmann International, was recently interviewed as part of T+D Magazine’s popular “Long View” series. Published in the June 2011 issue of the magazine, the interview is also available on the ASTD website.
Among other topics, Ann discusses her background, the benefits of Whole Brain® Thinking for workplace learning, and what’s keeping organizations from being more creative and innovative.
“One of the critical competencies for leaders in 21st century is going to be the ability to think in an agile way,” Ann says. “Thinking agility, which is something that you can improve by understanding how you think and how others think, is going to be an essential, critical skill for leaders of the future so they can stay ahead and be as adaptive as possible.”
Read the full interview online.
back to topTHINC™ Webinars: Your On-Demand Learning Library
Want to know how some of the most progressive and successful organizations in the world are getting better results through better thinking? Interested in learning about the latest trends in Whole Brain® Thinking? Looking for best practice approaches you can apply in your organization?
Our comprehensive library of on-demand THINC™ Webinars gives you the inside track and practical take-aways for harnessing the organization’s brainpower to outthink, outpace and outperform the competition.
Covering a range of hot business topics including sales, leadership, assessments, mentoring, teamwork and generational diversity, the THINC™ Webinar series brings the experience and insights of seasoned HBDI® Practitioners and leading business professionals directly to your computer.
Access our online library of THINC™ Webinar recordings.
And be sure to check the Webinars page as we continue to update it with information about upcoming THINC™ Webinars and other webinar learning opportunities this year.
back to topRecent News on Thinking and the Brain
- Why do we fight? Blame it on our brains. After a fight, this reporter and her husband realized their opposite dominant brain quadrants had a hand in the argument.
- Songs stick in teens’ heads. A new research study finds that hit songs strike a chord with teenagers’ brains.
- Are we losing our minds? Fight the growing evidence that digital and social media are dramatically affecting the way our minds work by taking time to step back, reflect and think deeply.
Upcoming Certification Workshops
You'll be integral in driving better results through better thinking when you join the ranks of the Herrmann HBDI® Certified Practitioners.
Herrmann HBDI® Certification
July 12 – 15, Charlotte, NC
July 19 – 22, Milpitas (San Jose Area), CA
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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