To view a video version of this newsletter, presented by Herrmann International’s CEO, Ann Herrmann-Nehdi, click on the image below
Drained by Work? Get Energized by Understanding Your Native and Acquired Thinking Preferences
Excerpted from “Understanding and Applying My HBDI® — What Parts Are ‘Native’ and What Are ‘Acquired?’ And What Benefits Come from Growing Lean Quadrants?,” by Ann McGee-Cooper, Ed.D. & Duane Trammell, M.Ed. Copyright© 2009 Ann McGee-Cooper & Associates, Inc.
Over the years of interpreting Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument® (HBDI®) profiles with thousands of clients, a curious and interesting question began to come up repeatedly.
Very often an engineer would have high A and B (analytical and organized) quadrant scores and those around this person perceived them as high A/B in characteristics. Yet the person would tell us that they felt much more grounded in C (interpersonal) and, often, D (strategic) characteristics.
As we asked more questions, we frequently discovered that the person believed in early years that to get ahead and earn a good living, they would have to excel at A/B skills. So they worked persistently to “acquire” these skills and work habits even though this was not their “native” way of working or thinking.
Because of our four decades of work on hemisphericity and linking energy to brain dominance, we began to ask, “Which activities give you positive energy and which seem to drain your energy?” From this subjective research we began to determine that when we exercise our native ways of doing and being, we seem to generate positive energy of joy, satisfaction and well being. However, when we practice skills in our non-dominant quadrant or quadrants, this work seems to be less energizing and is often described to us as draining.
We also learned that in areas of native giftedness or genius, the person rarely finds it burdensome to challenge and further their skills associated with their gift. Additionally, because these competencies are native, have always been there for them, or felt energizing or “effortless” to acquire, they both discount the skills as “no big deal” and typically assume that, if it is easy for them, it is also easy for others.
Not so! And this gets us in trouble when we try to mentor or coach. We are likely to be impatient and poor teachers in areas of our gifts precisely because we never had to learn this skill set. Therefore we can exercise the attribute but not have a clue how we did it or how to teach others.
Read the full article (PDF Document, 110kb) to learn how you can improve work/life balance and feel more energized by work when you become conscious of native versus acquired thinking styles and how you can begin to experience positive energy by bringing non-dominant traits in as balancing partners.
back to top4 Whole Brain® Resources to Help Preempt Holiday Stress
Once again, the holidays are upon us, and for many, that can mean added stress and pressure in what has already been a demanding year.
You can keep stress at bay and enjoy the season to its fullest by applying some of the Whole Brain® Thinking techniques we’ve discussed in this year’s BrainBytes™ newsletters and THINC™ webinars:
Reduce Stress the Whole Brain® Way: Practical Whole Brain® tools for dealing with stress, from the March issue of BrainBytes™ (PDF document, 142kb).
It’s Your Stress, Baby! From the Whole Brain® blog, practical tips for owning your stress and gaining control of your thinking.
A Whole Brain® Approach to Managing Stress, Maintaining Focus: This THINC™ webinar, presented by author and Herrmann certified practitioner Susie Leonard Weller, provides a plethora of exercises, tips and models you can apply to reduce stress in all aspects of your business and personal life. If you are a Herrmann certified practitioner, you can access the recorded webinar and download a PDF copy of the slides by logging into the Practitioner’s Area of the Herrmann International website (available in the Practitioner Resources section). If you are not certified, please contact service@hbdi.com or 800-432-4234 (press 6) to request a link and copy of the slides.
Help employees operate at peak effectiveness, even in times of stress: Herrmann International’s new online program, the Thinking Accelerator™ featuring HBDIinteractive™, gives participants new insight into their stress profiles and provides them with access to Whole Brain® tools, exercises and reference material on-demand, whenever they need it. Contact service@hbdi.com or 800-432-4234 (press 6) to learn more about the program and find out why Chief Learning Officer Magazine honored it with the Silver Excellence in Practice award for Excellence in Content.
back to topSupporting Your Diversity Initiatives: Herrmann International Receives Women’s Business Enterprise and HubZone Certification.
Herrmann International is pleased to announce that the company has received national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise by the Greater Women’s Business Council, a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). The WBENC has become one of the most widely recognized certifications in the nation and is used by more than 700 major corporations.
“This was an important effort for us,” says Ann Herrmann-Nehdi, CEO of Herrmann International, “because we know it’s important to our clients. We work with organizations that have a strong commitment to supplier diversity, and this gives them the level of assurance they need because it demonstrates that Herrmann has met the strict requirements of WBENC’s certification standards.”
Unlike other organizations that merely verify certification provided by other entities, WBENC is the only national organization providing a meticulous certification process that includes a detailed notarized affidavit, client interviews and site visits. The certification process is designed to confirm the business is at least 51% owned, operated and controlled by a woman or women.
This certification offers a “seal of approval,” showing that Herrmann International’s claim of being a woman-owned enterprise has been investigated thoroughly by a respected outside group and found to be true.
To learn more about Herrmann International’s status as a Women’s Business Enterprise and how it can support an organization’s diversity initiatives, contact 800-432-4234 (press 6) or email service@hbdi.com.
Herrmann International also recently received HUBZone (Historically Underutilized Business Zone) certification.
The HUBZone program was enacted into law as part of the Small Business Reauthorization Act of 1997. The federal government created the HUBZone program to encourage economic development in historically underutilized urban and rural communities by providing federal contracting preferences to small businesses in these areas.
This certification gives Herrmann International the opportunity to contribute proactively to the growth and development of Lake Lure, North Carolina and surrounding distressed communities.
back to topVisual, Perceptual Tricks Bamboozle Brain
Click on the image above to view the video.
Housed within the walls of San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts, the Exploratorium is a collage of hundreds of science, art, and human perception exhibits. In this wired.com video, Richard O. Brown, Ph.D., provides a tour of four exhibits at this unique museum that explore the brain-boggling effects of visual illusions and perceptual phenomena.
back to topTHINC™ WEBINAR – Whole® Brain Teams: Harnessing The Full Brainpower of Teams for Better Results
An organization’s success depends on high-functioning teams. At Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the world’s oldest and largest private cancer center, effective teamwork is at the core of the institution’s ability to deliver exceptional patient care, leading-edge research and superb educational programs.
In this THINC™ Webinar, Yvonne Gaines, OD Consultant at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, shares how the institution is integrating Whole Brain® Thinking and the HBDI® into leadership and Organizational Development Interventions to improve collaboration and communication among teams at all levels. She will discuss how Whole Brain® Thinking is helping Memorial Sloan-Kettering maximize the full brainpower of its teams and staff of more than 10,000 employees.
Webinar Details:
Whole Brain® Teams: Harnessing the Full Brainpower of Teams for Better Results
Speaker: Yvonne Gaines, OD Consultant, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Date: December 2, 2009
Time: 1:00 PM EST
TO REGISTER: Visit gotowebinar.com
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Upcoming Learning Opportunities
Complimentary Webinar: Get Strategic and Get More Done: 4 Secrets of the C-Level Brain
Speaker: Ann Herrmann-Nehdi, CEO of Herrmann International
Date: January 7, 2010
Time: 1:00 PM EST
TO REGISTER: Visit Training Magazine Network (free website registration required)
Training 2010 Conference and Expo, San Diego: Whole Brain® Teaching and Learning for Results
Speaker: Ann Herrmann-Nehdi, CEO of Herrmann International
Date: February 2, 2010
Time: 2:00 – 3:00 PM PST
CONFERENCE DISCOUNT AVAILABLE! We are pleased to be able to offer you a $200 discount on the 3-day event. Use VIP code CTSM2 when registering online. (New registrants only.)
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Upcoming Herrmann International Certifications:
Our certification workshops fill up rapidly. Be sure to register early in order to reserve your spot.
December 2009 Herrmann Whole Brain® Certification: December 1 — 4, 2009:
Location – Milpitas, CA
Herrmann Certification - Level II: January 27 — 28, 2010:
Location – Atlanta, GA
Planning ahead? The 2010 Certification Workshop Calendar can be found on the Herrmann International website.
For detailed location and registration information, please e-mail service@hbdi.com or call 828-625-9153 and select option 6 for client services.
back to topGet Social with Herrmann International
You’re invited to join in on the conversation at the new Whole Brain® Blog.
Follow Herrmann International on Twitter @herrmannintl
Follow Ann Herrmann-Nehdi on Twitter @annherrmann
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back to topHerrmann International Home Page | BrainBytes Archives
