{"id":712,"date":"2020-07-06T19:03:28","date_gmt":"2020-07-06T09:03:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.herrmann.com.au\/blog\/?p=712"},"modified":"2021-08-27T15:22:37","modified_gmt":"2021-08-27T05:22:37","slug":"adaptive-mindsets-building-resilience-on-the-other-side-of-covid-19-lockdowns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.sg\/2020\/07\/adaptive-mindsets-building-resilience-on-the-other-side-of-covid-19-lockdowns\/","title":{"rendered":"Adaptive mindsets: building resilience on the other side of COVID-19 lockdowns"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″ da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.10.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n

The lockdowns are being lifted. Whether self-imposed or through government authority, this period of stasis is ending. Our process of re-engagement has begun.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re all grieving missed opportunities – seminars not attended, business deals now in limbo, cancelled trips. But as Sir Richard Branson likes to say, \u201cBusiness opportunities are like buses. There\u2019s always another coming around\u201d. One meeting is nothing in a lifetime of meetings. One deal is just one deal.<\/p>\n

I asked my family, friends and clients to reflect on opportunities lost, on the decisions that they could not make and whether those opportunities were bullets that they had dodged. Their responses were revealing.<\/p>\n

Opportunity from adversity<\/h2>\n

The founder of an exciting start-up in Silicon Valley, offered my friend\u2019s son (we\u2019ll call him S) a \u2018dream job\u2019. S, young and ambitious, bought into the vision and the opportunity to grow a new business. He was all set to give up a steady job and equity in his existing company – when I asked him if that was wise, he said, \u201cEntrepreneurs need to have ownership interest\u201d.<\/p>\n

But then COVID-19\u00a0 struck. The start-up laid off people and is struggling for survival. It turned out COVID-19 merely sped up what would have happened anyway. S dodged that bullet. His reflection: he fell for an interesting vision, the founder\u2019s charisma and a desire to be a part of the successful start-up club.<\/p>\n

S is very smart. He based his decision on his analysis of the business model and the track record of the founder. He believed everything else would fall in place. But it simply wasn\u2019t enough, and it will not be enough as we continue to adapt to the \u2018new normal\u2019.<\/p>\n

Becoming adaptive<\/h2>\n

Our perspective, the way we will now look at the world, will determine how we deal with the crisis. The right perspective, based on an adaptive mindset, has a way of cutting obstacles\u2014and adversity\u2014down to size. To adapt is to think – to view a crisis from a fresh angle so it loses its power over you.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s clear that the wide divergence between those who adapt and those who adapt badly or not at all will be very high. COVID-19\u2019s hit list includes real estate, dating, restaurant buffets, news media and in-store shopping.<\/p>\n

While there are many factors that will shape the divergence, the way we think and respond is a key factor in our control. Awareness of how we think and the ability to harness the inherent diversity of thinking in organisations is key to adapting.<\/p>\n

Dealing with adaptive challenges<\/h2>\n

According to Ryan Holiday, perspective has two definitions<\/a>. Context<\/b>: a sense of the larger picture of the world, not just what is immediately in front of us, and Framing<\/b>: an individual\u2019s unique way of looking at the world.<\/p>\n

Both definitions matter. We must deal with changes that are \u2018adaptive,\u2019 or \u2018technical,\u2019 or a combination of both.\u00a0 According to Harvard Senior Lecturer in Public Leadership Ronald Heifetz, \u201cTechnical problems<\/a>, while often challenging, can be solved by applying existing know-how and the organisation\u2019s current problem-solving processes. Adaptive problems resist these kinds of solutions because they require individuals throughout the organisation to change their mindsets because often the challenge lies\u00a0within, in the way we think\u201d.<\/p>\n

How do we distinguish between adaptive and technical changes?<\/h3>\n

As we learn to coexist with COVID-19, organisations are opening up and they need to be COVID-compliant. To treat this as only a technical change is natural as we create standard operating procedures and follow guidelines given by the government. But to assume that this challenge is primarily a technical one may mask actual issues.
You might discover that your otherwise motivated employees are reluctant to come into the office because they have elderly parents staying with them. Or your CEO is more concerned with the business than their employees, showing little sympathy for staff concerns. Whatever the underlying problems, standard operating procedures can\u2019t solve them. Instead, changes in behaviour need to occur, and that won\u2019t be easy.<\/p>\n

The Whole Brain\u00ae Model<\/a> is a framework that enables us to think about both adaptive and technical challenges and prepare better for the challenges ahead.<\/p>\n

Whole Brain\u00ae Thinking and being adaptive<\/h2>\n

\"The

The four-colour quadrant graphic and Whole Brain\u00ae are registered trademarks of Herrmann Global, LLC. \u00a92021 Herrmann Global, LLC<\/i><\/p>\n

Ned Herrmann was a polymath, a singer (he sang at Carnegie Hall), a sculptor, a physicist and the head of Management Development at GE. Ned experienced an epiphany after reading an article by Henry Mintzberg in the HBR. The article asked a powerful question that haunted him, “How come managers can be so smart and yet dull at the same time?”.<\/p>\n

This question intrigued him – it was vital to helping him understand himself better. GE supported Ned’s experiments and applications and the pursuit of the ‘aha’ moment. It was these activities that led to the development of the Whole Brain\u00ae<\/a> concept and the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument\u00ae<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Better understanding thinking preferences<\/h3>\n

The model serves as an organising principle for how the brain works, depicting the four different thinking preferences: A\u2013logical and analytical, B\u2013detailed and structured, C\u2013people-oriented and participatory, and D\u2013conceptual and risk-taking. Although an individual may prefer certain modes of thinking over others, everyone has access to all four quadrants. It\u2019s a metaphor for the brain and an organising principle of our thinking preferences.<\/p>\n

Everyone has thinking preferences. Just as important, everyone can adapt their thinking as the situation demands.<\/p>\n

The more people are aware of how they and others think and how thinking frames their perspective, the more adaptive they can be. One can find out by completing the HBDI\u00ae<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Each quadrant is a frame of thinking or a mindset through which people view the world. Research by Herrmann International has shown that 93% of the population around the world prefers two or more thinking preferences and all have access to all four. Thus, we are in fact \u201chard wired to be whole\u201d, with each of us having a glimpse of the view from all four quadrants.<\/p>\n

Back to work in a post-COVID world<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s time for people to re-engage and get back to work or offices. Not everyone can work permanently from home. But as leaders are discovering, re-engagement is not an on-off switch. For most people, safety is a concern.
How COVID-safe is the office or the environment? People will be apprehensive because their perspective on safety will differ and the crisis has a way of accentuating differences. Ensuring that the office is COVID-safe can turn into an obstacle with recurring issues. This is an adaptive challenge that requires an adaptive mindset. However, there is another way.<\/p>\n

Develop a Whole Brain\u00ae Thinking perspective<\/h2>\n

A balanced Whole Brain\u00ae<\/a> perspective is a blend of behaviours and rules that allow people who think differently to engage with each other to narrow the gaps in perception and understand what is acceptable to all.<\/p>\n

The 3SP – building resilience<\/h3>\n

We build resilience through discipline and habits.<\/p>\n

The 3SP <\/b>– the 3 Step Practice – is a habit. It trains us to be more flexible, open to fresh ideas and eager to understand the differences in perspectives.<\/p>\n

By practising these three steps, individuals and teams can use the full spectrum of thinking available.<\/p>\n

Step 1: context<\/h4>\n

Context is always the most easily misunderstood and spending time on understanding the context as everyone \u2018sees\u2019 it is important. It\u2019s also because we mix up ‘adaptive,\u2019 and \u2018technical\u2019 challenges. For those of us driving change, recognising the difference between the two while setting the context is important.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Step 2: prioritise<\/h4>\n

As F. Scott Fitzgerald said, \u201cThe test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still keep the ability to function\u201d. Similarly, someone with an adaptive mindset will identify priorities in their quadrants and will pay attention to the opposing priorities of others. They begin to \u2018see\u2019 how these \u2018opposing\u2019 priorities are equally essential to addressing the larger challenge. People in the unit who are more dominant in \u2018yellow\u2019 would favour a minimum-touch protocol. They would immediately disagree with those in the unit who are more dominant in \u2018green\u2019 and who would insist on rearranging facilities in line with social distancing guidelines.<\/p>\n

They are both right. The trick is enabling people to catch each other being right early on, so they can find a way forward, before hardening their positions.<\/p>\n

Step 3: find a way<\/h4>\n

Creative abrasion is a process key to recognising and dealing with adaptive challenges. It\u2019s when people who think differently, deliberately challenge each other’s priorities. They generate better ideas, knowing that their disagreement will not lead to personal conflict. It elevates the quality of thinking in the unit, energising them to explore more options and possibilities.<\/p>\n

For creative abrasion to flourish, everyone must speak the same language. This understanding enables team members to find a way through the contradictions and reactions of team members. If a person who is high \u2018blue\u2019 recognises that a person who is \u2018red\u2019 will view things personally, she could understand the person better and reduce friction by not judging her immediately.<\/p>\n

Thinking big at a volatile time<\/h2>\n

The 3SP can be very productive when leaders or teams address the operational challenges in the near-term. However, in these uncertain times, leaders are under pressure to profess knowledge they do not and cannot have about the long-term, and to make decisions about the future that could backfire.<\/p>\n

As a coach, I notice it\u2019s difficult for some leaders to make the shift to see the big picture and to think long-term. Paradoxically, it’s their focus on results and finding solutions that get in the way. As Einstein said, \u201cWe cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used to create them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thinking big is the ability to maintain perspective amid action. It\u2019s critical to lowering resistance. It\u2019s about maintaining the capacity for reflection, especially in the \u2018fog of war\u2019. Exceptional athletes simultaneously play the game and observe it as a whole. That is how Tiger Woods utterly dominated the game in his heyday. Most golfers think \u2018tee to green\u2019. When they step up to the tee, they pull out a driver and hit the biggest shot every time. They don’t look at the pin, because it\u2019s out of reach and doesn\u2019t seem relevant. Tiger, on the other hand, thought \u2018green to tee,\u2019 and inverted his thinking, looking far away to the pin. In the British Open of 2006, which he won, Tiger used his driver only twice.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s going on here?<\/h2>\n

The question \u201cWhat is going on here?\u201d sounds innocuous, but it\u2019s not. When the preoccupation is on the day-to-day, leaders need to stand back and look at problems in detail from all four perspectives.<\/p>\n

We often make that mistake in our personal lives. All of us make choices that require thinking about the future. Buying a house and preparing for retirement are important financial decisions. But few of us plan in any organised way. While we might take time to prepare a checklist, when push comes to shove, we often make the final decision rather quickly based on a reaction or the opinion of someone\u2019s whose advice matters, rather than the checklist. When faced with choices \u2013 investing in equity, selecting one mutual fund over another \u2013 we often prefer to procrastinate. The default option, which requires no action, is usually most popular.<\/p>\n

Think big and \u2018walk around\u2019<\/h2>\n

Whole Brain\u00ae Thinking can turn the question, \u201cWhat\u2019s going on here?\u201d into a powerful tool for the unit to debate and decide what to do in conditions of radical uncertainty. Walking around each quadrant and asking this question will help create a more nuanced and detailed picture.<\/p>\n

The power is not in the question but in the whole brained debate that reduces divergence. It separates those of us who only compromise and those of us who adapt.<\/p>\n

What could S have done differently?<\/h3>\n

\"\"

S\u2019 HBDI\u00ae profile<\/i><\/p>\n

Well, he did complete his HBDI\u00ae online – his scores were low on blue and green and high on red and yellow.<\/p>\n

But stepping back and walking around all four quadrants and asking himself, \u201cWhat\u2019s going on here?\u201d would have made a big difference. For example, from a blue quadrant perspective, he would have spent more time analysing the business model. He could have drilled deeper, challenged his assumptions and asked more specific questions.<\/p>\n

Thinking in the green quadrant would have made him question his assumptions on the risks involved. Better still, he could have paired up with someone who was more blue and green and tapped into their thinking.<\/p>\n

We can\u2019t plan for all outcomes, but at least we can all be better prepared. As Dan Gilbert<\/a> said, \u201cMan is the only animal that can think about the future\u201d. The brain is a predictive machine, but it would be hasty to trust our brains unconditionally.<\/p>\n

According to Dan<\/a>, \u201cWe imagine the future and tend to do so in the blind spot of our mind\u2019s eye…The futures we imagine contain details that our brains invented and details that our brains left out. We imagine futures uncritically and expect the future to unfold with the details that the brain has imagined\u201d.<\/p>\n

We can\u2019t stop thinking about the future. But we can think about it together, critically and leveraging our differences in thinking in a whole brained way. As Nick Holley<\/a> said, \u201cWe can make the shift from thinking about planning for a forecastable future to preparing for a future where the only outcome we won\u2019t get is the one we predict.\u201d<\/p>\n

Life after COVID-19<\/h2>\n

The post-COVID-19 world is going to demand more from all of us in terms of the skills we need to sharpen, the behaviours we need to demonstrate and the habits we need to acquire.<\/p>\n

Whole Brain\u00ae Thinking<\/a> is a habit that will enhance our ability to meet these demands and to adapt to the \u2018new normal\u2019 through easily assimilated practices like the 3SP, thinking big and \u2018walking around\u2019 all four quadrants.<\/p>\n

In the words of Marcus Aurelius, the last of the five good Roman Emperors, \u201cThe impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Interested in learning more about Whole Brain\u00ae Thinking<\/a>?\u00a0 Get in touch<\/a> with Herrmann.<\/p>\n

\"Click

This guest post is published with permission from our partner, Prasad Deshpande,<\/a> CEO of Empowered Learning LLP.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The lockdowns are being lifted. Whether self-imposed or through government authority, this period of stasis is ending. Our process of re-engagement has begun. We\u2019re all grieving missed opportunities – seminars not attended, business deals now in limbo, cancelled trips. But as Sir Richard Branson likes to say, \u201cBusiness opportunities are like buses. There\u2019s always another […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":724,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"The lockdowns are being lifted. Whether self-imposed or through government authority, this period of stasis is ending. Our process of re-engagement has begun.<\/span>\n\nWe\u2019re all grieving missed opportunities - seminars not attended, business deals now in limbo, cancelled trips. But as Sir Richard Branson likes to say, \u201cBusiness opportunities are like buses. There\u2019s always another coming around\u201d. One meeting is nothing in a lifetime of meetings. One deal is just one deal.<\/span>\n\nI asked my family, friends and clients to reflect on opportunities lost, on the decisions that they could not make and whether those opportunities were bullets that they had dodged. Their responses were revealing.<\/span>\n

Opportunity from adversity <\/span><\/h1>\nThe founder of an exciting start-up in Silicon Valley, offered my friend\u2019s son (we\u2019ll call him S) a \u2018dream job\u2019. S, young and ambitious, bought into the vision and the opportunity to grow a new business. He was all set to give up a steady job and equity in his existing company - when I asked him if that was wise, he said, \u201cEntrepreneurs need to have ownership interest\u201d.<\/span>\n\nBut then COVID-19  struck. The start-up laid off people and is struggling for survival. It turned out COVID-19 merely sped up what would have happened anyway. S dodged that bullet. His reflection: he fell for an interesting vision, the founder\u2019s charisma and a desire to be a part of the successful start-up club.<\/span>\n\nS is very smart. He based his decision on his analysis of the business model and the track record of the founder. He believed everything else would fall in place. But it simply wasn\u2019t enough, and it will not be enough as we continue to adapt to the \u2018new normal\u2019. <\/span>\n

Becoming adaptive <\/span><\/h1>\nOur perspective, the way we will now look at the world, will determine how we deal with the crisis. The right perspective, based on an adaptive mindset, has a way of cutting obstacles\u2014and adversity\u2014down to size. To adapt is to think - to view a crisis from a fresh angle so it loses its power over you.<\/span>\n\nIt\u2019s clear that the wide divergence between those who adapt and those who adapt badly or not at all will be very high. COVID-19\u2019s hit list includes real estate, dating, restaurant buffets, news media and in-store shopping.<\/span>\n\nWhile there are many factors that will shape the divergence, the way we think and respond is a key factor in our control. Awareness of how we think and the ability to harness the inherent diversity of thinking in organisations is key to adapting.<\/span>\n

Dealing with adaptive challenges <\/span><\/h1>\nAccording to <\/span>Ryan Holiday, perspective has two definitions<\/span><\/a>. <\/span>Context<\/b>: a sense of the larger picture of the world, not just what is immediately in front of us, and <\/span>Framing<\/b>: an individual\u2019s unique way of looking at the world.<\/span>\n\nBoth definitions matter. We must deal with changes that are \u2018adaptive,\u2019 or \u2018technical,\u2019 or a combination of both.  According to Havard Senior Lecturer in Public Leadership Ronald Heifetz, \u201c<\/span>Technical problems<\/span><\/a>, while often challenging, can be solved by applying existing know-how and the organisation\u2019s current problem-solving processes. Adaptive problems resist these kinds of solutions because they require individuals throughout the organisation to change their mindsets because often the challenge lies <\/span>within, in the way we think\u201d.<\/span>\n

How do we distinguish between adaptive and technical changes?<\/span><\/h2>\nAs we learn to coexist with COVID-19, organisations are opening up and they need to be COVID-compliant. To treat this as only a technical change is natural as we create standard operating procedures and follow guidelines given by the government. But to assume that this challenge is primarily a technical one may mask actual issues. <\/span>\n\nYou might discover that your otherwise motivated employees are reluctant to come into the office because they have elderly parents staying with them. Or your CEO is more concerned with the business than their employees, showing little sympathy for staff concerns. Whatever the underlying problems, standard operating procedures can\u2019t solve them. Instead, changes in behaviour need to occur, and that won\u2019t be easy.<\/span>\n\nThe <\/span>Whole Brain\u00ae Model<\/span><\/a> is a framework that enables us to think about both adaptive and technical challenges and prepare better for the challenges ahead.<\/span>\n

Whole Brain\u00ae thinking and being adaptive <\/span><\/h1>\n\"The\n\nThe four-colour quadrant graphic and Whole Brain are registered trademarks of Herrmann Global, LLC. \u00a9 2020 Herrmann Global, LCC.<\/span><\/i>\n\nNed Herrmann was a polymath, a singer (he sang at Carnegie Hall), a sculptor, a physicist and the head of Management Development at GE. Ned experienced an epiphany after reading an article by Henry Mintzberg in the HBR. The article asked a powerful question that haunted him, \"How come managers can be so smart and yet dull at the same time?\". <\/span>\n\nThis question intrigued him - it was vital to helping him understand himself better. GE supported Ned's experiments and applications and the pursuit of the 'aha' moment. It was these activities that led to the development of the <\/span>Whole Brain\u00ae<\/span><\/a> concept and the <\/span>Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument\u00ae<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\n

Better understanding thinking preferences <\/span><\/h2>\nThe model serves as an organising principle for how the brain works, depicting the four different thinking preferences: A\u2013logical and analytical, B\u2013detailed and structured, C\u2013people-oriented and participatory, and D\u2013conceptual and risk-taking. Although an individual may prefer certain modes of thinking over others, everyone has access to all four quadrants. It\u2019s a metaphor for the brain and an organising principle of our thinking preferences. <\/span>\n\nEveryone has thinking preferences. Just as important, everyone can adapt their thinking as the situation demands.<\/span>\n\nThe more people are aware of how they and others think and how thinking frames their perspective, the more adaptive they can be. One can find out by completing the <\/span>HBDI\u00ae<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\n\nEach quadrant is a frame of thinking or a mindset through which people view the world. Research by Herrmann International has shown that 93% of the population around the world prefers two or more thinking preferences and all have access to all four. Thus, we are in fact \u201chard wired to be whole\u201d, with each of us having a glimpse of the view from all four quadrants.<\/span>\n

Back to work in a post-COVID world<\/span><\/h2>\nIt\u2019s time for people to re-engage and get back to work or offices. Not everyone can work permanently from home. But as leaders are discovering, re-engagement is not an on-off switch. For most people, safety is a concern.<\/span>\n\nHow COVID-safe is the office or the environment? People will be apprehensive because their perspective on safety will differ and the crisis has a way of accentuating differences. Ensuring that the office is COVID-safe can turn into an obstacle with recurring issues. This is an adaptive challenge that requires an adaptive mindset. However, there is another way. <\/span>\n

Develop a Whole Brain\u00ae Thinking perspective<\/span><\/h1>\nA balanced <\/span>Whole Brain\u00ae<\/span><\/a> perspective is a blend of behaviours and rules that allow people who think differently to engage with each other to narrow the gaps in perception and understand what is acceptable to all.<\/span>\n

The 3SP - building resilience <\/span><\/h2>\nWe build resilience through discipline and habits.<\/span>\n\nThe <\/span>3SP <\/b>- the 3 Step Practice- is a habit. It trains us to be more flexible, open to fresh ideas and eager to understand the differences in perspectives.<\/span>\n\nBy practising these three steps, individuals and teams can use the full spectrum of thinking available.<\/span>\n

Step 1: context<\/span><\/h3>\nContext is always the most easily misunderstood and spending time on understanding the context as everyone \u2018sees\u2019 it is important. It\u2019s also because we mix up 'adaptive,\u2019 and \u2018technical\u2019 challenges. For those of us driving change, recognising the difference between the two while setting the context is important.<\/span>\n\n\"\"In this step, we \u2018walk around\u2019 each quadrant and identify the perspective as seen through that quadrant. If it\u2019s a team, then those in the team who have a strong \u2018blue\u2019 or quadrant A preferences will lead the way in developing a \u2018blue\u2019 perspective and so on. Once the team agrees that they have covered all issues, what you have is a Whole Brain Perspective for a COVID-safe workplace.<\/span>\n

Step 2: prioritise<\/span><\/h3>\nAs F. Scott Fitzgerald said, \u201cThe test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still keep the ability to function\u201d. Similarly, someone with an adaptive mindset will identify priorities in their quadrants and will pay attention to the opposing priorities of others. They begin to \u2018see\u2019 how these \u2018opposing\u2019 priorities are equally essential to addressing the larger challenge. People in the unit who are more dominant in \u2018yellow\u2019 would favour a minimum-touch protocol. They would immediately disagree with those in the unit who are more dominant in \u2018green\u2019 and who would insist on rearranging facilities in line with social distancing guidelines.<\/span>\n\nThey are both right. The trick is enabling people to catch each other being right early on, so they can find a way forward, before hardening their positions.<\/span>\n

Step 3: find a way<\/span><\/h3>\nCreative abrasion is a process key to recognising and dealing with adaptive challenges. It\u2019s when people who think differently, deliberately challenge each other's priorities. They generate better ideas, knowing that their disagreement will not lead to personal conflict. It elevates the quality of thinking in the unit, energising them to explore more options and possibilities.<\/span>\n\nFor creative abrasion to flourish, everyone must speak the same language. This understanding enables team members to find a way through the contradictions and reactions of team members. If a person who is high \u2018blue\u2019 recognises that a person who is \u2018red\u2019 will view things personally, she could understand the person better and reduce friction by not judging her immediately.<\/span>\n

Thinking big at a volatile time <\/span><\/h2>\nThe 3SP can be very productive when leaders or teams address the operational challenges in the near-term. However, in these uncertain times, leaders are under pressure to profess knowledge they do not and cannot have about the long-term, and to make decisions about the future that could backfire.<\/span>\n\nAs a coach, I notice it\u2019s difficult for some leaders to make the shift to see the big picture and to think long-term. Paradoxically, it's their focus on results and finding solutions that get in the way. As Einstein said, \u201cWe cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used to create them.\u201d<\/span>\n\nThinking big is the ability to maintain perspective amid action. It\u2019s critical to lowering resistance. It\u2019s about maintaining the capacity for reflection, especially in the \u2018fog of war\u2019. Exceptional athletes simultaneously play the game and observe it as a whole. That is how Tiger Woods utterly dominated the game in his heyday. Most golfers think \u2018tee to green\u2019. When they step up to the tee, they pull out a driver and hit the biggest shot every time. They don't look at the pin, because it\u2019s out of reach and doesn\u2019t seem relevant. Tiger, on the other hand, thought \u2018green to tee,\u2019 and inverted his thinking, looking far away to the pin. In the British Open of 2006, which he won, Tiger used his driver only twice.<\/span>\n

What\u2019s going on here?<\/span><\/h2>\nThe question \u201cWhat is going on here?\u201d sounds innocuous, but it\u2019s not. When the preoccupation is on the day-to-day, leaders need to stand back and look at problems in detail from all four perspectives. <\/span>\n\nWe often make that mistake in our personal lives. All of us make choices that require thinking about the future. Buying a house and preparing for retirement are important financial decisions. But few of us plan in any organised way. While we might take time to prepare a checklist, when push comes to shove, we often make the final decision rather quickly based on a reaction or the opinion of someone\u2019s whose advice matters, rather than the checklist. When faced with choices \u2013 investing in equity, selecting one mutual fund over another \u2013 we often prefer to procrastinate. The default option, which requires no action, is usually most popular.<\/span>\n

Think big and \u2018walk around\u2019<\/span><\/h1>\nWhole Brain\u00ae Thinking can turn the question, \u201cWhat\u2019s going on here?\u201d into a powerful tool for the unit to debate and decide what to do in conditions of radical uncertainty. Walking around each quadrant and asking this question will help create a more nuanced and detailed picture.<\/span>\n\nThe power is not in the question but in the whole brained debate that reduces divergence. It separates those of us who only compromise and those of us who adapt.<\/span>\n

What could S have done differently?<\/span><\/h2>\n\"\"\n

S\u2019 HBDI\u00ae profile<\/span><\/i><\/p>\nWell, he did complete his HBDI\u00ae online - his scores were low on blue and green and high on red and yellow.<\/span>\n\nBut stepping back and walking around all four quadrants and asking himself, \u201cWhat\u2019s going on here?\u201d would have made a big difference. For example, from a blue quadrant perspective, he would have spent more time analysing the business model. He could have drilled deeper, challenged his assumptions and asked more specific questions.<\/span>\n\nThinking in the green quadrant would have made him question his assumptions on the risks involved. Better still, he could have paired up with someone who was more blue and green and tapped into their thinking.<\/span>\n\nWe can\u2019t plan for all outcomes, but at least we can all be better prepared. As <\/span>Dan Gilbert<\/span><\/a> said, \u201cMan is the only animal that can think about the future\u201d. The brain is a predictive machine, but it would be hasty to trust our brains unconditionally.<\/span>\n\nAccording to Dan<\/span><\/a>, \u201cWe imagine the future and tend to do so in the blind spot of our mind\u2019s eye...The futures we imagine contain details that our brains invented and details that our brains left out. We imagine futures uncritically and expect the future to unfold with the details that the brain has imagined\u201d.<\/span>\n\nWe can\u2019t stop thinking about the future. But we can think about it together, critically and leveraging our differences in thinking in a whole brained way. As <\/span>Nick Holley<\/span><\/a> said, \u201cWe can make the shift from thinking about planning for a forecastable future to preparing for a future where the only outcome we won\u2019t get is the one we predict.\u201d<\/span>\n

Life after COVID-19 <\/span><\/h1>\nThe post-COVID-19 world is going to demand more from all of us in terms of the skills we need to sharpen, the behaviours we need to demonstrate and the habits we need to acquire.<\/span>\n\nWhole Brain\u00ae Thinking<\/span><\/a> is a habit that will enhance our ability to meet these demands and to adapt to the \u2018new normal\u2019 through easily assimilated practices like the 3SP, thinking big and \u2018walking around\u2019 all four quadrants.<\/span>\n\nIn the words of Marcus Aurelius, the last of the five good Roman Emperors, \u201cThe impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.\u201d<\/span>\n\nInterested in learning more about <\/span>Whole Brain\u00ae Thinking<\/span><\/a>?  <\/span>Get in touch<\/span><\/a> with Herrmann.<\/span>\n\n\"Click<\/a>\n\nThis guest post is published with permission from our partner, <\/span>Prasad Deshpande,<\/span><\/a> CEO of Empowered Learning LLP.  <\/span><\/em>","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,21,23,19],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/712"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=712"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/712\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/724"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}