Have you ever felt unique among your friends, being the one they share every detail of their day or problems with, the first friend they call in an emergency or when they need help? And in your team at work, do you notice they often suggest your name for making critical decisions? Or when splitting the bill at a restaurant, do they ask you to divide the amount because of your adeptness with numbers?
We intuitively and subconsciously read the thoughts and personalities of those around us, striving to understand their capabilities, abilities, and even how they make decisions and predict their reactions.
Is there a scientifically accurate and validated way to understand our thought patterns and those of the people around us?
Definition of Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument: Understanding the Scientific Foundations and History
This question was addressed by Ned Herrmann and Peter Tupolo, who worked at Herrmann International, a consulting and training company specializing in individual and organizational development. The first version of this instrument was published in 1980.
Ned Herrmann was a university professor and executive consultant in management and organizational psychology, interested in how thinking styles affect team and organizational performance. Herrmann and Tupolo based their instrument on the personality types theory of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, dividing human thinking into four main styles: A for analytical thinking, B for executive thinking, C for humanistic or emotional thinking, and D for creative thinking. Individuals possess all four styles but tend to excel in at least one.
Thinking Styles in Herrmann Brian and Their Impact on Personal and Professional Relationships
The analytical thinker prefers lecture-based learning and leans towards objective and logical analysis. This person is characterized by critical thinking, a focus on facts, data, and statistics, and a tendency to engage with technology, focusing on achieving goals and evaluating outcomes. They make decisions strictly based on personal observations, avoiding bias and emotions.
The executive thinker prefers learning through structured and planned work, leans towards administrative and executive tasks, and focuses on procedures and details. This person values time and office methods, preferring to work in a conservative and organized environment and favors traditional thinking methods. They have a passion for learning and working in calculated steps, caring about chronological, historical, and spatial sequencing, and maintain a strict relationship with financial matters.
The humanistic or emotional thinker prefers collaborative work and group discussions, enjoys written and reading work, and communicates through body language and facial expressions, preferring role-playing as a communication and expression medium. They constantly seek to build relationships with others, characterized by intense emotion and sensitive feelings, in addition to sensory intuition and spiritual and ethical commitment.
The creative thinker prefers free activities like brainstorming, using metaphors, and visual imagery, and uses mind maps to organize thoughts, preferring a holistic view in thinking. This person adapts well to environments, enjoys integrating different concepts and elements into something new. They dislike restricted and impromptu methods, rely heavily on imagination, and focus on the future. They may be rebellious, prone to risk-taking, and experimentation.
This instrument, designed with 120 questions, reveals a set of numbers for each symbol at the end, with the highest number representing the dominant thinking style. 56 questions are available for free, while the rest can be answered through a link to Herrmann International’s official website.
Goals of Developing Herrmann Brain
The primary goal of developing this instrument was to enhance individuals’ understanding of each other and improve communication among team members, between individuals and their managers, or even in personal life, especially between spouses. Knowing your thinking style and that of the person you are interacting with can help reduce misunderstandings, develop leadership, and improve personal and professional relationships by assigning tasks more effectively and increasing work productivity.
Imagine forming a team to undertake a creative task to save your organization, primarily based on educational data from your region. Would you choose team members all from the same thinking style, or ensure the presence of members with analytical thinking for data handling and creative thinking for desired change? You would send the humanistic thinker to the field for data collection and appoint the executive thinker as the team leader to ensure the task is completed on time.
Knowledge naturally makes a person more confident and productive. When this knowledge is enriched with an understanding of our own and others’ thinking styles, it undoubtedly leads to a state of psychological comfort and tranquility that comes with this type of knowledge, enhancing skill use and development. This reflects on the nature of the life and daily routine a person lives.
Author: Dr. Aya Awad, Academic Advising Program Leader at Masarat Initiative
