Apply Whole Brain? Thinking for Better Problem-Solving

So much of work is about solving problems. When something breaks, how do you fix it? Solving problems starts with understanding them deeply. Jumping to solutions without clearly defining the real issue can lead to wasted efforts.

Consider a typewriter manufacturer in the 1980s watching the booming popularity of personal computers. To compete, that typewriter maker could offer new features, including electronic typewriters. But that would be solving the wrong problem. Most consumers didn’t want better typewriters; they wanted something different.?

This week, try these steps to apply Whole Brain? Thinking to help your team move beyond surface-level concerns.

Gather Relevant Facts

By understanding what you’re up against, you can assess traditional options while creating a framework for unconventional thinking.

Identify Root Causes and Develop Action Plans

By delving deeper into a problem, you can identify whether underlying reasons are driving it. Addressing these root causes is essential for developing sustainable solutions that prevent a recurrence.?

Consider the Impact on Your People

Taking a little extra time also allows your team to go beyond putting out fires. When problem-solving begins with defining the problem, you can also envision an ongoing solution that improves your employee experience rather than just stopping a negative event.?

Develop Holistic Solutions

When teams rush into problem-solving without understanding the situation, they can struggle to set goals other than “make the problem go away.” By clearly defining the desired outcomes and goals, you provide a framework for developing solutions that align with company values and goals.?

Give it a try and share how it goes!

Your Whole Brain? Reading List

• How to Use Problem-Solving Examples to Improve Team Performance
• 6 Team Meeting Ideas to Improve Engagement
• What Is Time and Energy Management, and Why Does It Matter?

Webinar: Chaos in the C-Suite: Why Your Executive Team Can’t Seem to Get Along and What You Can Do About It

Is your executive team struggling to work together effectively? If so, you're not alone. Heavy workloads, escalating levels of uncertainty, and growing financial pressures are leading to unhealthy power struggles in enterprise leadership teams around the globe.

Mary Ellen Slayter , CEO of Rep Cap, is moderating this lively panel discussion with Karim Morgan Nehdi , CEO of Herrmann; Tegan Trovato, CEO of Bright Arrow Coaching; and Virginia Venable, Client Partner at Kin + Carta, as they shed light on the factors that hinder collaboration, communication, and effective decision-making. They’ll share practical advice you can implement immediately, drawing on their collective decades of experience as advisors, consultants, and coaches to global enterprise teams.

Key Takeaways

• Spotting Trouble: Learn how to recognize emerging signs of dysfunction within your executive team, from communication breakdowns to power struggles.
• Understanding the Causes of Conflict: Gain a deeper understanding of the underlying factors contributing to dysfunction within executive teams, such as misaligned goals, lack of trust, differences in thinking, and ineffective decision-making processes.
• Turning Things Around: Learn about actionable steps to address dysfunction within your executive team so you can foster the kind of collaborative work environment required to win in today’s business climate.

Who Should Attend

• CEOs, Presidents, and Managing Partners Worried About Their Senior Leadership Team’s Performance
• Senior Executives Who Want to Learn to Be Better Team Members
• Senior HR, Talent & L&D Leaders Who Want to Build Healthy Team Cultures at All Levels?

Register for your spot now.

Introducing The Team Effectiveness Solution!

Highly effective teams don’t happen by accident. Building and sustaining team success takes time, effort, and diligence.?

Herrmann’s Team Effectiveness Solution is designed to help people learn new problem-solving, communication, decision-making and innovation skills by applying the?Whole Brain? Thinking methodology?to daily interactions with their teams.

Meet the Herrmann Team in Person!

ATD24 | Association for Talent Development (ATD)

• What: Empowering Teams: Propel Performance and Cultivate Collective Intelligence
• When: Tuesday, May 21, 2024 | 1:00 PM
• Where: New Orleans, Louisiana
• Who: Ann Herrmann-Nehdi
• Who: Leverage your team's collective intelligence to propel performance to new heights through innovative leadership techniques.

For more information on this event or to register, please contact the event organizers directly. We look forward to seeing you at these engaging sessions and connecting with industry peers and leaders!

ATD Webinar: Team Synergy Unleashed

Our Chief Thought Leader and Board Chair Ann Herrmann-Nehdi will be exploring methods, techniques, and tools to boost team productivity and foster collective intelligence in companies in this ATD webinar. We'll focus on the role of thinking preference, essential practices for improved performance, and creating a collaborative environment with open communication to achieve greater productivity and innovation in high-performing teams.

Join us to learn how to:

• Foster collaboration, establish shared goals, and promote trust and communication to accelerate team performance.
• Empower teams, and benefit from the value of diversity and continuous learning in building collective intelligence.
• Cultivate high-performing teams that drive innovation and success.

Don't miss this opportunity to gain practical insights and actionable strategies to amplify your team's performance and cultivate collective intelligence through Whole Brain? Thinking. Whether you're a team leader, manager, or co-worker, this webinar will equip you with the tools and knowledge to unlock your team's full potential in today's competitive landscape.

Register now!

About This Newsletter

Are you bringing your Whole Brain? to work?

We created this newsletter to help employees at all levels decode and harness their cognitive diversity through the Whole Brain? Thinking Model. Each issue highlights actionable tips for better understanding your thinking preferences — and other people’s preferences — so you can unlock better thinking, performance, and results in your flow of work.

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