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Don’t Worry…Think! - Prasad Deshpande
"We don't see things as they are. We see things as we are." - Anais Nin
Our world has changed...
…we are all living in difficult times and despite headlines, which are trying to convince us that the worst is over, deep down inside, we worry.
We worry that the recovery is transient.
... All around, doomsday prophets shake their collective heads sadly, imploring us not to be taken in by ‘green shoots’ that have appeared - the real big crisis is around the corner. This uncertainty makes us feel uneasy, especially when we make decisions.
In the midst of all this, have we paused and taken a ‘mental step’ backwards and thought, what do we think about the way we think and react?
This is significant because the way we think, influences the way we behave and change. In tough times, that is possibly the only thing in our control.
Understanding how we think - Whole Brain Model
Referring to the Whole Brain Thinking® model in the figure (see side panel), each quadrant signifies one of the 4 quadrants in our brain. Each quadrant is different and of equal importance. We all have our own unique preferences for thinking - the lens through which we ‘see’ the world.
Let us consider each of these quadrants as four different managers and then imagine how each might approach today’s changing business environment.
Manager A would approach the situation quite rationally and logically, while Manager B would be ready and organized, expecting a clear plan and process but with a deep desire for security. Manager C would often talk to his close network and seek to understand what other people ‘feel’ about the recession; guilty, under stress, of drawing quick conclusions based on feelings. Manager D is perhaps, the only person who still appears upbeat and willing to talk about the opportunities that are available and take more risks.
You will probably confront all four of these mindsets at any given time, in yourself, in your team and in the people close to you.
Fortunately, research by Herrmann International, which developed this model, has shown that 93% of the population around the world prefers 2 or more of these mindsets and we all have access to all the four quadrants. Thus, we are in fact “hard wired to be whole”, with each of us having some degree of the four characters above available to us.
You can measure your thinking preference through Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI)*. You can even map your team using the HBDI and get insights to how you and your team think normally as well as under pressure.
Don’t Worry, Think Growth…
By accepting that the way you think need not be the only way to think. There are four different ways of thinking that you can access to become ‘whole brained’ in your approach.
By being flexible enough to explore all four quadrants of thinking and therefore not be trapped into ways of thinking and doing that come most naturally.
By taking the help of others who think differently than you, who are different than you, to help you change your mindset, when required.
We can’t change the environment or control what is happening but we can certainly change our response to the environment.
It would be wise to pay heed to what Epictetus, a Greek Stoic philosopher, observed centuries ago: ‘Men are disturbed not by things, but by the principles and notions which they form concerning things’.
To know about your brain dominance through the HBDI (Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument), please write to us at info@empoweredindia.com.
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