The Whole Brain Business Book [Hardcover]

Ned Herrmann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1996 | Series: McGraw-Hill Training Series

"The Whole Brain Business Book" is the long-awaited culmination of Ned Herrmann's highly respected and extensive research and testing. In it, he presents his four-quadrant model of the brain and the corresponding thinking styles: logician, organizer, communicator, and visionary. Most people and organizations, he demonstrates, are stuck in a "brain rut" because their work is dominated by just one mode. Through highly practical explorations and exercises, he shows individuals and organizations how to harness the power of the whole brain. Readers will use "The Whole Brain Business Book" to expand their own thinking styles - to create and manage Whole Brain Teams - and to introduce new levels of flexibility and innovation into the corporate culture. It will show them how organizations like DuPont and GE use their "whole brain" orientation to thrive and profit in times of chaos - and it will help them to do the same.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

McGraw-Hill authors represent the leading experts in their fields and are dedicated to improving the lives, careers, and interests of readers worldwide

Product Details

• Hardcover: 334 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (February 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0070284628
• ISBN-13: 978-0070284623
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1.1 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #64,748 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #70 in Books > Business & Investing > Management & Leadership > Training

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Herrmann's Brain Dominance Instrument: A New Way of Thinking March 5, 2000

By Peggy A. Just

Format:Hardcover

Ned Herrmann's book, "The Whole Brain Business Book", deserves a five star rating. Herrmann has written an excellent book, I only wish I had read it seven years ago when I first ventured out in the world to start my own business. It is a must read for anyone who is planning on starting their own business, has a startup business, or has decision making responsibilities in an organization. The Whole Brain Business Book is very easy to read and is written in a very instructive manner. The author provides many examples from his research and he uses a number of diagrams that are very useful in determining a company's and/or one's personal management style, in addition to some insight as to how one thinks, makes decision and work together with other people. A number of exercises and step by step instructions are provided to assist readers in learning how to make decisions that incorporate all of the brain's functions. I found some very valuable information in this book that I will use to enhance my decision-making process. Herrmann has made me stop and re-evaluate some of the ways I approach a number of business issues.

This book is divided into five dynamic sections; each section is packed with methodologies, examples and exercises for utilizing Herrmann's concept. Herrmann provides some hard evidence to support his Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI) tool. HBDI is an assessment tool that is uses to determine what drives the way one thinks and makes decisions. HBDI utilizes four quadrants (styles), Organizer, Personalizer or Visualizer, each quadrant represented by a letter A-D. Herrmann believes that we make decisions based on some combination of these four thinking styles and that cultivating these styles and utilizing the resulting energy is the key to productivity and creativity in business.

Herrmann presents some very interesting information about entrepreneurals, and how they rank based on his HBDI tool. He expands this discussion by pointing out the difference between a entrepreneural, one who works for him/herself and a intrapreneural, one who works for a company. Herrmann discusses risk taking and the importance in learning from failure. He pursues this further by describing the type of management that nurtures creativity and sets the stage for innovative thinking. Herrmann discusses characteristics of people who are on the outer realm, (he calls them Mavericks) and how and why they are so successful (he uses Tom Peters and David Letterman as examples). He touches on process reengineering, and how it is generally initiated based on cost savings versus change in work processes. In addition, he provides some interesting research data regarding CEO's and how they ranked a list of sixteen primary work elements. In the final chapter, Herrmann presents some helpful steps for becoming a Whole Brained Businessperson.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Whole brain thinking at its best. July 1, 1996

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

At the core of Ned Herrmann's most recent book lies his belief that the functioning of the human brain is driven by a four-quadrant interconnected set of mental processing modes. These four thinking styles, says Herrmann, originate in the brain's left and right cerebral hemispheres, and in the left and right half limbic systems, each resulting in significantly different and distinct behavioral characteristics in human beings. How this complex brain interaction determines thinking mode dominance and thinking style preferences, and how individuals and organizations can benefit from such understanding, are the main themes of this highly thought provoking and exceptionally relevant management book. Herrmann's work is widely thought of by training and development specialists as superseding earlier "left brain/right brain" thinking models as well as having advanced new concepts of mind research and their applications in business settings. In fact, this is the first book exclusively dedicated to applying whole brain thinking to a wide range of business situations.Thinking dominance by one of the four styles leads to the development of preferences, which in turn establish our interests, foster the development of competencies, and influence our career choices and ultimately the work that we do, contends Herrmann. Knowing whether you, your organization, or a particular job, is predominantly quadrant A, B, C, or D oriented, makes all the difference whether or not relationships have an opportunity to develop and flourish or to remain counter-productive and underutilized. Mismatching people and assignments by not using whole brain thinking processes can be extremely costly, both in terms of individual psychological danage and in terms of negative organizational results, suggests Herrmann.Knowing your thinking preference is a good place to start understanding whole brain technology. You can get an idea of whether you are an Analyser, Organizer, Personalizer, or Visualizer (Quadrants A, B, C, and D, respectively), by completing the Preference Indicator Exercise provided in the book. Better yet, you can complete the HBDI (Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument) survey, which, when evaluated by trained specialists from the Ned Herrman Group, will result in your own HBDI Personal Profile. Call the NHG at 704-625-9153 for specific details. This review was written by Bruno Lewandowski, Editor & Publisher of World Aero-Engine Review, a monthly jet propulsion newsletter

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Spurred my burning interest in understanding the world's most powerful portable thinking machine located between my two ears! October 7, 2006

By Lee Say Keng

Format:Hardcover

'The Creative Brain' was my first brain book that helped me to understand my learning, thinking & decision making preferences - my brain dominance, to be precise. It came with a valuable proprietary personal assessment tool, the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI). I felt very good after learning about my scored results (from the author's outfit in the United States) with the tool, which eventually allowed me to exploit my capabilities - & to overcome my limitations - in both professsional & personal terms.

The book also had an interesting story about the author, Ned Herrmann, & his amazing journey of personal self-discovery. He was trained as a physicist & worked at General Electric in a management function. Yet, he also enjoyed an active career as a performing artist - first as a singer & later as a painter/sculptor.

It was rather a thick book, printed in large format, with 400 odd pages, but it was filled with personal anecdotes, solid data, & useful charts.

I had enjoyed reading - & reflecting upon - the book very much at the time I had bought it in the late 80's. I was then working as a General Manager of a high- technology laboratory (Real Time Graphics) from Sweden, with a research focus in developing value-added applications with their proprietary real-time man-machine communication software, designated as 'EyesScream'. In reality, Ned Herrmann's book game me a lot of valuable application insights, particularly from the standpoint of cognitive ergonomics. The experiences allowed me to work efficiently & effectively with many customers.

Subsequently, I went on to acquire the author's second book, The Whole Brain Business Book, in the mid-90s. WOW, another wonderful book from Ned Herrmann! In it, the author expanded my understanding of the metaphorical four-quadrant model of the brain & its corresponding learning, thinking & decision making styles: logician, organizer, communicator, & visionary. I also enjoyed reading the book very much as I felt really inspired & empowered after learning how to harness the power of the whole brain.

By the way, this is Ned Herrmann's definition of creativity: "Among other things, it is an ability to:

- challenge assumptions
- recognise patterns
- see in new ways
- make new connections
- take risks
- & seize upon a chance."

In some way, the two books spurred my burning interests on a continuing quest for better understanding of the world's most powerful portable thinking machine, located between my two ears!