This article was first published in 2020 and has been updated in 2024 to provide our readers with the most up-to-date insights.
In this ongoing blog series, we take a look at the similarities and differences of many employee assessment instruments and how you might use them – individually and together – to achieve your business and talent development needs. For this post, we discuss CliftonStrengths® and how it compares with Whole Brain® Thinking and the HBDI®.
What is CliftonStrengths®?
CliftonStrengths (formerly known as StrengthsFinder) is a psychometric assessment tool developed by Gallup that helps individuals identify their unique strengths or talent themes. The assessment is based on the work of Donald O. Clifton, who is often regarded as the father of strengths-based psychology. Clifton believed that focusing on strengths, rather than weaknesses, leads to greater personal and professional development.
The purpose of CliftonStrengths assessment is to help individuals discover their top strengths, or natural talents, which they can then develop into strong points for personal and professional success.
There are 34 strengths assessed collated into four domains:
- Executing Domain
Strengths in this domain help individuals make things happen and turn ideas into reality.
- Achiever: A constant drive for accomplishing tasks and being productive.
- Arranger: The ability to organise, but also flexibility to make changes when necessary.
- Belief: Having strong core values that influence behaviour and decision-making.
- Consistency: Desire for treating people fairly by setting up clear rules and adhering to them.
- Deliberative: A careful and serious approach to decision-making; thinking through every option and potential consequence.
- Discipline: Preference for structure, order, and routine.
- Focus: The ability to concentrate on goals and objectives, staying on track until completion.
- Responsibility: Taking ownership of tasks and following through on commitments.
- Restorative: A natural ability to solve problems and fix issues.
- Influencing Domain
Strengths in this domain help individuals take charge, speak up, and make sure others are heard.
- Activator: The ability to turn thoughts into action and get projects started.
- Command: Taking control of situations and making decisions, often in leadership roles.
- Communication: The ability to effectively express thoughts and ideas to others.
- Competition: A drive to outperform others and be the best.
- Maximiser: Focusing on strengths and pushing for excellence.
- Self-Assurance: Confidence in one’s own abilities and decisions.
- Significance: A desire to make a big impact and be recognised for contributions.
- Woo: Winning others over and being able to easily connect with strangers.
- Relationship Building Domain
Strengths in this domain help individuals build strong relationships and connect with others.
- Adaptability: The ability to live in the moment and be flexible in the face of change.
- Connectedness: Belief in the interconnection of all things, and that everything happens for a reason.
- Developer: A talent for recognising and cultivating the potential in others.
- Empathy: The ability to sense and understand the emotions of others.
- Harmony: A desire to seek consensus and avoid conflict.
- Includer: An instinct to include others and ensure everyone feels part of the group.
- Individualisation: The ability to see the unique qualities of each person and how they can contribute.
- Positivity: An upbeat attitude that can energise others and create a positive environment.
- Relator: Building close, deep, and trusting relationships with others.
- Strategic Thinking Domain
Strengths in this domain help individuals absorb and analyse information that informs better decisions.
- Analytical: The ability to think about all the factors that might affect a situation.
- Context: Understanding the present by looking to the past; valuing history.
- Futuristic: The ability to envision and inspire others with what the future could hold.
- Ideation: A talent for generating creative and innovative ideas.
- Input: A craving to know more, often collecting information or objects.
- Intellection: A natural inclination towards intellectual activity and deep thinking.
- Learner: A love of learning and continuously improving.
- Strategic: The ability to create alternative ways to proceed, and quickly spot relevant patterns and issues.
These strengths are designed to help individuals understand their unique combination of talents, which can be leveraged for personal and professional growth. By focusing on these strengths, people can maximise their potential and improve their effectiveness in various aspects of life and work.
What is the HBDI®?
The HBDI is a psychometric assessment designed to measure and describe people’s thinking preferences. Developed by Ned Herrmann in the 1970s, the HBDI identifies thinking or cognitive styles. It suggests that individuals have diverse thinking styles which can describe how they prefer to process information, solve problems, communicate and lead others.
The HBDI model divides thinking preferences into four distinct quadrants, each representing a different type of thinking. These quadrants (or model) is visualised as a circular diagram, with each quadrant representing a specific mode of thinking:
Figure: Whole Brain® Thinking Model
- A-Quadrant (Analytical Thinking):
- Focuses on logical reasoning, data analysis, and critical thinking.
- Prefers working with facts, figures, and quantitative information.
- Example activities: Problem-solving, financial analysis, technical tasks.
- B-Quadrant (Sequential Thinking):
- Emphasises organised, step-by-step, and methodical approaches.
- Prefers structure, planning, and following procedures.
- Example activities: Project management, planning, implementation.
- C-Quadrant (Interpersonal Thinking):
- Centres on emotional intelligence, empathy, and communication.
- Prefers working with people, building relationships, and collaboration.
- Example activities: Teamwork, teaching, customer service.
- D-Quadrant (Holistic Thinking):
- Involves big-picture thinking, creativity, and innovation.
- Prefers brainstorming, strategic thinking, and conceptualising ideas.
- Example activities: Strategic planning, creative design, innovation.
The HBDI assessment shows the relative degree of preference for each of the four Whole Brain® Thinking quadrants. This profile helps individuals understand their preferred thinking styles (they can prefer one, two, three or four styles). It also identifies areas where they might feel less comfortable or require more effort to access. It can highlight individual preferences, comparative preferences in pairs and team preferences.
Figures: Individual HBDI preferences, comparative preferences of two people in their typical and under pressure state and a team preference map. https://herrmann.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360021406293-Accessing-and-Interpreting-the-HBDI-Reports-Samples-Included
The Whole Brain® Thinking model which sits behind the HBDI promotes the concept of Thinking Agility. This approach encourages individuals to develop and use all four quadrants of thinking, adapting their style to different situations and challenges. By understanding their own and others’ thinking preferences, individuals and teams can improve communication, problem-solving, and decision-making.
Similarities and differences between HBDI and CliftonStrengths?
Both instruments operate with a positive-psychology intent. The Strengths approach and the thinking preferences premise both adopt a philosophy that is positive, encompassing and celebrates what you do well. They align to the mindset that there is no better or worse profile or assessment. This differs from development approaches of the past which were often about fixing what is broken or identifying your ‘problem areas’. Both assessments are not about identifying your ‘problems’.
CliftonStrengths suggest that people succeed when they focus on what they do best. The HBDI is aligned to this approach – to a point, we also acknowledge that to succeed sometimes you need to focus on what is required rather than what is your strength (and adopt Thinking Agility).
One of the challenges of the CliftonStrength approach is that using a strength framework automatically results in a weakness dichotomy. In working with dichotomies (strengths and weaknesses) an unskilled coach may neglect the diverse ways strengths and weaknesses actually work and interact with each other. Care must be taken to ensure individuals who receive a report where their ‘weaknesses are required for work’ do not feel judged or evaluated negatively. Furthermore, there may be times when your strengths are not in fact helping you or manifesting in positive ways, and this may need to be considered.
The HBDI, on the other hand, is a preference-based instrument, identifying your degree of preference for all four quadrants; there is no dichotomy or either/or response in an HBDI as you can prefer all four quadrants equally. In the HBDI Profile we use the language of implications and impact. We know that you can adopt the Thinking Agility to access the styles required and develop awareness of the impact on energy levels and engagement – we use the rubber band analogy to explore how you can adapt your thinking in various situations. The HBDI acknowledges both the helpful side of your thinking but also allows you to reflect on when it could be hindering you in life or blind spots you may need to consider.
CliftonStrengths points more to what you may focus on (your strengths) whereas the HBDI points more to what you love, how you get tasks done and the effort and energy required to get them done (your preferences).
You can also have strengths that you may not prefer because you have developed competence in them over time in a role or through explicit training. The HBDI can help elicit these differences and help individuals make sense of that information. In most cases though there is a correlation between your strengths and your preferences and this helps to validate both instruments. Be aware, if only focussing on your strengths, you don’t neglect ‘blind spot’ areas and limit your personal development or achievement or work-related tasks.
Although it may appear conflicting to work with employees using two different strength-based assessments there are some complementary ways these tools can be used together.
Using the assessments as complementary tools
Using the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI) and the CliftonStrengths together can provide a comprehensive understanding of an individual’s strengths, thinking and behavioural preferences, which can be incredibly valuable in personal development, leadership coaching, and team effectiveness.
Mapping Strengths to Thinking
We can often see parallels between an individual’s strengths identified in the assessment and their thinking preferences measured by the HBDI. There is a strong correlation between how people prefer to think and the talent (or strength) they have in those areas. This provides powerful validation for both assessments.
A-Quadrant (Analytical Thinking)
- Focuses on logical reasoning, critical thinking, data analysis, and quantitative problem-solving.
CliftonStrengths Likely Associated with A-Quadrant:
- Analytical: Critical thinking and a focus on facts and data.
- Competition: Driving to win and comparing performance metrics.
- Maximiser: Focusing on strengths and pushing for excellence.
- Deliberative: Careful consideration of risks and possible outcomes.
B-Quadrant (Sequential Thinking)
- Emphasises order, organisation, planning, and practical implementation.
CliftonStrengths Likely Associated with B-Quadrant:
- Discipline: Preference for routine, organisation, and structure.
- Consistency: Fairness and setting clear rules and standards.
- Focus: Prioritising and maintaining attention on goals (also relevant to A-Quadrant).
- Responsibility: Taking ownership and delivering on commitments.
- Arranger: Organising resources and coordinating plans effectively.
C-Quadrant (Interpersonal Thinking)
- Centres on emotional intelligence, empathy, communication, and relationship-building.
CliftonStrengths Likely Associated with C-Quadrant:
- Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others.
- Developer: Encouraging others to grow and improve.
- Connectedness: Seeing the interconnections among people and events.
- Harmony: Seeking consensus and minimising conflict.
- Includer: Bringing people into the group, ensuring everyone feels part of the team.
- Relator: Building deep, trusting relationships with others.
D-Quadrant (Holistic Thinking)
- Involves big-picture thinking, creativity, innovation, and strategic vision.
CliftonStrengths Likely Associated with D-Quadrant:
- Ideation: Generating new and creative ideas.
- Strategic: Seeing patterns and planning for the future.
- Learner: Having a strong desire to continuously improve and explore new areas (could also have diverse interpretations – see below).
- Futuristic: Envisioning and inspiring with possibilities of what could be.
- Adaptability: Flexibility and the ability to go with the flow in changing circumstances.
- Maximiser: Focusing on strengths to take things from good to great.
Overlap and Flexibility in Interpretation
Some strengths may align with more than one HBDI quadrant due to the multifaceted nature of the CliftonStrengths themes. For example:
- Focus: Can be seen in both A and B quadrants, as it involves prioritisation (A) and maintaining structure (B).
- Learner: While often associated with D-quadrant’s curiosity and love for new ideas, it also requires the analytical (A), systematic (B) and contextual (C) approaches to learning.
Understanding your Strengths through the lens of Whole Brain® Thinking can help align what you love to do (your preferences) with what you are good at (your strengths).
Navigating Energy and Burn-Out
Combining insights related to preferences and strengths may highlight why employees experience burn-out and challenges with engagement. A strength in a particular area doesn’t necessarily mean a preference for that way of operating. It could be that a specific type of training has developed a strength, suggesting even though a person demonstrates competence there it may not be what gets a person out of bed in the morning. Having conversations about the similarities and differences strengths and preferences can be helpful when developing coaching plans.
Developing a common language
We know that two people can have different perspectives and interpretations for the same word. For example the word (and strength) Learner can mean different things depending on your interpretation (or your thinking lens). The Whole Brain® Model helps us develop a common language to make sense of and consider these diverse perspectives. This validates the different ways we can interpret our strengths and how we use our strengths and preferences together.
Figure: Whole Brain® Learning Values
Aligning Teams
A team can use CliftonStrengths to identify who is best suited for specific tasks based on their strengths, while HBDI can be used to ensure that different cognitive styles are represented in discussions and decision-making. For instance, a team may have members who are strong in Execution (CliftonStrengths) and Analytical thinking (HBDI), which can be balanced by members with strong Relationship Building (CliftonStrengths) and Interpersonal thinking (HBDI) to foster both effective action and team cohesion.
Application in Coaching
Understanding both the strengths and cognitive preferences can help tailor communication strategies within a team. For example, if a team member has strong Influencing strengths but also a preference for Analytical thinking (HBDI), they may excel at persuading others through rational problem solving and providing facts. However, recognising the preferences of their audience may mean the team has to adapt their style to interpersonal thinking and persuade using emotional connection and relationship-building approaches. They can use the Whole Brain® Model for communication to ensure the persuasion message is aligning to the right audience.
What tool should I use?
In summary, Both the HBDI and CliftonStrengths are valuable tools, each with its own strengths and focus. While HBDI provides insights into thinking styles and their impact on behaviour, CliftonStrengths offers an exploration of individual talents and their application at work. The choice between them depends on the specific needs and goals of the individual or organisation.
The HBDI and the CliftonStrength can work in complementary ways as both develop people using a positive-psychology approach. Understanding your strengths will help employees recognise what they are good at and how to build powerful working relationships. Understanding your thinking through the Whole Brain® lens will add depth to your interactions and help you consider any possible ‘blind spots’ where you need to adopt Thinking Agility to get the job done when working with others. Whole Brain® Thinking can provide you with the framework and strategy to get the job done.
If you’d like to find out more about how HBDI can help you solve any business problem, get in touch with Herrmann.
