{"id":397,"date":"2019-09-30T19:28:56","date_gmt":"2019-09-30T09:28:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.herrmann.com.au\/blog\/?p=397"},"modified":"2022-12-01T17:08:14","modified_gmt":"2022-12-01T06:08:14","slug":"agile-thinking-how-to-shift-your-thinking-style-to-achieve-any-workplace-goal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/blog\/2019\/09\/agile-thinking-how-to-shift-your-thinking-style-to-achieve-any-workplace-goal\/","title":{"rendered":"Agile thinking: how to shift your thinking style to achieve any workplace goal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;section&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.22&#8243; da_disable_devices=&#8221;off|off|off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; da_is_popup=&#8221;off&#8221; da_exit_intent=&#8221;off&#8221; da_has_close=&#8221;on&#8221; da_alt_close=&#8221;off&#8221; da_dark_close=&#8221;off&#8221; da_not_modal=&#8221;on&#8221; da_is_singular=&#8221;off&#8221; da_with_loader=&#8221;off&#8221; da_has_shadow=&#8221;on&#8221;][et_pb_row admin_label=&#8221;row&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Text&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.10.3&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<p>Agile Thinking is the ability to consciously shift your thinking when and how the situation requires it.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.herrmann.com.au\/what-is-whole-brain-thinking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Whole Brain\u00ae Model <\/a>provides a powerful framework to ensure you can make that shift, identifying four different thinking preferences, and giving you the skills you need to leverage each.<\/p>\n<h2>What are the four thinking styles represented in the Whole Brain\u00ae Model?<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Model-with-Tabs-1.jpg\" alt=\"Whole Brain Thinking Model\" width=\"1028\" height=\"768\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1028px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1028\/768;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Model-with-Tabs-1.jpg\" alt=\"Whole Brain Thinking Model\" width=\"1028\" height=\"768\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>The Whole Brain\u00ae Model is divided into four quadrants that represent different thinking preferences characterised by distinct mental processes. These four quadrants are:<\/p>\n<h3>A \u2013 Analyse<\/h3>\n<p>This mental process is logical, fact-based, and often quantitative. Agile thinkers look at an array of information and extract meaning that can be used to solve problems and achieve goals. Analysing means answering questions such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What outcomes should we focus on for this quarter? This year? The next five years?<\/li>\n<li>What options will give us the highest return on our investment of time, money, energy and other resources?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>B \u2013 Organise<\/h3>\n<p>Besides choosing what outcomes to produce, agile thinkers determine how to achieve them. This mental process is about planning, execution and relentless focus\u2014making sure that goals and quality targets are met. Skilled organisers answer questions such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Who will be on this project team?<\/li>\n<li>How will we track our progress?<\/li>\n<li>What\u2019s the final due date for this project?<\/li>\n<li>What, exactly, will be delivered on that date?<\/li>\n<li>What are the interim due dates (milestones) for this project?<\/li>\n<li>What are the very next actions we need to take to produce our desired outcomes?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>They often pose \u201csafekeeping\u201d questions, as well. When considering a proposal they ask:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How do you know this idea will work?<\/li>\n<li>Has something like this ever been done before?<\/li>\n<li>What are the benefits?<\/li>\n<li>What are the risks?<\/li>\n<li>Can you give me some references?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>C \u2013 Personalise<\/h3>\n<p>In contrast, this mental process centres on \u201cpeople skills\u201d and is feeling-based, kinesthetic and emotional. Agile thinkers engage in positive ways with employees, clients and other stakeholders. They\u2019re comfortable working with a variety of people and forming strong personal connections. Before okaying a project, they want to know who will be affected and how they will feel about it.<\/p>\n<p>When thinking about products and services, for instance, they ask:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Who is our target audience?<\/li>\n<li>What are they most worried about?<\/li>\n<li>What do they already know about this topic?<\/li>\n<li>How do they feel about this topic?<\/li>\n<li>What will they do with the information and ideas we provide?<\/li>\n<li>Do they see us as competent, credible and trustworthy?<\/li>\n<li>Will they feel good about buying into our proposal?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>D \u2013 Strategise<\/h3>\n<p>This mental process is about innovation\u2014seeing the big picture and thinking creatively. While analysis is about narrowing down the available options, strategising is about opening up more of them.<\/p>\n<p>Agile thinkers can invent new business ideas and new ways of getting things done, often by asking:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Why are we doing this?<\/li>\n<li>What if we tried doing it a different way?<\/li>\n<li>Is this a truly new idea?<\/li>\n<li>Can we get excited about this idea?<\/li>\n<li>Can we visualise what the result will be?<\/li>\n<li>If we achieve our goal, then what else becomes possible?<\/li>\n<li>What are the connections between the ideas we\u2019re considering, and how can we combine them?<\/li>\n<li>What are we forgetting to consider?<\/li>\n<li>Can we bring in someone with different expertise to help us solve this problem?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.herrmann.com.au\/contact-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/WBT-Agile.png\" alt=\"Click this box to find a solution to your workplace goal\" width=\"750\" height=\"313\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 750px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 750\/313;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/WBT-Agile.png\" alt=\"Click this box to find a solution to your workplace goal\" width=\"750\" height=\"313\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Leveraging the whole brain: the magic of metacognition<\/h2>\n<p>Each of us has access to our whole brain, which means we have latent abilities in all of the above mental processes. Agile thinkers cultivate them to an extraordinary degree.<\/p>\n<p>You can do this, too. The key is making a habit of metacognition\u2014thinking about your thinking:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>During the day, pause to ask what kind of thinking is most appropriate to the task at hand. Consciously choose when to analyse, organise, personalise and strategise. When solving a problem, mentally walk through each mental process.<\/li>\n<li>Allow time for thinking. Create space during your day to reflect on the kinds of questions mentioned in this post. Put the most important answers in writing.<\/li>\n<li>Seek outside perspectives. When solving problems or asking for feedback, we usually seek out people who are on the same \u201cwavelength\u201d\u2014those who are most likely to confirm our opinions. It\u2019s a lot more comfortable to get validation than pushback. Yet there are times when a contrary perspective is what you need to get results.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Richard Branson of Virgin Airlines <a href=\"http:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/article\/217309\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">said it well<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy ability to listen to other people and accept it when their suggestions are better than mine has been useful during my 40 years in business. I\u2019m never too proud to admit I\u2019m wrong or take action when others\u2019 suggestions are better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That statement embodies the mental agility that makes for great inclusive leaders. As you seek to lead, start with yourself and consider how you can adopt the thinking agility of these inclusive leaders.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Learn how to leverage Whole Brain\u00ae Thinking to become a more inclusive leader.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/www.herrmann.com.au\/contact-us\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/CTA-Inclusive-Leadership.png\" alt=\"Inclusive Leadership\" width=\"750\" height=\"313\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 750px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 750\/313;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/CTA-Inclusive-Leadership.png\" alt=\"Inclusive Leadership\" width=\"750\" height=\"313\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/h2>\n<p><em>This article was originally published in 2016. It has been updated in 2019 and republished to ensure our readers don\u2019t miss out on valuable information.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Agile Thinking is the ability to consciously shift your thinking when and how the situation requires it. The Whole Brain\u00ae Model provides a powerful framework to ensure you can make that shift, identifying four different thinking preferences, and giving you the skills you need to leverage each. What are the four thinking styles represented in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":398,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Agile Thinking is the ability to consciously shift your thinking when and how the situation requires it.<\/span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.herrmann.com.au\/what-is-whole-brain-thinking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Whole Brain\u00ae Model <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">provides a powerful framework to ensure you can make that shift, identifying four different thinking preferences, and giving you the skills you need to leverage each.<\/span>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What are the four thinking styles represented in the Whole Brain\u00ae Model?<\/span><\/h2>\n<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-296\" src=\"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Model-with-Tabs-1.jpg\" alt=\"Whole Brain Thinking Model\" width=\"1028\" height=\"768\" \/>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Whole Brain\u00ae Model is divided into four quadrants that represent different thinking preferences characterised by distinct mental processes. These four quadrants are:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A \u2013 Analyse\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This mental process is logical, fact-based, and often quantitative. Agile thinkers look at an array of information and extract meaning that can be used to solve problems and achieve goals. Analysing means answering questions such as:<\/span>\n<ul>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What outcomes should we focus on for this quarter? This year? The next five years?<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What options will give us the highest return on our investment of time, money, energy and other resources?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">B \u2013 Organise\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Besides choosing what outcomes to produce, agile thinkers determine how to achieve them. This mental process is about planning, execution and relentless focus\u2014making sure that goals and quality targets are met. Skilled organisers answer questions such as:<\/span>\n<ul>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Who will be on this project team?<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">How will we track our progress?<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What\u2019s the final due date for this project?<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What, exactly, will be delivered on that date?<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What are the interim due dates (milestones) for this project?<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What are the very next actions we need to take to produce our desired outcomes?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">They often pose \u201csafekeeping\u201d questions, as well. When considering a proposal they ask:<\/span>\n<ul>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">How do you know this idea will work?<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Has something like this ever been done before?<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What are the benefits?<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What are the risks?<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Can you give me some references?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">C \u2013 Personalise\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In contrast, this mental process centres on \u201cpeople skills\u201d and is feeling-based, kinesthetic and emotional. Agile thinkers engage in positive ways with employees, clients and other stakeholders. They\u2019re comfortable working with a variety of people and forming strong personal connections. Before okaying a project, they want to know who will be affected and how they will feel about it.<\/span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When thinking about products and services, for instance, they ask:<\/span>\n<ul>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Who is our target audience?<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What are they most worried about?<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What do they already know about this topic?<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">How do they feel about this topic?<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What will they do with the information and ideas we provide?<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do they see us as competent, credible and trustworthy?<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Will they feel good about buying into our proposal?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">D \u2013 Strategise<\/span><\/h3>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This mental process is about innovation\u2014seeing the big picture and thinking creatively. While analysis is about narrowing down the available options, strategising is about opening up more of them.<\/span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Agile thinkers can invent new business ideas and new ways of getting things done, often by asking:<\/span>\n<ul>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Why are we doing this?<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What if we tried doing it a different way?<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Is this a truly new idea?<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Can we get excited about this idea?<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Can we visualise what the result will be?<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If we achieve our goal, then what else becomes possible?<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What are the connections between the ideas we\u2019re considering, and how can we combine them?<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What are we forgetting to consider?<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Can we bring in someone with different expertise to help us solve this problem?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.herrmann.com.au\/contact-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-797 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/WBT-Agile.png\" alt=\"Click this box to find a solution to your workplace goal\" width=\"750\" height=\"313\" \/><\/a>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Leveraging the whole brain: the magic of metacognition<\/span><\/h2>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Each of us has access to our whole brain, which means we have latent abilities in all of the above mental processes. Agile thinkers cultivate them to an extraordinary degree.<\/span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You can do this, too. The key is making a habit of metacognition\u2014thinking about your thinking:<\/span>\n<ol>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>During the day, pause to ask what kind of thinking is most appropriate to the task at hand.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Consciously choose when to analyse, organise, personalise and strategise. When solving a problem, mentally walk through each mental process.<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Allow time for thinking.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Create space during your day to reflect on the kinds of questions mentioned in this post. Put the most important answers in writing.<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Seek outside perspectives.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> When solving problems or asking for feedback, we usually seek out people who are on the same \u201cwavelength\u201d\u2014those who are most likely to confirm our opinions. It\u2019s a lot more comfortable to get validation than pushback. Yet there are times when a contrary perspective is what you need to get results.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Richard Branson of Virgin Airlines <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/article\/217309\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">said it well<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">:<\/span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cMy ability to listen to other people and accept it when their suggestions are better than mine has been useful during my 40 years in business. I\u2019m never too proud to admit I\u2019m wrong or take action when others\u2019 suggestions are better.\u201d<\/span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">That statement embodies the mental agility that makes for great inclusive leaders. As you seek to lead, start with yourself and consider how you can adopt the thinking agility of these inclusive leaders.<\/span>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Learn how to leverage Whole Brain<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00ae<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thinking to become a more inclusive leader.\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.herrmann.com.au\/contact-us\/\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-403 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/CTA-Inclusive-Leadership.png\" alt=\"Inclusive Leadership\" width=\"750\" height=\"313\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/h2>\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This article was originally published in 2016. It has been updated in 2019 and republished to ensure our readers don\u2019t miss out on valuable information.\u00a0<\/span><\/i>","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,23,24,19],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/397"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=397"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/397\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/398"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herrmann.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}