Start Thinking
A Whole Brain
Approach
Great Pyriamid of Cheops
(2,500 B.C.)
2,300,000 Stone Blocks
40 Stories
Accuracy of 0.04 inch
13 acres level within 1 inch
100,000 laborers
40,000 skilled masons
150,000 women & children
Project Goals
Cost
Time
Ref: M. Rosenau, Successful Project Management, LL Pubs., 1981
Industry Trends
Quality Management
Continuous Improvement
Process Reengineering
Self-Directed Work Teams
Corporate Downsizing
Systems Engineering
High Performing Systems
Vaill: 3 characteristics in leader/member
behavior and attitudes
time: teams spend an extraordinary amount of
time on task
feeling: have very strong feelings concerning
the attainment of the goal
focus: tend focus on key issues and keep a
clear list of priorities in mind
Team Characteristics
Effective Teams
High Commitment
Innovative/Creative
Professional objectives
consistent with project
Members highly
interdependent
Conflict resolution
Communication
High trust levels
High energy levels
High morale
Team Characteristics
Effective Teams
High Commitment
Innovative/Creative
Professional objectives
consistent with project
Members highly
interdependent
Conflict resolution
Communication
High trust levels
High energy levels
High morale
Ineffective Teams
Low Commitment
Unclear project objectives
Gamemanship, manipulation, hidden agendas
Conflict avoidance
Subtle Sabotage
Cliques, collusion
Lethargy
Trouble with Teams
Internal conflict
Coalitions; us vs them
Member anxiety and frustration
Time wasted on irrelevant issues
Haphazard decisions by senior people
Lack of Communication
Nature or Nurture
The Card Game
Each gets 5 cards
Swap till I tell you to stop
p. 2 Start Thinking
The brain is the source of
• Who we are
• What we do
• How we do it
The number of atoms in the known universe:
10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,0
00,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
The number of estimated interconnections and patters the 10,000,000,000
individual neurons of one brain can make:
10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,00
0,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
0,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
0,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
0,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
0,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
It is not nature or nuture, but always nature and
nuture!
Albert J. Solnit, M.D., Yale University
For most of us
Everyday Thinking
How does this impact our every day life?
What are the important characteristics for
buying a car?
Movies
Books
Metaphor
Metaphor is the use of one subject to clarify
understanding of another.
Metaphors can be verbal and non-verbal, written or
visual, mute or audible. They can bridge cultures,
languages, and brain dominance preference.
A product of the right brain, a metaphor can be thought
of as a translation from one mental language to another,
from the literal to the analogical. Its power is the
instant understanding it brings by reason of the
translation.
Ned Herrmann
Examples of Metaphors
“Three strikes
and you’re out!”
“You can hear a pin drop”
(with action picture)
The Whole Brain Metaphor
Premise
The Brain
Metaphor
The Whole Brain
Model
Application
A
D
B
C
The HBDI
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