Web Version Brainbytes November 2010

Web version – BrainBytes™ November 2010

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Access Previous Issues of BRAINBYTES™

The Brains Behind “Kinect Adventures:” Microsoft Game Studios Gets the Whole Brain®Advantage
THINC™ Webinar:
Share Your Best Practices in an Upcoming THINC™ Webinar!
Build Your Creative Thinking and Innovation Skills: An On-Demand Webinar with Ann Herrmann-Nehdi
The Whole Brain® Advantage: 30 Years of Growing Results
Product Update: The Thinking Accelerator™– Optimized for the 21st Century Workforce
Recent News on Thinking and The Brain
Upcoming Certification Workshops

The Brains Behind “Kinect Adventures:” Microsoft Game Studios Gets the Whole Brain® Advantage

Kinect for Xbox 360 is sure to be one of the hottest gifts this holiday season, but before Microsoft Game Studios and the Good Science Studio team could develop “Kinect Adventures,” the game that ships with the system, it had to get innovative with its design process.

And that’s where Whole Brain® Thinking came into play.

“Kinect Adventures” is the first consumer product that was developed from the ground up using a Whole Brain® framework and data from the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument® (HBDI®).Herrmann International worked with the Good Science Studioteam to apply Whole Brain® Thinking both to its internal team processes and interactionsas well as to its approach to product development.

The result? More productive, inclusive teamwork and an innovative end-product that offers something for everyone and appeals to a Whole Brained world.

Assembling a Whole Brain®Design Team

Shannon Loftis, head of the Good Science Studio, believed that the Whole Brain®Model would provide the right framework for developing “Kinect Adventures.”

Her first task was to have the initial core team complete the HBDI®to uncover their thinking preferences. As the development progressed and they brought on new members to fully staff the project, the team was restructured based on HBDI®Profileresults to ensure that all thinking preferences were represented.

Working with a Herrmann International consultant, they learned the importance of different thinking preferencesin the innovation and design process as well as how to actively listen to and include all thinking styles. With this approach, they were able to generate better ideas, solve problems faster and work together better as a team.

What Every Customer Wants

But the internal piece was only one component. Understanding the audience –a much larger market than the traditional gamer audience – was also vital. The Kinect for Xbox 360 system was deliberately designed with a goal of appealing to everyone, not just hardcore gamers, and that meant the pack-in game that ships with the system would have to have something for everyone.

Again, thinking styles came into play.

Herrmann International research has shown that you can use clues to diagnose the thinking styles of potential customers and then identify product features and benefits that will appeal to different preferences. Using insights they had gained about thinking preferences through the Whole Brain® Model and activities completed during workshops with Herrmann International, the Good Science Studio team was able to understand what would appeal to diverse thinking preferences – whether someone prefers a play interpersonally or strategically, for example –and then create entertainment that engages all types of thinking styles.

The Whole Brain® Model served as a filter for evaluating every aspect of the game as it was being developed. If consumer testers didn’t rate an activity or element with descriptive words from all four quadrants of the brain, the team started over. It was this Whole Brain® filtering process that enabled the designers to develop a game with broad market appeal that really does have something for everyone.

The development of “Kinect Adventures” is an example of how organizations are embedding Whole Brain® Thinking into all areas of the business to get the Whole Brain® Advantage. Check out our Case Studies to read about examples in other industries, including the story of how August Home Publishing was able to quadruple the revenue of “Cuisine At Home” Magazine(this should be a link to the August Home Publishing case study PDF)in just two years by aligning the content and style of the publication with its readers’ thinking styles.

Additional Resources:

Getting Started with the Whole Brain® Advantage
The Business of Thinking® Series: ThinkAbout Your Customer™(this should be a link to download the PDF)
Quick Facts About the Kinect
Kinect: You are the Controller. No gadgets, no gizmos, just you!

THINC™ Webinar:What’s Next in Whole Brain® Thinking: The Competitive Advantage for the Era of And

What’s ahead for Whole Brain® Thinking? How will organizations and their leaders be able to put their full “brain bandwidth” to work in an increasingly complex, demanding environment?

Ann Herrmann-Nehdi, CEO of Herrmann International, tackles these questions and more in our next THINC™ Webinar, providing a glimpse into the future of Whole Brain® Thinking and revealing how major organizations are using the HBDI® as a jumping off point for moving into a broader-based approach that delivers a significant competitive advantage: The Whole Brain® Advantage.

This high-energy, interactive webinar will give participants a sneak peakat the research Ann has been conducting for her new book, “The Era of And,” and make the case that the “either/or” era– when a leader could focus on either logical or creative thinking, either strategic or tactical planning, either technical or interpersonal approaches – is gone for good.

When you attend this webinar, you’ll learn:

How the latest brain research can provide a foundation for developing leaders in the 21st century
How to see beyond the HBDI® as an instrumentin order to get broader organizational adoption, application and benefits from Whole Brain® Thinking
Strategies to align leadership competencies with what we know about the brain and develop the integrative, adaptive thinking skills essential to every leader’s success going forward
How to leverage the HBDI® and Whole Brain® Thinking to gain and drive a competitive advantage

In the 21st century successful leaders will be rapid problem solvers and collaborative team builders. They will manage complex operational issues and be future-focused visionaries. And the strongest companies will be those that can leverage their “And” to gain the Whole Brain® Advantage, mobilizing the collective brainpower of all who work with the organization. Is your organization ready?

This is a don’t-miss look into the future of Whole Brain® Thinking. Attend this webinar to get a head start on the competition in the Era of And.

THINC™ Webinar Details:

What’s Next In Whole Brain® Thinking: The Competitive Advantage for the Era of And

Speaker:Ann Herrmann-Nehdi, CEO, Herrmann International

Date:December 15, 2010

Time:1:00 PM EST / 12:00 PM CST / 10:00 AM PST

Hurry – Space is Limited!

Reserve Your Seat at:

Missed a THINC™ Webinar? Recordings from previous THINC™ Webinars can be found in the Webinars section of our website. You’ll find topics addressing Whole Brain® approaches to stress management, team performance, leadership coaching, ethics, negotiation, sales, learning design and more.

Share Your Best Practices in an Upcoming THINC™ Webinar!

Text to come

Build Your Creative Thinking and Innovation Skills: An On-Demand Webinar with Ann Herrmann-Nehdi

Ann Herrmann-Nehdi, CEO of Herrmann International, recently presented an interactive webinar on the topic of Creativity and Innovation for IEEE-USA, the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity.

Creative thinking is an essential competency in the 21st century, no matter what business you are in. You can now access the full recorded version of this engaging and practical webinar any time onlineand learn how to apply Whole Brain® Thinking to boost your creativity and drive innovation.

View the recorded webinar.

The Whole Brain® Advantage: 30 Years of Growing Results

With 2011 almost upon us, we are busy gearing up for the 30th anniversary of Herrmann International.

Although it’s our anniversary, you will be getting the gifts! Be on the lookout for new downloadable resources, special surprise bonuses, and opportunities to interact and get social with Herrmann International and others in the Whole Brain® Thinking community throughout the year.

At 30 years “young,” we have plenty of history to draw on but there’s also plenty of excitement ahead in working with individuals, teams and organizations to grow results with the Whole Brain® Advantage. Stay tuned!

Product Update: The Thinking Accelerator™ – Optimized for the 21st Century Workforce

An exciting usability update to our award-winning online simulation, the Thinking Accelerator featuring HBDIinteractive™, makes the program easier for participants to access any time, anywhere – a perfect solution for the flex/mobile/virtual 21st century workforce.

With the latest update, participants no longer have to use the same computer each time they log on. The program knows where you left off, no matter what computer you use.

Whether participants share computer workstations, use different computers at home and at work, or are using a different computer than the one they originally used when they began the simulation, they can log on using their personal access credentials and pick up where they left off or easily navigate to previously completed sections.

Haven’t yet experienced the program? Contact your Client Relationship Manager today at 800-432-4234 to learn how the Thinking Accelerator™ can help you and your employees build the Whole Brain® Thinking skills that are critical for success in the 21st century business environment.

The Thinking Accelerator™ featuring HBDIinteractive™ has been pre-approved for 2.5 (Specified - Strategic Business) recertification credit hours through the HR Certification Institute.