101

with
Ann Herrmann-Nehdi

Herrmann International • 1-800-432-4234 1-828-625-9153 794 Buffalo Creek Road Lake Lure, NC 28746 USA www.hbdi.com
 Decade Business Era: Management Era: Requirements:

E-VOLUTION “ADAPTIVE” STRATEGIC &

2000 RADICAL CHANGE ENTERPRISE CREATIVE
THINKING
Summary
RE-ENGINEERING LEADER & INNOVATION
of Eras 90's TEAM

TOTAL CONTINUOUS
80's QUALITY QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
(TQM)

Mainstream______ _____Insurgency
Excellence______ _____Screwing things up
Chief Innovation Officer______ _____Chief Destruction Officer

© 2006 John Kao adapted by Herrmann International

Knowledge management______ _____Ignorance management
Managing the Effectiveness______ _____Discontinuity
Dichotomy- Constructive progress______ _____Creative destruction

John Kao’s Improvement______ _____Disruption

view: Where Efficiency______
Getting it right______
is your focus? Command and control______
Make it happen______
Speed of decision-making______
Information management______
_____Conflict, messiness and inefficiency
_____Continuous revolution
_____Collaboration and out of control
_____Sit back and think
_____Slowness, completeness of reflection
_____Wisdom
 ROI: Return on Intelligence
We all have brain power we don't use.

THE WHOLE BRAIN THINKING THE FOUR BRAIN STATES

MODEL
BRAIN BETA
"STORMING" Alert: 13-26 hertz
(Conscious
hyper
activities)
ALPHA
Relaxed: 9-12 hertz
7239886.65
377.225
BRAIN
"CALMING" THETA
(Relaxed
activities)
Free-flow: 5-8 hertz

BRAIN
"DREAMING"
(Unconscious
DELTA
activities) Asleep: 1.5-4 hertz

© 2007 Herrmann International

Creativity & Strategic Thinking 3
 Leverage the Creativity That Emerges From Difference:

Heterogeneous groups
LF IDE are capable of significantly
SE A
N G FI greater creative output than
DI Factual Holistic N
N unbalanced or homogeneous

D
FI

Rigorous Playful

IN
groups.
EM

G
Research Intuitive

SE
BL

LF
PRO

Analytical Visionary
Financial Experimental

Our Creative Selves

Disciplined Interpersonal vs.
Organized Aesthetic
IMP

Capturing Spiritual LF
SE
LE

Verifying Sensual
M

G
EN

IN

N Planning Tactile
TI S
G N
SE SE
A
LF IDE
Whole brain teams are
66% more effective.
© 2007 Herrmann International
Creativity & Strategic Thinking 4
 The Whole Brain Creative Thinking Process

A ND
IN
G
S E LF D

FI
LEM
B
PRO
Stage 1 – Think A-Blue
B C

A D

A D

LF
SE
Stage 2 – Sense C-Red

ING
NS
B
C
SE
IDEA

A
D
IDE
B C
AF
IN

D
IN G
SE
LF
Stage 3 – Play D-Yellow B C

A D

Stage 4 – Act B-Green

IM P
EML
E
TI

N
NG
SEL
F
C

© 2007 Herrmann International

Creativity & Strategic Thinking 5
 Some Helpful Tools….
Define What You Are Working On!
Much of the solution often lies in the definition of the problem.
Define your problem/opportunity in the form of a statement:

How to (H2)__________ so that / in order to_______________?

Example: H2 get to work on time in order to save my job.

This process will clarify the issues that are the source of your problem.

The Mental Sometimes our subconscious knows more than we do. To get in touch
with your subconscious do the following exercise.
Picture
Relax, take a few deep breaths, close your eyes and ask yourself:
ƒ What does ‘the problem’ look like?
ƒ What does ‘the problem’ feel like?
ƒ Write down any thoughts you have.
ƒ Now draw a picture of ‘the problem’ in it’s current state.
ƒ Now draw a picture of ‘the problem’ SOLVED, in a future state.
ƒ When you have finished, describe it to someone else.
© 2007 Herrmann International
Creativity & Strategic Thinking 6
 Magic wand thinking:
Putting "crazy" ideas into action
Ask…….WHAT IF..…I had a magic wand and were able to solve this
problem with no constraints on what the solution might look like or how off
the wall it might be, what would the solution look like?

Tip: Explore the underlying concept of your solution or idea... What makes it work?

TLC for Ideas:

Turning “Crazy" Ideas Into Actionable Ideas

What is Tempting about

this idea?

What is What could I

Lacking? Change to
make it work?

© 2007 Herrmann International

Creativity & Strategic Thinking 7
 What is Strategic Thinking?
Strategic Thinking is a mind set and array of thinking skills that allow you
to:
ƒ look into the future
ƒ create alternative scenarios

ƒ understand your options

ƒ decide on your specific objectives

ƒ determine the direction to get there on a winning basis

Strategy is devising a specific direction that one believes will lead to advantageous
conditions that will ensure the successful accomplishment of the objective - the one that
will allow you to beat the competition.

Strategic Planning is the development of a comprehensive roadmap of steps needed to

get to the desired objectives once the vision, strategy and goals have been determined.

Tactics are the small-scale, short-term actions involved in each step that make
incremental progress towards reaching the desired objectives.
© 2007 Herrmann International
Creativity & Strategic Thinking 8
 Steps to a Whole Brain Strategic Thinking Process:
1. REALITY CHECK -Defining where you are today: Analysis and description of the current
A state based on relevant data as a future outlook is considered.
B
2. HELICOPTER UP - Beyond Conventional Thinking: This phase uses modeling
techniques to shift the mind set away from "today" and "conventional wisdom" to a more open,
D future oriented and creative approach, an essential step in preparation for the next phase.
Without it, results are limited to a simple projection of today's reality to tomorrow.

3. SCAN THE ENVIRONMENT -Discovering the Scope of the Opportunity Through

A D Broadening the Current View of the Business: Here the process is moving and broadening
perspective to include all external factors. The scope of the opportunity emerges through
B C scanning the environment.

4. HEADLINING - Anticipating the future- “What if?”: This phase "leaps" out to the future and
D imagines what could take place. This is only possible to do after the three preceding stages
which shift the mind set and open up the thinking process to new, fresh, future perspectives.
Simultaneously, the previous stages have also provided "practice" in the right mode thinking
processes which are keys to the ability to successfully anticipate the future. Emerging patterns
and trends provide the basic for anticipating the future.

D 5. TELL THE STORY - Developing Scenarios and a Vision of the Future: Having ramped up
C the thinking skills and mind set, future possibilities and opportunities are then explored and
scenarios are created to describe them.

D 6. DECIDE ON YOUR OPTIONS Verification, Feasibility and Building the Strategic Plan:
This pulls from the future options and, working backwards from the desired end result, doing a
B gap analysis from where you are today providing the basis for the development of tactics and
implementation of the resulting strategic plan.
© 2007 Herrmann International
Creativity & Strategic Thinking 9
 Environmental Scanning

HOW??? TECHNOLOGICAL
SOCIAL ECONOMIC
Watch for key emerging issues,
trends and conditions that, if Competitors
continued, would have a
Banks Your
significant effect on the Team
company's operation, Customers
You
markets, products, and services Suppliers
in the next 1-5 years and beyond. Org.
Culture Consumers
Stakeholders
Look around, talk to teenagers, Government
read widely, seek out “futurists”
viewpoints, seeking information
you would normally not seek. POLITICAL ECOLOGICAL
EDUCATIONAL
Think in pictures, listen to your
intuition. S.T.E.E.E.P.
© 2007 Herrmann International
Creativity & Strategic Thinking 10
 Scenario Building :
Steps:
• Ask “What if_______________________________ occurred in the future?”
• Imagine that has actually happened. Play it out in your mind. Use your visual
processing mode; avoid censoring !
• Capture the story as you create it. Use dictation, drawing, mind mapping, stream
of consciousness writing.
• Once the story is captured, read it and think through the implications for today.
What might you do differently today if you knew this were going to happen?
• Ask more “What if’s” and repeat the above process with others, engaging them
in strategic dialogue.
(A means) to gather and transform
Scenarios are….. information of a strategic
significance into fresh perceptions.
Pierre Wack
Intentionally created stories about
what we believe might happen.
Ann Herrmann-Nehdi
Memories of the future
David Ingvar

Not about predicting the future, rather

perceiving futures in the present.
Peter Schwartz
© 2007 Herrmann International
Creativity & Strategic Thinking 11
 TREND and SCENARIO SORTER

HIGH

FIT

LOW LIKELIHOOD
LOW HIGH
Rank and sort your scenarios into the above categories based on the
likelihood and fit factors. Those ideas that have high likelihood and fit are
most relevant.
© C. Prather -Adapted by Herrmann International 1996-2007
© 2007 Herrmann International
Creativity & Strategic Thinking 12
 2016 Headlines
General:

Personal:

2016
2015
2013 2014
2012
2011
2009 2010
2008

© 2007 Herrmann International

Creativity & Strategic Thinking 13
 Ways I Can Develop a Strategic Mindset
Day-to-day
ƒ Play chess (or other strategy
games) and think three-five moves
ahead.
ƒ Visualize the events of the day or
week ahead. Are you optimistic?
Pessimistic? Knowing your default
view can help you become more
adept at thinking strategically.
ƒ Read widely. Seek out sources
different then your “normal”
magazines and books. Talk to
younger people, people from
different cultures, people who think
differently than you do.
ƒ Ask yourself: “What if _______
happens?” Imagine it has. Practice
building mini-scenarios that
respond to your possible
alternatives.
ƒ Look for patterns in all aspects of
your life.
Creativity & Strategic Thinking
Professional
ƒ Scan the environment, looking for
social, economic, ecological,
educational, technological, and
political trends (STEEEP). Introduce
a trend component to your strategic
planning process.
ƒ Look to global nature of your
industry as a resource to “stretch”
your thinking beyond borders and
find resources.
ƒ Ask your self : “What if
_______happens in the market
3 - 5 years out?” Imagine that has
happened. Develop scenarios
describing impacts to market(s),
products, channels, solutions etc.
ƒ Create “headlines” for the outcome
of your challenges and work
backwards from the future to plan.
Cut your project time in half...then
cut it again.
Lifetime
ƒ See yourself (in your
minds eye) in the year 2016.
What are you doing? Where
are you living? What is
happening? What has
changed between today and
that future?
ƒ Ask yourself: “What
if_________happens to me
(us)? Imagine that has
happened. What scenarios
would emerge? What can
you do now to deal with
implications?
ƒ Create a one-page
personal time line starting at
the end of your life and
working backwards to today.
Develop several scenarios
that might lead you to that
future.
© 2007 Herrmann International
14
 A Where are we now? Where do we want to be? D
(i.e. today's issues and problems) (i.e. outcomes, holistic vision)

Four Key Questions

How do we get there? Who needs to be involved?
(i.e. close the gap from D--> A in a complete (i.e. the customer’s needs and wants
way) vendors, staff, sr. mgt.)

B C
© 2007 Herrmann International
Creativity & Strategic Thinking 15
 Recommendations:
ƒ UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS: Do not confuse creative thinking with “artsy stuff” or confuse strategic
thinking with traditional strategic or operational planning.

ƒ USE BOTH SIDES OF YOUR HEAD: Everyone has potential to become more creative and strategic,
but get in our way. Leverage your best thinking time, capture all that emerge and sleep so your brain
reconsolidates.

ƒ EXPAND YOUR TOOLKIT: Diverse thinking greatly enhances creative and strategic outcomes.
Different tools work for different people and styles. Hire/enlist people who make you uncomfortable: Mix
genders, generations and cultures.

ƒ ASK WHAT IF, WHAT IF, WHAT IF ?: Challenge assumptions, use crazy ideas, stories and scenarios
to explore your options.

ƒ HELICOPTER UP: To open up your thinking, “chunk up” to look for patterns, use your intuition and
expand your peripheral vision.

ƒ LIGHTEN UP: Have fun! Unconventional approaches free the brain and allow for new ideas and
perspectives.

ƒ EMBRACE THE UNKNOWN: It is your ally, not your enemy. The known may be your worst enemy.
Change presents a great opportunity for new thinking.

ƒ FIND POSITIVE DEVIANTS (OR BECOME ONE): Look for examples of new thinking that is already
working and leverage that in your organization.

ƒ MAKE YOUR FUTURE HAPPEN: Decide what you want and go for it. Creativity and strategy are about
making your desired future outcomes become reality.

ƒ MAKE IT A MENTAL HABIT: Creative and strategic thinking are essential elements to competitive
advantage. They are here to stay. Practice and use them to make them part of your mental toolkit..
© 2007 Herrmann International
Creativity & Strategic Thinking 16