Cognitive Diversity: a Workforce needs a MindSonar® solution

Only a few weeks ago I was reminded about diverse thinking. I coach Colts Rugby and had, for my sins, agreed to help the under 7s team. Being prepared for herding cats, I planned a session to finish with a game. One 7-year-old explained how I could improve the game. I reluctantly entertained his idea and it was a hit. I had fun, the kids had fun and we were more productive in achieving the same outcomes of evasion, pace and teamwork.  

So let me ask you to stop and think. Yes, stop and think.  How many people do your clients have in their workforce that look like them, agree with them and act like them? The other rugby coaches did not question the game I had proposed. They look and sound similar to me.  

A lot has been written about diversity in the past 25 years and much has been concerned with demographic diversity. That is, diversity which is based on colour or race, sexuality, gender, age and culture.  Rightly so.  Demographic diversity is a must. It has been proven many times that an organisation that does not actively engage in diversity can limit ability and productivity. Organisations with a diverse workforce have the ability to be more productive. The Royal Academy of Engineering identified research into culture and inclusion in engineering and found that ‘inclusion benefits the performance of individual engineers, with 80% reporting increased motivation, 68% increased performance and 52% increased commitment.’

Failure to engage with people who are diverse has led to well documented disasters such as the 9/11 bombings in the USA. The CIA at the time was populated with highly intelligent men, ‘the best of the best,’ white, Ivy-League educated men. They overlooked the warning signs of a terrorist attack. Why? Because they could not perceive the threat or signs of build-up in terrorist activity. Despite the high entrance examinations and psychological assessments to become an agent for the CIA they lacked diversity and reference experience beyond their world. They lacked understanding of an impending problem. Their perception in the context of attacks in the USA was: it will never happen, they cannot win.  The CIA agents were all from a similar mould and this had served the CIA well. 

However, while the agents lacked demographic diversity and reference experience to a problem, it has also been argued they lacked understanding and had little cognitive diversity within their group. As MindSonar® professionals we can explain the measurement of others against ourselves as thinking differently or being cognitively diverse.  We know this in simple terms as how you think and what you value, what drives or motivates YOU is different to ME. Neither is good or bad, it’s how that style serves us at that time in a specific context.  Our cognitive style, as we know, is not our personality. Our style is not fixed but it is flexible.   

Let me give an example that might prove helpful for clients.  You know when you have experienced a problem and you have contacted a friend or called a wise parent who has provided new insight to your approach because they experienced the same or a similar problem before?  I suspect you can recall how grateful you were for their input and how much time it saved you. Imagine doing this always in the work environment.   Imagine if the CIA had access to MindSonar® measurement for building a team of diverse thinkers?

So back to our problem: the skills of MindSonar® can help – instead of dialling a friend or colleague, why not advise a client to dial internally and ask some questions about what approach would be more helpful from referenced experience? What options or steps could be useful here? What could go wrong or what do they need to solve this? By using the opposite of your meta programmes you gain access to a range of new answers. Jaime Leal uses this approach with teams by leaving them with a MindSonar® coach in the room poster – a set of questions that a team can ask of themselves to manage their blind spots. 

It would be fair to say fostering demographic diversity gains different views, but it is not targeted at thinking differently.  Yes, we may gain some advantage if we have people from different backgrounds but if they attended the same school, and the same training programmes, they are likely to act like each other.  So demographic diversity only partly meets the world of change we face with artificial intelligence which poses many challenges to our work. 

With complex problems we need a variety of views on how to approach and understand information or to solve problems. Price Waterhouse Cooper identify that we are living through a fundamental transformation in the way we work. Automation and ‘thinking machines’ are replacing human tasks and jobs and changing the skills that organisations are seeking in their people. These momentous changes raise huge organisational, talent and HR challenges – at a time when business leaders are already wrestling with unprecedented risks, disruption and political and societal upheaval. 

Now we know the problems, it is fair to say we have one of the best solutions available: MindSonar®.

If we are going to meet the demands of the future, we need to share how we can develop understanding of  a workforce in others so that workforce can be more productive, solve problems more effectively and challenge each other to gain results. Perhaps we need organisations to develop a change in what they ask when seeking the right people for the roles they have. Instead of asking: who do we need? Perhaps we could encourage organisations to ask: what do we need in terms of thinking style and values against our long-term needs and gaps in the organisation?

Organisations by their nature in these unprecedented times and rapid development want success regardless of their motivators and the quickest way to gain success is by harnessing the right workforce to do the right job at the right time. The workforce that understands and harnesses different styles through understanding will be the workforce that lasts and WE  have the key to unlock their success.  

After over 20 years of coaching rugby, a diverse, uninhibited thinker, aged 7, brought fun and energy to my coaching. Cognitive diversity in the workplace to meet future demands is so important because #thinkingmakesitso when we use MIndSonar®

Ob-la-di, ob-la-da! Happiness is Something you can Model!

Happiness Is Something You Can Model!

In the multitude of conversations I have with candidates with a work or life questions,

dilemmas in their careers, difficulties around absenteeism and illness or managers who struggle with keeping their team on track in times of Corona, it was great to talk to someone who said with a sparkle in their eyes: “Yes, I am always very happy!”

I decided not to ask the famous NLP (meta model) question “always?” I let her continue: “My basic feeling is always a number 8 or higher. Everything will be fine and I will make sure of that.”

I looked at her almost breathlessly, jumped from my chair, grabbed the MindSonar mug and poured her another cup of tea. “I’m going to take a test with you because so many people will want learn this from you!” She looked at me in surprise and continued: “I’m just naturally happy with the situation as it is and then I make something great out of it.”

You’ll understand that I was very curious about her profile . As context we chose: “Being especially happy”. Here is, in broad strokes, what I found.

Her meta-criterion turned out to be “Fulfilment”. A word I don’t see coming by that often as a meta criterion. Wouldn’t it be nice to have all those meta criteria from all MindSonars taken so far in one big word cloud (because you don’t have enough on your plate, Jaap).

The Sonar diagram contained Matching (8.8!), Present (7.4), Internal reference (7.4) and Towards (8.5).

Also notable were Kinesthetic (almost 7) and People (almost 5). And even scores across

maintenance, development and change and also balance in concept, structure, use.

Every time I Frankenstein this (‘Frankensteining’ = stepping into combinations of meta programs), I immediately feel good myself! I’m in the here-and-now, I feel

fulfilled, I’m doing it together with people, I know pretty much what I want and I have influence on that too. It doesn’t have to happen very fast, I can reflect and work out some details and roadmaps.

Plus: I rarely look at what is wrong in my life.

Amazing what MindSonar can teach us. You could almost sing it out loud!

Happy ever after in the market placeDesmond lets the children lend a handMolly stays at home and does her pretty faceAnd in the evening she still sings it with the band

Anna’s story: MindSonar helps Anna develop a Healthier Lifestyle

Mindsonar Helps Anna Develop a Healthier Lifestyle

Anna was born in UK in 1962. She is married with two adult sons, who are both married. During the latter part of 2019 one daughter- in-law was diagnosed with cancer and the other delivered Anna’s first grandchild. 

Anna’s passions are all centred around meeting the needs of her family and friends. She accepts the role of matriarch and carries all the responsibilities that go with this role.

Anna at 58 was beginning to ‘feel her age’ more, including being less mobile and experiencing more aches and pains. She was initially motivated to live a healthier lifestyle by the realisation that ill health can affect people of any age. She enrolled in a group eating plan and successfully lost 12kg. 

Anna explained that she was always the chunky one in her circle of friends, and that her Italian heritage meant food was not to be wasted. She has tried many different eating plans and programs to be leaner and fitter, all of which work for a while. Then she often finds herself back where she started. She feels she lacks willpower and discipline to maintain any eating or fitness changes.

Anna’s Mindsonar:Anna used a Mindsonar profile to explore her motivation and her thinking style around “eating and exercising for a healthier lifestyle”. 

Anna spent much of her time talking about her family, family life and her role within the family. She feels that her role as matriarch of the family means she must be there for everyone, all the time, leaving little time to herself. She both enjoys this role and resents it at times.

She mentioned her parents had known food scarcity and that food was never to be wasted or taken for granted. The Italian tradition of feeding the family together is something she aligns herself with and is proud of. She enjoys feeding people food that makes them feel happy.

Anna also mentioned that she likes to know she is doing well when she engages in eating plans. She has joined face-to-face weight loss groups, where she enjoyed being a ‘good member’ and seeing the scales /record card results gave her a sense of achievement. Being with the other members and giving and getting support from them was all part of the group enjoyment for her.

She wants to lead by example and prove that she is committed to living a long and healthy life, to seeing her grandchild and future grandchildren grow up, and more importantly, playing an active part in their lives. This links in with her senior family member role and that of an influencer in the family.

Her Graves drives fully support the above with a strong Purple Drive, Security  (safety, belonging, tradition, feeling at home, togetherness, seniority) and her Orange Drive, Winning (competition, success, achievement, results, progress, influence).

Her wish to be looking and feeling right, good, doing things correctly, along with her seeking external validation from others as to how well she is doing in her weight management. She sees her eating and exercise as a small part of the bigger picture or her role in the family. She has responded to her daughter-in-law’s ill health with a renewed desire for change, albeit in gradual steps to keep the family harmony undisturbed during this stressful time.

Matching  – Anna is reflective and applied with the Matching metaprogram; this is supported by her thinking about the many things she could do if her eating and exercise routines were aligned to her living a healthier lifestyle. She wishes to play a long and active part in her grandchild’s life for example. She can imagine the days out and the things they will do together and does talk happily about them. She talks about how well she supports her family, her friends and how they are her purpose. Being a good wife and mother, and now grandma really matters to her. 

External Ref  – Anna is conscious about how she looks and mentioned that her place in her circle of friends is at the back ‘I’m the chunky friend that walks in behind the others’ and other such comments. She mentioned that exercise classes made her feel uncomfortable, her feelings of tight clothing, and of being sweaty were all issues for her. What other people see, how they might react, what they may say, all matter to her. She is conscious that what she eats or how much she eats might also be judged or watched by others. 

General  – Anna used lots of ‘should and must’ statements whilst talking about eating and exercise. She focusses these on what she has seen or read – aimed at people like her. She will think about lots of these ideas and some she will action; most she will be reluctant to commit to as they will impact on other areas of her life. She will be happy if the things she might chose to do, fit in seamlessly around her existing life. In fact she stated ‘I’d like to eat at a buffet and know when to stop without thinking about it’ and she wanted to learn how to ‘refuse food, but not the sentiment it was offered in – equating with love and comfort.’  In relation to exercise, she wants to ‘do exercise without it being a hurdle:’ just the use of the word hurdle shows she may see exercise as a barrier to be overcome, as opposed to ways to overcome it. When talking about more specific ways Anna might approach her eating and exercise, she had things she wouldn’t or couldn’t do – things that affected the family, her husband etc.

Development – Anna has demonstrated throughout her profile and her conversations with me that whilst she is ready for change, it has to be on her terms and within a timeframe, she can accommodate – causing least disruption to her existing life.  Small changes she accepted could start straightaway, and she wanted to track these and see her results before escalating them. Anna is determined to not stay as she is, this news about her daughter-in-law is pushing her towards change. She feels uncomfortable, and yet is tentative in her steps towards change. 

Anna’s post profile session key pointsAnna had not considered that by focussing on the good things so strongly, might mean she has been avoiding the things that might happen if she does not make changes. Quite emotional at the thought that even though she knew members of her family had a tendency towards certain medical conditions, she was ignoring them. 

Anna also worries that her less healthy lifestyle might be affecting her adult children’s view of her; wondering why she has not kept up the things she has tried already. This bothers her, she does not like feeling that she is failing. [against her Graves Orange and Purple Drives]

She made the decision to spend some time reflecting on this, and even finding out more about what the family history was in relation to health conditions. [Mismatching]

Anna and I explored the idea that she might consider how she might have some of her own ways to validate how she looks and feels; we discussed simple ways that she might try things within her control. Anna made several comments that led me to believe she was uncomfortable with some aspects of using her own standards.  [Internal Ref]

She did concede after resisting for a while that as the main cook in the home, her husband ate what was served and thanked her for it… so planning healthier meals to share with him might not be the issue she felt it might be. She also agreed that she was a great organiser and made sure that things were done in a timely manner around the house and within the family – so a suggestion that she could schedule time to exercise at home using a home based online video was an option, whilst not her preferred style, with support Anna did start to be more responsive to trying things out [Specific]

When asked what her strongest reason for changing her eating and exercise routines – she firmly stated that being around to see her grandchild grow up was at the top of her list. When asked if she could imagine using this as her motivation to change – she surprised herself at the reaction she had – quite emotional and she said it was like the lightbulb went on in her head. [VK along with motivation]

She sounded much more animated and her words were much more positive in relation to making some changes going forwards. She mentioned her husband is behind her all the way, being supportive. She also mentioned family and friends that she knows would support her. [Together -Towards]

Anna wanted to understand how her thinking styles were helping or hindering her wishes to live a healthier lifestyle. She felt that the profile report and subsequent coaching sessions gave her a different perspective on her goal. 

Once she had explored her reason why, living a healthier lifestyle was important and how it could fit into her existing lifestyle with some specific changes; she could reframe and accept that a healthier way of eating was not only possible, it could be done without any disruption to her family harmony. She also identified that as a rule, she planned day-to-day commitments; finding time to commit to an exercise routine that did not make her feel uncomfortable or vulnerable to criticism was also possible.

After supporting Anna to take her MindSonar profile, receive the results and take part in two coached sessions I believe she has started to think differently around her wish to live a healthier lifestyle. Whilst she has become familiar with her motivation and the ways she thinks about the issues around eating and exercise; she has not yet had the coaching programme that will help her achieve her goal, by understanding more about what she thinks about and what she avoids thinking about – she is in a positive mindset, ready to create changes congruent with her motivation.

Anna’s Feedback

  • What an amazing read! 
  • There was so much to take in, there is so much information in the report.
  •  I understand that I struggle to do it [eating and exercising for a healthier life] on my own. 
  • This is true as if my husband is on board it is much easier for me. 
  • I think I need to focus on myself more and not rely on others so much.
  • I also think that the reference to ‘summertime’ might refer to a positive mood as I am affected by the weather, as I suppose most people are.
  • I also picked up that I tend to focus on the good and positive but the bad effects of being overweight and inactive, realising that this can lead to illnesses.
  • I need to finish things and see it through – probably not focus on a weight loss goal but continue a healthy lifestyle forever!

MindSonar Professional DevelopmentRecognising that any personal change such as Anna’s exploration of her eating and exercise mindset will bring up strengths and highlight opportunities for growth.

Her VAK was level across the board, meaning she was open to many metaphors and visual imagery as well as willing to listen and ask questions. VAK might be the last section of the profile – should it be one of the first to be considered when working with a client?

Her Graves drives on numerous occasions reflected in her language and gestures. Seeing her motivation supported in all her initial and post report conversations, was a great illustration of how effective the profiling is in relation to motivation.

Exploring absences or low scores in Graves and metaprograms is something I am aware that is my thinking style coming through, whilst working with the client I am guided by her words and her thinking style – yet matching and mismatching can be a rich learning space in this kind or personal journey.

This client is one of a series of 6 profiles all focussing on the same context – eating and exercise for a healthier life.

Please feel free to message me of you have an interest in using MindSonar in this context.

Aiming for Success and Shooting for the Stars

Waleska shooting

Ana Waleska Soto Abril, is a unique Guatemalan athlete. She is the only Guatemalan to  have participated in two sports in the XXII Central American Games and Caribbean Games in Veracruz, Mexico 2014 (Softball and Gun shooting in pit mode). Among sther athletic achievements are the following:

Medals (2010-2020)

• Silver Medalist in XXII Central American and Caribbean Games Veracruz 2014 (Hunting Weapons Shooting)

• Bronze medalist XXI Central American and Caribbean Games Mayagüez 2010 (Softball)

• Gold Medalist in Central American Games 2006, Panama (Softball)

Other achievements

• Participation in XX Central American and Caribbean Games Cartagena 2006 (Softball)

• 8th place at XXVII Toronto 2015 Pan American Games

• Currently classified for the Tokyo Olympics (2020, postponed due to pandemic).

Competition, Ideals (Integration), and Power
As a competitive athlete, it’s no surprise that her predominant Graves drive is orange (competition and winning). She is an athlete who participates in two very different sports that require different mindsets, softball is a team sport, while shooting is a solitary activity, even though she belongs to a team. It is therefore understandable that her next dominant Graves are those of together and power.

Her orange Graves is predominant as she seeks to be the best. However, as a member of a team it is also important to find harmony and solidarity with your teammates to win. When she participates in a team she is motivated by the support of others and knows that to win the team members need to work together.  Her reputation as a high-performance athlete motivates her to excel, not just in one event but two. It is important to her that others recognize her achievements and know of her reputation as a double athlete (red Graves), and winning medals represents her excellence and need to be recognized.

Metaprograms

Among her highest metaprograms are present, internal locus of control, development, and matching. Additionally, they are closely aligned with her criteria of concentration, emotional control, motivation and their meta-criterion of good performance.

These prominent metaprograms are congruent with the type of competition Waleska is participating in. The context of this evaluation is “while I compete [in shooting].” In this sport, various targets (plates) are thrown into the air, at random and from different angles. The competitor must have a high concentration to know when to shoot the target to reach her goal. This is where the present metaprogram is seen; She needs to be focused on the targets that are being thrown at the moment. During the event, she has to use her knowledge and experience to shoot at the right time. She needs to evaluate the elements “cold blood” and then decide when to shoot. It depends on her if she hits or doesn’t hit. This is where her CCI is evident. To perform better, she has to train consistently and make adjustments to her technique slowly. In our conversation, she mentioned that sudden changes throw her off balance. She can become irritated and may lose emotional control. (She may get upset at the sudden change).  Her need for emotional control and gradual, planned changes is evident.

Waleska is clear on her goals, and knows how to reach them due to her long experience as a competitive athlete. She has a clear and reachable goal, to win she has to hit as many plates (targets) as possible. And to stay motivated, the Matching and Towards metaprograms play an important role in her performance.

One of the things that came out in our conversation was her high together and proximity metaprograms, since this is a sport in which individuals compete alone.  Waleska explained, when we talked, that she places great value on working with her coach, listening to his suggestions, and creating new habits to improve her technique. She knows that to perfect her technique she needs to be consistent, and here she activates her development metaprogram a bit. She says that if she can be consistent, it will give her body a certain automatic discipline that will improve her performance. We talked about her specific metaprogram that when she focuses too much on the details, it can prevent her from seeing the big picture, and may cause her to lose emotional control.  Despite this, we can see that Waleska is a fairly self-aware athlete, and this has led to her exceptional performance.

Have a look at Waleska’s MindSonar profile and share with us what you see.

Evaluation by Sergio Saenz with the collaboration of Debbie Yarhi and Jaime Leal.

World boxing champion has a unique combination of thinking styles.

Esther María de Los Ángeles Micheo Santizo is a Guatemalan athlete, outstanding in her sports career as well as a successful entrepreneur.  María, The Unstoppable <<la imparable>> Micheo, is a unique athlete, who practices different sports, and gives herself to them with passion. She has specifically excelled in Karate, where she holds a Black Belt III Dan (48/51 kg.) obtaining the following triumphs:

• National Karate Champion (2001, 2012)

• Karate Do Gold Medals 2001 to 2012

• Gold medals in invitational tournaments (Guatemala, Salvador and Nicaragua) 2001-2012

• Gold Medal Murayama Cup, Mexico 2008

• Bronze medal – Team tournaments- USA Open, Las Vegas 2008

• Bronze Medal Central American and Caribbean Championship Karate Do (2007-2009)

In addition, she has participated in 5K and 10K races and half marathon (Antigua, Guatemala 21 km), where she obtained the first places.

She then decided to train in MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), where she participated in  6 fights, winning them all.  After, she began dabbling in boxing, which is her new passion. She is now a professional boxer, has participated in 8 fights, and is the current Champion for the WBC International Absolute Title.

Micheo, Sergio Saenz and Jaime Leal during the MindSonar results

María, in addition to being a successful athlete, is also an entrepreneur. She is the owner and founder of the Micheo Boxing Academy, located in one of the most prestigious shopping centers in Guatemala.

With the arrival of Covid-19, Maria’s business was impacted negatively, and her competition scheduled for July was postponed. This has not stopped the titleholder, who is now teaching virtual classes to her students, and is continuing  with her training for her next fight. To earn additional income, she has launched a startup of heathy cupcakes.

Metaprofile

Not surprisingly, this high-performance, enterprising athlete’s predominant Graves Drives, are order and power.

In professional boxing it is very important to maintain and present yourself to a fight with the exact weight. A few grams too many or too few means a penalty for the boxer. The blue Graves Drive keep her disciplined, in shape, and exerts great control in her lifestyle.   Additionally, as an entrepreneur with several businesses, she needs to be disciplined with her time, finances, and consistency. We can also see that her criteria are closely aligned with her predominant Graves. Her preparation and maintaining her exact weight boost her self-confidence.

She is well aware of her reputation and the importance of her name when she wins a fight or is starting up a business with her name.  That is well aligned with her high Power Graves Drive.  It keeps her earning titles and continuing with her training regimen so that when she fights, her name can get a wide audience.

Her highest metaprograms are Towards, Matching, Internal Locus of Control, and Proactive.

Being a high achiever, it is natural that her highest metaprogram is Towards.  She sets goals and focuses on how to reach them, and with high Matching, she sees no obstacles to winning. After establishing her goals, she develops an action plan (Blue Graves), and jumps into action (proactive metaprogram). It is not surprising that her internal Locus of Control is another predominant metaprogram, since she depends on her sense of discipline and her preparation to obtain the best results. However, this Metaprogram changes radically when she is in the ring, according to our conversation: “I only execute what my coach tells me to do, I pay attention to everything, but my coach is the one in control”. While Maria is in the ring, she is attentive to her coach’s vision and opinion, keeping her focus on her goal but shifting to an external reference and external locus of control.  Micheo comments in the interview that one of her mistakes in the past was not trusting her coach, and that not having a coach that she could fully trust, was something that affected her negatively in the past. Today she has managed to overcome her distrust which helps her win more often. It is an interesting mix of Metaprograms for sure!

In addition, her strong options and specific metaprograms allow her to identify the different alternatives during the event, to make quick decisions and achieve her goals.

We deeply thank the Guatemalan champion for allowing us to learn more about the way a champion thinks.  There is no doubt that the combinations of Metaprograms and the emotional intelligence to know how to handle them to her advantage, are part of the sustained success of María Micheo, a talent still in the making.

For our Mindsonar Professionals:

1. It is important not only to recognize thought patterns, but to understand how our clients use them to manage the criteria. In this sense, the delivery of results and the conversation around them are key.

In her evaluation, her high ILC result changed completely in the conversation, where she made it clear that she has a high ELC when fighting, as she follows the instructions of her coach, she is there just to execute the plan, her Coach has a huge role in control.

2. Rare/infrequent combinations of thinking patterns can also have positive results.

3. As MindSonar professionals, our thinking patterns also play a role in the analysis of the MindSonar report.

Professionals who conducted the study

Sergio Saenz and Dr. Jaime Leal With the contribution of Debbie Yarhi

Thinking Styles for New Times

Thinking Styles for New Times

“Change your thinking: it’s in your head” – you hear that and you automatically nod, “I know, I have to change the way I think.”

But how? Nobody knows. But how can we change the way we think when our experience, everything we have learned and lived through, what makes up our history, transforms into our personal logic of how we conduct ourselves?

COVID
The pandemic: first strict social isolation, then business slowdown and often collapse. Finally constant choices: where to go or not, shake hands or not, endless discussions as to whether there is a virus or not – it all escalates stress and often divides people. And it certainly doesn’t help companies. People need to look for new ways to communicate, to show and receive attention. What do people have in their heads to behave like this? Do they think at all? – managers get frustrated looking at the results and moods of their teams.

In spring 2020, a client called me:

“Agnieszka, is there any hope?” He looked at me with big eyes filled with what he was asking. “We are scared by the thinking of our employees. They say that they cannot sell in this situation. In addition, customers clearly take advantage, extending the terms of the complaint to the limits of common sense. Our people are not coping. Everyone is irritated. As a result, the relationships built over the years – just like a snap – fail. And the team says: it’s impossible.”

Here’s what happened two hours later and for several weeks.

“So, Agnieszka, will you train people or fire them, close the business or forget?”

Oh, how this question flatters me. Me the clairvoyant, me the genius, me a miracle worker!

Two-way work: the group and the trainer
Bosses: don’t be fooled by this way of thinking! The trainer is not a fairy-tale character who can generate a miracle, to the delight of the audience that will only sit and listen during the training. Today’s coaching styles primarily work on a group process and so-called following the customer. This is two-way work: the group and the trainer. You have to dig deep – to the personality, mindset, and value systems of individuals and then the team.

Educational training – why not? But not yet, not in this situation, the pandemic, it is too early. Here is the most common mistake customers make: let’s take a trainer to fix us – they think. A magic wand effect is expected. Training knowledge, or education, is essential if people are ready to use it. But when it is “not theirs” – i.e. when their head does not buy it, and the style of thinking does not agree with the value given by the trainer, the training will end in a traditional way: well, maybe it’s cool, but with us it will not work.

I prefer working on deep emotions and “digging” – as I say – “to the bone”. Plus a solid portion of fun in order to bring out exactly what is deeply rooted in making results for the company and for yourself. Fun, wisely conducted and facilitated, served at the right moment, will take the process further than a series of all-day training sessions.

How to do it?
First, thorough questioning of the team to clarify the context for which I will measure mindset and for which we are starting the process at all. A conversation about the company, but also about values, “what for” and their own “why?” – in an atmosphere of safety and openness, showing future participants empathy so that they really care about the trainer and the client. Impossible? It is possible when a trainer working in this way meets with a conscious client.

Then diagnose the values and mindset of each individual and the entire team together. I conduct individual, sometimes team sessions, and the MindSonar® mindset test, which is being applied almost all over the world by licensed consultants in many languages. The consultant’s experience matters. The results make participants eyes big like two euro coins. And the real fun has not yet begun!

At this point managers get the first, albeit very solid, information about new team management opportunities. New situation and a new style of work. How to motivate, how to enforce, how to control, how to distribute tasks, how to regroup teams so that people would be eagerly returned to work and their efforts would be effective. The test is knowing about their subordinates, but also about themselves. Working in turn with management and managers at subsequent levels brings a change in perceptions of people through the prism of their individual personal thinking styles. It shows the aspects in which they can effortlessly strengthen management and, what is important, it demonstrates how exactly to do it.

Now it’s time to play. Now the Lego Serious Play methodology together with MindSonar deepens the reflection process even more and supports effective dialogue in the organization. It is invaluable in times of crisis – it accurately indicates what you can do and how easily  you can do it in your circumstances.  There is a real breakthrough: each participant clashes with a certain truth. Because it’s not them, but their buildings which speak. Then – as a team – they formulate conclusions and create rules ready for implementation (here, in my own hybrid method, elements of the Design Thinking method and classic creativity training appear).

But it doesn’t stop there!
MindSonar individual and team profiles are in motion. The room is filled with all the colours of MindSonar blocks and teaching aids. Emotions reach their zenith. It’s usually fun. The test results don’t show what people think, but how they think. This is a very exciting moment. People begin to analyze their values, which, along with a dozen or so other identified factors (shown in MindSonar’s bars, tables, and personality profile diagrams), become what underlies their behaviour. They begin to understand why they say that it is impossible to sell now, what the reason is for the fact that someone has lost their assertiveness in the complaint procedure, another gets tangled in negotiations, yet another lets go of the relationship with a so-called difficult client. And who is a difficult client for this individual? What kind of client? Yes, this will also be shown: alternately individual and joint team work.

And finally: the most important thing.

“Agnieszka, how are we to change this way of thinking to make it serve us?”

Changing team mindset starts with management. It is impossible to teach people to work in a new style if they are not managed in a new style. In any case, it all starts with opening your mind to knowledge about yourself and others, and for a change that starts with working with old and new habits. This is possible thanks to a change in  thinking style which turns out to be possible thanks to the understanding by each person that is usually enough to slightly “move” the individual elements that make up this way of thinking and which are so easy to control. MindSonar points to them and describes them very precisely.

Superpowers and resilience to crisis are within us, although they do not always look as we would like them to. And yet, anyone can be a superhero – you just need to assign them the right task, and motivate them properly when it comes to teamwork. To make it possible – you should get to know individual and team ways of thinking as a basis for behaviour at work.

What next?
There is a regrouping in teams, a new assignment of tasks, reorganization. And, of course, working with habits. Then the results – and of course, happiness. Management, team and… trainer.