Thinking is at the core of everything we do, yet is often taken for granted. If we think of our brain as the hardware, our thinking is the software that allows you to use all of the information and skills you have available to you in your brain. Try these 5 steps to use your head and shift your thinking to accelerate your career in these tough economic times:

Blended learning has built up momentum in the last few years as many organizations are looking for ways to turn the challenges of a fast-changing work environment and continually evolving technological capabilities into an opportunity to think differently about how we develop and deliver training.

Several years ago, a global pharmaceutical executive challenged his learning and development team to reduce the time to train new sales reps from 24 to 12 months. They used a framework of whole brain thinking to make it happen.
The initiative began with an analysis of the mental demands of the sales function as mapped across the whole brain model. After discovering their own thinking preferences (via the HBDI), sales reps learned how to apply that knowledge to mastering the job and making productive connections with clients.

Whole brain teams are also producing big dividends for many organizations. A six-year study conducted with the U.S. Forest Service using the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI) demonstrated that whole brain teams can be up to 66 percent more effective than randomly assigned teams. A few caveats: One whole brain thinker per team is essential to help bridge different mental modes. And more than seven team members make it exponentially more difficult to manage through the diversity.