My favourite instrument

Now I wonder why have I not done a post - in all these years - detailing my PERSONAL favourite career assessment instrument; my most enjoyed test? That is a very interesting question! Perhaps it is because I would have to put my own decision up for scrutiny? Perhaps it is because I have to actually decide on one? Perhaps it is because I don't really know why I like this particular instrument? Hmm. I think this aspect of 'why' needs more reflection!

However, to move onto the 'what', my personal favourite test is the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI). Following the brain research of Levy-Agresti and Sperry (1968), in 1976 a manager at General Electric, Ned Herrmann, began development on the brain model to examine preferred thinking styles.

The test is administered using a 120 question test battery (Herrmann International Asia, 2008). I like this test because it shows participant differences, so it can be used to see where a department, organisation or board is well rounded... or not. Having been the board chair of an organisation where HBDI was administered to all staff, I had it administered to board members as well. Collectively, we found the organisation was weaker in one quadrant, and after more exploration, we decided to deliberately recruit a new staff member who was strong in that area.

While Herrmann International Asia (2008) claims that the HBDI has been validated by research, fMRI machines have clearly shown that left/right brain, upper/lower quadrant 'geographical' thinking sites as originally outlined in HBDI's literature are simplistic and are unevidenced. 

However, in my view - like many tests including MBTI - the test still has some utility, as the thinking styles themselves still show patterns and may be valid (Bunderson, 2003). If we can step back and consider it a 'sorting hat' (Rowling, 1997), if we will, and use it for guiding decisions, not for being the be-all and end-all of truth, then it has some value. It certainly gave the organisation I was with good value as a lens to see where we lacked 'wholeness'.  

If you want to know a bit more about how HBDI works for me, watch the video below:

I hope you find that interesting!

Sam

References:

Bogen, J. E., & Gazzaniga, M. S. (1965). Cerebral commissurotomy in man: Minor hemisphere dominance for certain visuospatial functions. Journal of Neurosurgery, 23(4), 394-399. https://doi.org/10.3171/jns.1965.23.4.0394

Bunderson, C. V. (2003). The Validity Of The Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument. http://www.hbdi.com/uploads/100021_resources/100331.pdf

Herrmann International Asia (2008). Confidential Personal Profile Information. Author.

Levy-Agresti, J., & Sperry, R. (1968). Differential Perceptual Capacities in Major and Minor Hemispheres. Proceedings of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, 61(3), 1151. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.61.4.1435

Nebes, R. D. (1971). Superiority of the minor hemisphere in commissurotomized man for the perception of part-whole relations. Cortex, 7(4), 333-349.https://doi.org/10.1016/S0010-9452(71)80027-8

Rowling, J. K. (1997). Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) Ltd.

Young, S. (18 March 2017). AUT Leadership AUT Topic 2c Followership Part 3 HBDI, 2013 [video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/w2_l7YZlaNo