With 10,000 employees, this 1,100-bed hospital system is one of the largest not-for-profit teaching health systems in the country. While already ranked among the elite of America’s hospitals, landing on such lists as U.S. News and World Report’s “America’s Best Hospitals” and Thomson Reuters “100 Top Hospitals,” the institution recently embarked on a journey of “transformational change” to reach new levels of clinical and workplace excellence.

1. CASE STUDY
Reaching Breakthrough
Results With Whole Brain®
Leadership

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c a s e s t u d y
This commitment to transformation, as opposed to gradual, small changes,
and rapid state of change, along with mounting pressures impacting health
“The leader’s behavior inspires the team’s commitment to excellence and
Identifying the Gaps
Through assessments of the existing leadership development program offerings,
communication is vital, not just in direct interactions with patients, but in ensuring
With 10,000 employees, this 1,100-bed hospital system is one
o the la est not- o -p o t tea hin health systems in the
o nt y While al eady an ed amon the elite o me i a s
hospitals, landin on s h lists as e s and Wo ld epo t s
me i a s est ospitals and homson e te s 100 op
ospitals, the instit tion e ently emba ed on a o ney o
t ans o mational han e to ea h ne le els o lini al and
o pla e e ellen e

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c a s e s t u d y
However, the current development offerings required attention in order to
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there was no instrument available as part of the new leader orientation process
with team members’ for more effective communication
A Brain-Based Solution
®
® ®
®
®
Model, which is based on decades of research on the brain and
®
Assessment is a
1
Ned Herrmann,“Theory Behind The HBDI®
and Whole Brain®
Thinking
Technology,”1998, http://www.hbdi.com/Resources/Articles/index.cfm

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c a s e s t u d y
®
research and in practical use, indicated it could appeal to the institution’s leaders
®
” program was
®
data and experiencing the pilot
®
Model and how
®
Assessment and learned
®
®
®
A D
B C
LOGICAL
ANALYTICAL
FACT BASED
QUANTITATIVE
ORGANIZED
SEQUENTIAL
PLANNED
DETAILED
HOLISTIC
INTUITIVE
INTEGRATING
SYNTHESIZING
INTERPERSONAL
FEELING BASED
KINESTHETIC
EMOTIONAL
The Whole Brain®
Model
s leade s, it is o
esponsibility to eate
an atmosphere that
en o ra es ollea es
to parti ipate in o r
transformation by
listening to and learning
from all members of the
patient are team

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FOUNDATION APPLICATION ADOPTION TRANSFORMATION
Individuals
complete the
Herrmann Brain
Dominance
Instrument®
(HBDI®
), which
assesses thinking
preferences.
Specific group
objectives are
addressed (e.g.,
communication, team
building) through
tailored workshops
and consulting with
the goal of helping
people learn to think
with their entire
brains, not just with
the parts with which
they feel most
comfortable.
individuals,
departments and
disciplines
participate in
forums and
activities utilizing
Whole Brain®
Thinking to solve a
specific problem or
improve a process.
Organizational
leaders build a
culture in which
Whole Brain®
Thinking principles
are embedded
across an entire
organization.
MEASURABLESUCCESS
TIME
Herrmann International 4-Stage Model of Transformation
Whole Brain®
Thinking as a Framework for Transformation
® ®
Model
results, the institution applied an accelerated example of the transformation
model:
Stage 1 – Foundation: Between February and April of 2008, the HBDI®
Assessment and a one-hour overview was delivered to 601 managers and supervisors,
comprising all leaders who had not participated in the December Leadership Meeting.
Stage 2 – Application: SLD team members consulted with department leaders to
create customized programs aimed at meeting the individual learning needs of each
participating department. From these discussions, the team developed educational
sessions drawing on Whole Brain®
Thinking concepts to enhance team engagement,
communication, effectiveness, and creativity throughout the institution.

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c a s e s t u d y
®
®
®
Model
Stage 3 – Adoption: A Creativity and Innovation Forum was held in February of
2008 to explore how Whole Brain®
Thinking could be used to promote system-wide
creativity and innovation. In addition, an educational program aimed at strengthening
communication and relationships between“blue/green”(representative of many
physician profiles) and“red/yellow”(representative of many nurse profiles) thinkers
was conducted in April of 2008.
This program was useful in offering insights and approaches for bridging the
®
® ®
Stage 4 – Transformation: To ensure the ongoing application of the Whole Brain®
Model as a tool for transformational change, the institution found a number of ways to
embed the language and approach of Whole Brain®
Thinking into the culture.
®
®
Whole rain®
hin ing
nders ored the fa t
that no one is stri tly
a type e eryone
has the ability to e
beyond their omfort
ones and thin in
different ays

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c a s e s t u d y
Whole rain®
hin ing
has allo ed s to ne
t ne pro esses e
se as a gro p hen
ond ting e eryday
b siness or hen
approa hing ne
pro e ts
Better Thinking Transforms Leadership…and More
®
®
®
®
has
helped us improve communication because now we understand how each other
how we
®
®

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Looking Ahead
®
®
®
®
he program dire tor
for nternal edi ine
sees great potential
for its se in medi al
ed ation by helping
residents learn ho
to intera t more
effe ti ely ith
patients, staff, n rses,
and others

9. The Originators of Whole Brain®
Technology and the Creators of the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument®
(HBDI®
)
794 Buffalo Creek Road, Lake Lure, NC, 28746. Phone: 1-828-625-9153 or 1-800-432-4234 Fax: 1-828-625-1402
www.HerrmannSolutions.com 09 12
better results through better thinking
Clients
Herrmann International clients, for whom better thinking has become integral to their business culture,
include:
Altera
American Express
AT&T
BlackRock
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Bunnell Idea Group
Caesar’s
Christiana Care Health Systems
Cintas
Coca-Cola
Global Novations
IBM
Johnson & Johnson
Kraft
Limited Brands
Lockheed Martin
Macy’s
Memorial Sloan-Kettering
Hospital
Microsoft
MIT
Mitsubishi
NASA
Nav Canada
Novartis
Novo Nordisk
Pella Corporation
Perfetti Van Melle
Purdue Pharma
Queen’s University
Rogers Communications
Sobeys
Thomson Reuters
Ultimate Software
Wharton
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