An Introduction to Thinking Styles

Have you ever wondered why there are some people you seem to be able to communicate with and understand easily, and yet there are others you find difficult to comprehend?  It’s very likely that those ‘difficult’ people process information in a different way to you – thus the potential for mutual frustration!

The Thinking Styles™ profile is a diagnostic tool which uses ten criteria to map personal thinking style profile against ‘fundamental filters’.  By experiencing the Thinking Styles™ profile and learning about the criteria upon which it is based, the following benefits can be achieved:

• increased understanding of yourself and others

• improved relationships with friends, colleagues and partners

• avoidance of conflicts at work and at home

• prevention of misunderstandings

• minimisation of disagreements

• influence and motivation of others

• improve of teamwork and group dynamics

• increase of impact and effectiveness of communications

• the saving of time and money

Thinking Styles™ has deliberately been written using language which is easy to understand and without the use of psychological jargon.  As with all personal profiles the accuracy of results will reflect the accuracy of answers to the questions.  There are no right or wrong answers, only personal preferences regarding how information is processed, although it is true to say that within certain job roles, some preferences will be more appropriate than others.

We are influenced by and are able to influence other people.  It is likely therefore that our own natural preferences for thinking may be affected by friends or colleagues who process information differently to us and encourage us to think in ‘their way’.  The way in which we think can be influenced by our immediate circumstances or the context within which we find ourselves.  The Thinking Styles™ profile has been designed to identify preferences, with a work context in mind.

‘It isn’t often that you come across a short questionnaire that takes only a few minutes to complete and yet gives you such a wealth of valuable insights. The Thinking Styles™ questionnaire does just that. I wish I had invented it!’ 
Dr Peter Honey, 17 September 1997

Visual people think with pictures and colour.
Auditory people think with words and sounds.
Kinaesthetic people think with feelings and emotions.
Digital people think with complicated technical language which lacks any sensory content.

Detail Conscious thinkers have a preference for small, ‘bite-sized’ pieces of information.
Big Chunk thinkers prefer a general impression; they think in terms of the key points.

Left Brained people are logical thinkers who prefer to process information in sequence.
Right Brained people are creative thinkers who like to juggle a number of tasks at the same time.

Procedures people prefer to follow instructions and the accepted way of doing things.
Options people want to have a choice and like to explore what is possible.

People who Move Away From problems avoid things which threaten their success.
People who Move Towards are energised by accomplishment, by achieving their goals.

Reactive people respond to situations or change in the environment.
Proactive people initiate change and like to plan for the future.

Internally Referenced people carry their criteria for making judgements within themselves.
Externally Referenced people rely on feedback to make decisions and function effectively.

People who are Self referenced have themselves and their needs as their highest priority.
People who are Others referenced put the needs of other people first, over their own needs.

Matchers like to fit in with corporate culture and the prevailing situation/environment.
Mismatchers like to take the opposite stance, and dislike being told what to do.

People who process via Sameness are motivated by stability; they often notice similarities.
People who process via Differences notice what is different; they have a high capacity for change.

For more information on Thinking Styles™ - please contact Nick Le Clére or Irene Foxley at PDP

© Copyright 1998, Ward Dutton Products Ltd and BJA Associates Ltd. All rights reserved.

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