Ned Herrmann, Director of General Electric Management education program in the USA, used brain research as a basis to develop the HBDI^® (Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument^®).

Based on a large number of behavioral analyses, he created a profile grid which works as a simplified “map” of the different thinking styles used by the human being.

This map establishes the HBDI^® Thinking Preference Profile.

Keep in mind that the brain, according to Mac Lean, is physiologically structured into 3 layers: the reptilian brain, center for instincts, the limbic brain, responsible of emotions, and the cortex, center for reason.

The Herrmann instrument takes into account the distinction between the two upper levels and combines them with the initial model of Sperry about left brain (logical, analytical, rational) and right brain (intuitive, holistic, imaginative).

Each of us possesses, in different proportions, the capacity to deal with situations in several ways.

Each of us naturally “avoids”, “uses” or “strongly prefers” to behave with one or the other of his 4 quadrants A, B, C and D.