In our last HBDI Question Series: Part 1, the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI) was introduced as a four quadrant model to explain thinking preferences.

In the HBDI Question Series: Part 2, I’ll cover some questions often asked about the HBDI model. It is important to note that my HBDI responses are general and your personal HBDI profile may change the response. It is advisable to have your HBDI interpretation given by a certified HBDI practitioner to have specific and accurate information.

What is the ideal or best HBDI score?

When you take the HBDI, you are not taking a test. When you take a test, the implication is there are right and wrong answers. The HBDI provides a measurement of your thinking preferences and assigns a profile score based on your actual raw scores.  The majority of people (58%) have double dominant profiles and only 3% of the population is quadruple dominant (1111).

Aren’t there advantages to being a quadruple dominant? Shouldn’t you aspire to be one?

Each profile has advantages and challenges in communication, decision-making and problem solving.  For example, even though the quadruple dominate person has a natural preference for using all four quadrants; others may see them taking too much time to make a decision.

You have the same score or preference code as someone else; does that mean you both prefer the same activities?

If your HBDI score or quadrant preference is the same as someone else, most likely there are differences in what either of you prefer to do. A HBDI profile score is composed of a number factors and do not need the same answers to have the same score.

Can you assume if someone has a strong preference for one quadrant that they are going to like all the activities associated with that quadrant?

There are many clusters of preferred tasks or activities within a quadrant. How you carry out those tasks may be very different within the cluster. For example, in the A Quadrant, technical and financial are two very different types of tasks. A strong preference for financial involves numbers and analysis; technical preferences focus on skills or knowledge in the applied arts or sciences. It is quite possible that you prefer one set of activities over another.

If you have a strong preference for one of the HBDI quadrants, does that mean you are naturally competent in those activities?

Not necessarily. The HBDI does not measure your competence in a particular quadrant. However, if you have a strong preference in a quadrant, there is a greater likelihood you will invest time to become competent in those tasks and activities.

Why is my HBDI stress score so important?

Each individual HBDI profile has a normal or what I like to refer to as your steady state profile and a stress profile. For some people, their stress profile is very different from their steady state profile. The differences in the profiles can explain why you seem to think, act or behave differently when facing stressful situations.

In the HBDI Questions Series: Part 3, I’ll address some of the questions about applying the HBDI model to others.