In today’s world, having a clear understanding of our strengths and weaknesses allows us to function more effectively, and the Benziger Thinking Styles model is a highly useful tool for this purpose.
Guillermina Cabrera, a personal coach and marketing professor at Universidad ORT Uruguay, and Andrea Pérez, director of Regenera Conscious Human Development (Argentina), on Tuesday, June 16, 2020, during the videoconference “How to Manage Talent During the COVID-19 Pandemic?”, organized by the Graduate School of Business at Universidad ORT Uruguay. The event was part of the Management and Business Lecture Series.
The Benziger Thinking Styles model is based on how our well-being increases and decreases depending on how we use our brains: “Applying this model helps us understand what each person values and why they act in a certain way,” explained Andrea Pérez.
How do we think?
The neocortex is the name given to the most highly evolved areas of our cerebral cortex and accounts for 85% of our brain. It comprises the right and left hemispheres, which are connected via neural networks, as well as the posterior and frontal regions of the brain, which are also interconnected.
Benziger’s model takes this information and renames the four thinking styles previously identified by Dr. Carl Jung as follows: left frontal, right frontal, left basal, and right basal. One of these styles predominates in each person, and leveraging it is very important: “Those who can use their natural thinking and maximize its potential are the ones who stand out,” said Ms. Pérez.
Styles of thinking
Thinkers who use the left frontal lobe are those with more highly developed logical and mathematical skills. For them, everything has a cause and effect: “They are constantly calculating and weighing the cost-benefit ratio of everything,” said Andrea Pérez, B.A. They enjoy analyzing variables, running businesses, setting priorities, and making complex decisions.
People whose thinking is dominated by the left basal lobe are structured, orderly, and methodical: “This style of thinking tends to adhere to the norm or the specific process of things,” noted Pérez. This is where the technical world, programming, and laws come into play.
On the other hand, those characterized by thinking dominated by the right frontal lobe tend to be risk-takers and unstructured. Pérez explained that these people enjoy solving problems in innovative ways and added: “The new will always be on their lips.”
Finally, people who use the right basal sector are those who particularly value communication: “They are always looking to build bridges,” Pérez noted. Among them, the word “person” is frequently used, and they tend to move comfortably in the world of psychology and human resources.
Ways of Thinking During the Pandemic
Next, Guillermina Cabrera offered advice on how to best navigate this pandemic, taking into account each thinking style.
Cabrera explained that people with a left-frontal thinking style may feel comfortable leading teams during the new normal: “Times of change can bring out the best in left-frontal thinkers,” said Cabrera.
On the other hand, right-frontal thinkers are likely enjoying and taking advantage of the opportunity to experience new situations. These moments are inspiring for them because they allow them to seek solutions to new problems.
What about those who think according to the left-posterior style? When the pandemic began, these people likely had a hard time. However, they are the ones who fared best in activities related to order, classification, and the structuring of new routines.
Finally, those with a thinking style categorized as right posterior are likely suffering from the distance from their loved ones. These people may also have found themselves organizing charitable initiatives to help others during the pandemic.
Toward the end of the conference, Cabrera explained the importance of the connection between people with different thinking styles: “The interesting thing about this is seeing how we complement each other and how each part is so necessary in life,” he said.