Marketers, Management and the Mind

Posted: August 17th, 2009 | Author: Bruce | Filed under: Business | No Comments »

Interesting article by Al Ries on left and right brain thinking in business.

Your brain is divided into two completely separate hemispheres. Each hemisphere processes information differently. Your left hemisphere processes information in series. It thinks in language. It works linearly and methodically. Your right hemisphere processes information in parallel. It thinks in mental images. It “sees” the big picture.

One side of your brain or the other is dominant. In itself, that should not be surprising, since it’s consistent with another well-known human trait: Some people are left-handed and some people are right-handed. In a similar fashion, some people are left brainers and some people are right brainers.

What are you?

If you’re the CEO of a major corporation, chances are good you are a left brainer. Before you make a decision, you want to be supported by facts, figures, market data, consumer research. It couldn’t be otherwise in a world where the ultimate measurement is the stock price and the bottom line.

If you have a job in marketing, chances are good you are a right brainer. You often make decisions by gut instinct, with little or no supporting evidence. It couldn’t be otherwise in a creative discipline like marketing.

Verbal vs. Visual

Another striking difference: Left brainers have a strong preference for verbal thinking, while right brainers favor visual thinking. When a management type makes a speech, he or she usually stands behind a podium and reads a script or the words on a teleprompter (or uses PowerPoint slides with nothing but words). When a marketing type makes a speech, he or she usually stands in front of a screen and makes a presentation using dozens of visuals.

Read the whole article on Brand Strategy Insider.