You say "tomato" ... and some of your employees start thinking about a glossy, red (or sometimes yellow), edible fruit that is often mistaken for a vegetable. Others start humming an inane tune that will be stuck in their heads for days. A few get hungry.

But if you're lucky, a couple employees will understand that you were actually referring to Pantone 18-1660 TCX, which is the color of your new product and a color commonly referred to as "tomato red."

Communicating with employees can be hard, which makes getting the most out of them challenging.

But there's no need to call the whole thing off. Don't get frustrated. Don't fight with them. And don't quit trying. Instead, start considering the different ways that your employees could be hearing what you are saying, based on how they think.

The Whole Brain Thinking Communication Tool

Whole brain thinking is a powerful tool that you can use for the purpose of improving communication with employees, thus improving your ability to inspire them. It starts with acknowledging that people process and interpret information differently. Some may be analytical; others are more practical; some are experimental; and still others may be relational.

Whole brain thinking allows you to then discover the role people's thought processes play in their decision making. This, in turn, empowers you to use your newfound understanding of your employees to tailor your communications (or sales training, or inspirational speeches, or discussions about "tomato") in such a way that each employee fully understands your meaning.

It's Part Science, Part Art... And It Works

Whole brain thinking actually dates back to the 1970s when it was developed by a big brain manager at General Electric, Dr. Ned Herrmann, who was charged with increasing the creativity and productivity of employees. It has been a powerful tool ever since.

But don't worry: it's not as complicated as it sounds. Whole brain thinking essentially helps you understand the four different quadrants of the brain that motivate how people communicate. Once you understand these styles, you will be better able to connect, communicate, and inspire those in each category.

The Four Quadrants

Take a look at the four types of thinking preferences of your employees that you may be trying to communicate with, as well as tips about how to inspire them to reach their fullest potential in the workplace.

• Analytical Thinkers
  Their desks might be messy, but that's just because they've been too busy looking at the analytics to clean it up. They require facts and quantitative data before making logical decisions.
  
  When you're working with these employees, make sure to provide them with the undeniable facts, rather than descriptions, hypotheses, or fluff. In team presentations use graphs, statistics, and charts to win them over and engage their attention.
  
  
• Practical Thinkers
  These folks know what kind of gas mileage they get from their cars, and they always seem to park in the same spot. They're organized, sequential, and detailed.
  
  These employees love a good plan... No, they require a plan, before they'll be willing to buy in. So make sure you provide them with a clear road map that will lead them from where you are to where you need them to finish.
  
  
• Experimental Thinkers
  These are smart, intuitive people who like seeing the big picture and thrive on opportunities to be creative. Synergy and inclusiveness are important to them, and they like to have opportunities to be part of solutions to problems early on in the process.
  
  These employees despise being micro-managed. They enjoy inventing creative ways to solve problems and accomplish tasks, so provide them an end goal and then allow them to (within broad boundaries) to find a way to get there.
  
  
• Relational Thinkers
  Relational thinkers were probably in fraternities and sororities. They need to feel valued and appreciated. They want to know who will be a part in whatever is happening, and they look out for the happiness and enjoyment of each person involved.
  
  While these employees can be motivated to reach goals, make sure they are working toward a goal that comes complete with ample recognition and connections with others.

Put the Whole Brain to Work

Once you learn how to discover what motivates each of your employees' thinking, you'll better understand how your team members process the information that you share with them. Knowing this information, you can then more easily adjust your communications so that each person clearly understands what you actually mean and can then better reach your expectations.

Now, back to that tomato...