Many teams function and operate from theory, what is read, heard, and, to a certain extent, what is learned during their experience. The challenge is that many of these teams fail to get to know their members, recognize their values ​​and thinking styles, and understand how these can be used to the team’s advantage to achieve the team’s goals.

MindSonar is a unique tool that brings value to the strengths and areas of improvement of each participant in a team. Recently, I had the opportunity to lead an F-5 Team-building powered by MindSonar, in which 36 company leaders gained self-awareness on how they work when being part of their team. What made this team building unique was that each participant received a group debriefing and then carried out a group SWOT analysis; all of this integrated dynamic activities that included a Bingo, a Scavenger Hunt, and many other activities that allowed them to practice what they were learning about themselves and as a group.

This team discovered that they appreciate order, procedures, and systems but also highly appreciate relatedness, teamwork, and shared accountability. Furthermore, getting there or providing results is an important motivational factor for this team.

It was interesting for them to learn that they have an optimistic approach as a group, that they are highly committed to their activities, and that they are confident in their ability to effect change. They also learned that they are more capable of responding tactfully, excellently attaining goals, and being purposeful, making them perform well under pressure. All of these strengths provide advantages as a team, making them unique. However, MindSonar also allows them to evaluate the disadvantages, preparing them for challenging scenarios that will test them as a team.

One of the unique aspects of this experience was that this client could evaluate their group profile during the team-building, discovering their strengths and areas of opportunity. Another aspect that added value to the client was that this group of 36 leaders was part of 3 critical subgroups in the organization. Therefore, we created and delivered a tailored report for each subdivision, including recommendations for each division team. This report highlighted the client experience in creating a personalized and strategic expertise and approach. MindSonar provided this team with a blueprint to enhance leadership development and align their personal brand with strategic goals. This alignment directly influences the employer brand, as leaders who understand their strengths are better equipped to inspire and attract top talent, positioning the organization as a dynamic and desirable workplace.

MindSonar is a valuable tool for your team or leaders, especially if you want to focus on self-improvement, managerial leadership, and team management. It is also helpful for trainers and consultants as it offers specific guidance to support personalized strategies for leaders and organizations. Use MindSonar to elevate leadership development, improve communication, and optimize work patterns. Want Your Team to be at its Best? Then Unlock or Refresh your team today with MindSonar!

In Greece, we are proud to share the tremendous success of our inaugural training program for MindSonar professionals, which took place in Greece and was led by esteemed trainers Jaap Hollander(creator of MindSonar)  and Nikolas Fragkias. This milestone marks an essential chapter in our commitment to empowering coaches, corporate leaders, and professionals seeking to deepen their understanding of human behavior and decision-making.

Our first training session was a resounding success, with 11 dedicated professionals completing the comprehensive program. These new MindSonar professionals are now actively applying their expertise in the field, using their skills to facilitate personal and professional growth in various sectors. Their positive impact is already visible, with innovative practices and insights being brought to their teams and clients.

The use of MindSonar in the corporate and coaching fields has proven to be a game changer. Our methodology, which maps thinking styles and meta-programs to enhance communication and alignment, has already shown remarkable results. By helping leaders and teams understand their thought processes and motivational patterns, we empower them to achieve better collaboration, improved productivity, and deeper engagement.

Our results speak for themselves. 

Companies and coaches that have incorporated MindSonar into their practices have experienced significant advancements in both team dynamics and individual performance. The feedback we receive highlights the transformational power of our approach: clients appreciate how MindSonar provides clarity in complex scenarios and supports targeted growth strategies that resonate on a personal level.

The success of our initial training cohort, now deployed in real-world applications, and our growing influence in corporate and coaching settings solidifies MindSonar as a trusted name in the field. We are excited to build on this momentum, continue training professionals, and expand our reach to make a lasting difference in how individuals and teams think, connect, and succeed.

More news from Greece with corporate case studies and interviews from our professionals very soon.

MindSonar is a psychological assessment tool that measures thinking styles and value systems. For lean methodology consultants, who aim to improve efficiency and eliminate waste in organisational processes, MindSonar can offer several valuable benefits that elevate them over other consultants:

1. Understanding Team Dynamics

Lean methodology often involves cross-functional teams working together to solve problems and improve processes. MindSonar helps consultants understand the diverse thinking styles and values within a team. This understanding can be used to:

Enhance Communication. Tailoring communication to different thinking styles can reduce misunderstandings and improve collaboration.

Leverage Strengths: Assign roles and tasks that align with individual strengths, improving overall team efficiency.

2. Facilitating Change Management

Implementing lean methodologies often requires significant changes in processes and mindsets. MindSonar can assist in:

Identifying Resistance: By revealing underlying values and thinking patterns, consultants can pinpoint potential sources of resistance to change.

Crafting Strategies: Develop customised strategies to address concerns and motivate individuals based on their unique profiles.

3. Personalising Training and Development

Lean methodology relies heavily on continuous improvement and employee development. MindSonar can be used to:

Tailor Training Programs: Create training sessions that resonate with different thinking styles, ensuring better engagement and retention of lean principles.

Monitor Progress: Assess changes in thinking styles over time to ensure that training and development efforts are effective.

4. Enhancing Problem-Solving Capabilities

Lean methodology emphasises problem-solving through techniques like root cause analysis and kaizen events. MindSonar can:

Identify Cognitive Preferences: Understand how different team members approach problems, enabling more effective and comprehensive problem-solving sessions.

Foster Innovation: Encourage diverse thinking styles to contribute to creative solutions that might not emerge in a more homogenous group.

5. Supporting Leadership Development

Leaders play a crucial role in the successful implementation of lean methodologies. MindSonar can help in:

Leadership Assessment: Evaluate current leaders’ thinking styles and values to identify areas for development.

Leadership Alignment: Ensure that leaders’ mindsets are aligned with lean principles, enhancing their ability to champion and sustain lean initiatives.

6. Measuring Cultural Fit

A successful lean transformation often requires a cultural shift towards continuous improvement and waste reduction. MindSonar can:

Assess Cultural Alignment: Evaluate how well the current organizational culture aligns with lean values and identify areas for improvement.

Guide Cultural Change: Provide insights into the cultural changes

MindSonar is a psychological assessment tool that measures thinking styles and patterns, which are the mental processes and strategies individuals use. One of our MindSonar coaches helped the Dutch Olympic team to succeed.  Here is a link to their case study, read more here

For sports coaches and athletes, MindSonar can be particularly beneficial in the following ways:

For Sports Coaches:

1.Personalised Coaching:

• Understanding Athlete’s Mindset: Coaches can gain insights into the unique thinking patterns and motivational drivers of each athlete. This allows for tailored coaching strategies that resonate more effectively with individual athletes.

• Communication Styles: By understanding how athletes prefer to receive information, coaches can adjust their communication methods to ensure better understanding and engagement.

2. Team Dynamics:

• Optimising Team Composition: Coaches can use MindSonar to analyse the mental and emotional profiles of team members, helping to build balanced and cohesive teams where members complement each other.

• Conflict Resolution: Understanding the meta-programs of athletes can help in identifying potential sources of conflict and in developing strategies to address and resolve these issues.

3.Performance Enhancement: 

• Mental Training: Coaches can design mental training programs that align with the cognitive styles of their athletes, fostering improved focus, resilience, and mental toughness.

• Motivation Techniques: By understanding what motivates each athlete, coaches can implement motivation strategies that are more likely to inspire and drive peak performance.

 For Athletes:

1.Self-Awareness: 

• Understanding Personal Strengths and Weaknesses: Athletes can gain deeper insights into their own mental strategies, recognising both their strengths and areas needing improvement.

• Goal Setting and Achievement: Athletes can learn how to set goals in a way that aligns with their thinking styles, making it easier to stay committed and achieve them.

2. Mental Preparation: 

• Performance Under Pressure: Athletes can identify how they typically respond under pressure and develop strategies to manage stress and maintain peak performance in high-pressure situations.

• Focus and Concentration: Understanding their own meta-programs helps athletes develop techniques to improve concentration and minimise distractions during competition.

3. Communication with Coaches: 

• Enhanced Coach-Athlete Relationship: By understanding their own communication preferences and those of their coaches, athletes can work more effectively with their coaches, ensuring better understanding and collaboration.

Practical Applications How To Do It:

• Pre-Season Planning: Conduct MindSonar assessments at the start of the season to develop individualised training and development plans.

• Mid-Season Adjustments: Use assessments to make adjustments in coaching strategies and team dynamics based on the evolving needs and mental states of athletes.

• Post-Season Evaluation: Evaluate the effectiveness of mental strategies used throughout the season and plan for improvements in the next cycle.

Conclusion

MindSonar offers a powerful framework for both coaches and athletes to understand and optimise the mental aspects of sports performance. By leveraging insights into thinking styles and meta-programs, it becomes possible to enhance communication, motivation, mental toughness, and overall performance.

Mindset On The Storm

Or how to deal with fear in difficult situations

I recently flew on a plane through Europe, from Malaga to Warsaw. The weather went crazy that day, and the flight was delayed due to a storm. It started like in Hitchcock’s movie: “A good film should start with an earthquake and be followed by rising tension.” Only this time it was not an earthquake but the take-off of an aeroplane, which seemed about to be blown off its flight path. I firmly grasped the passenger seat before me to survive the takeoff.

Spain has not seen such rainfall for 160 years. In Malaga, the biggest problem was the wind – 50 accidents were reported (Wyborcza Newspaper). Half an hour after our take-off, the airport was closed, and flights were redirected to Sevilla. The remainder of our flight did not look good either due to the raging cyclone Zacharias.

Many people could not bear the stress during this journey, and some could not keep their food down.

It is good to have context experience

Many years ago, I was afraid of my first flight – I was working on getting rid of this phobia using the NLP method. Effective treatment of phobias is also possible through frequent exposure to the stressor (Myers). The more often you fly, the less you stress. Also, I’ve had some previous, though not as intense, experiences with turbulences.

Measuring stress with 2 Garmin Venu models revealed a “low stress” result for me (but stress anyway), and a “high stress” result for my travel companion, Ania. Ania has less experience with flights than me.

During this flight, I began to wonder why some of us handle extreme situations better than others. It is about the level of anxiety and coping with it. I began to take notice of my thoughts and pay attention to what Ania was saying.

We all create mental strategies

In the past, I used to listen to what the crew said to each other and how they reacted – I tried to catch signs of normality, but I ended up catching disturbing signs.

I found a similar strategy with Ania: “I listen to what the flight attendants say and how they behave.”, “Why did she switch on this signal? “Why did the lights go out?” In a nutshell, Ania’s mental strategy in that situation was to focus on and look for elements that were inconsistent with what the situation should look like.

What strategies have I built during that time to maintain relative mental balance:

• I started repeating, in my mind, that the only really dangerous moments during air travel are the encounters with Earth, i.e. the take-off and landing. The mantra started to work when we were already high in the clouds.

• Then I tried to look at the situation from a broad perspective: I imagined the Earth and all the planes in the air at that moment – they wouldn’t fall like that. I also guessed that the thoughts occupying the pilot’s mind were completely different from the thoughts of the terrified passengers on his plane. I don’t know how to fly an aeroplane, but I imagined that the pilot’s thoughts were something like: “There’s a strong wind, so I need to position the plane slightly from leeward.” The global view of the situation helped.

• Then I began to notice all the flight attendants bustling and cleaning up after the passengers in torsions. I began to feel sorry for them and admire them – how important, responsible, and difficult their job was. I and my travel companion met the eyes of one of them – he said: “Difficult flight!” By the way, appropriate eye contact with another person can bring us into a state of balance (Porges – Polyvagal Theory). Maintaining balance through eye contact can be trained – it is the basis of “Relational Presence – being mindful during public speaking” workshops. A skill that helps in public speaking turned out to be also helpful in that highly stressful situation.

• Finally, almost completely calm, I started filling out Remainder on my phone with the tasks that I have to do in the near future after landing in Poland.

Mental toughness is a set of mental strategies 

As a child, I was an extremely anxious boy, and at one point, I was even diagnosed with vegetative neurosis. 

The conclusion is that mental toughness is not a personality trait but a set of mental strategies for returning to mental balance in stressful situations – it is a matter of mindset and flexibility.

On this occasion, I am reminded of the results of the research on the ways of thinking of healthy octogenarians. It was conducted many years ago by Jaap Hollander, the creator of MindSonar, along with Robert Dilts. Do you know what thought patterns healthy old people had? A) Matching (looking at what is good and correct, in other words, looking at the bright side of the situation). B) Focusing on the future (they have plans for the future and know that they have to work hard for it). C) Focusing on people (people are everywhere in their thinking) (Hollander, Dilts).

Now, let’s take a look at the 4-point strategy I employed to deal with a stressful situation on a flight and find similarities with the mindset of healthy octogenarians. I see common features.

A trivial statement comes to my mind: The two risky moments in life are birth and death – like the take-off and landing of an aeroplane. And between them, there is an empty space that we can fill, either with fear or with striving for mental balance. It may be a cliche, but somehow it is liberating.