Case Study IHG

SUCCESS STORY

Better Thinking. Better Performance. Better Results.

Better Thinking. Better Performance. Better Results. 2© Herrmann Global 2014

InterContinental Group (IHG) is a global hotel company whose goal is to create Great Hotels Guests Love.

Operating nine hotel brands encompassing more than over 157 million guests nights per annum, over 674,000 rooms in over 4,600 hotels in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world, IHG has more guest rooms than any other hotel company in the world.

The company behind such iconic hotel brands as InterContinental® Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels and Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Holiday Inn®, Holiday Inn® Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites® has built a strong service culture that values interpersonal connections, collaboration and creativity. It’s a culture that is paying off not just in awards and recognition from the industry but also in the positive word-of-mouth and service rankings from its loyal guests, for example, Holiday Inn was awarded the highest in Guest Satisfaction Among Mid-Scale Full Service Hotel Chains by J.D. Power and Associates 2012 North America Guest Satisfaction Index StudySM for the second year in a row.

The company realized the kind of people-focused and “big picture” thinking that is critical in the success in achieving and maintaining “guest love” was in many ways in conflict with what is required to make the business run. That is, the rigorous, disciplined thinking required to manage increasingly complex pro-grammes found in the growing portfolio of 646 managed and nearly 4,000 fran-chised hotels around the world.

PAPER IN BRIEF:• Discover the role thinking preferences play in project management and

delivery, and what they reveal about traditional project management tools and processes.

• Learn how IHG is using the Whole Brain® Thinking System to align its project management approaches with the company’s culture and to improve problem solving, innovation, planning and communication.

• Explore “The IHG Way” of Project Delivery, which includes training, communication protocols, processes, templates and tools grounded in Whole Brain® Thinking.

• Find out how Whole Brain® Thinking is helping IHG accelerate complex project delivery, improve project success rates, prioritize projects more effectively and strengthen its overall culture.

3© Herrmann Global 2014

In order to make their projects as successful as their guest satisfaction efforts, they would need to bridge the divide between analytical, step-by-step project management approaches and the interpersonal, collaborative culture they had worked so hard to create and maintain.

Project Rigor Meets CreativityIHG had disparate teams of experienced project managers in place through-

out the company, and overall were struggling to deliver projects in the large scale and fast pace setting. The work was complex, but even more problematic was the clash of thinking that was making it difficult to carry projects through to comple-tion.

Project management typically relies on rigorous, incremental thinking, with methods and tools designed to match, and at IHG, the project managers were dealing with a service-oriented culture filled with people who preferred to get things done through collaboration, relationship building and freeform communica-tion.

A few years ago, the members of the company’s new hotel opening teams, critical par-ticipants in IHG’s global expansion efforts. By lever-aging the best project manage-ment tools, these skilled project managers had a successful track record.

“These proj-ect managers had the traditional project management tools and skills, but they struggled with, build-ing relationships and communicating with the so-called ‘right brainers’ at IHG,” says Crystal Snoddy-Fernando, Head of Delivery Excellence in IHG’s Programme Office “They were trying to succeed in a creative environment, and they didn’t have the tools to do it.”.

Crystal realized part of the problem was rooted in a difference in thinking styles.

She and IHG had been introduced to Whole Brain® Thinking and the Herr-mann Brain Dominance Instrument® (HBDI®) the year before as they were setting up a new Hotel Openings Team. During that process, each team member com-pleted the HBDI® assessment to learn about how they preferred to think and how thinking preferences impact relationship building, communications and other behaviors — and ultimately the results achieved.



What Is Whole Brain® Thinking?Research has shown that thinking styles directly affect behavior, performance

and results. Whole Brain® Thinking acknowledges that while different tasks require different mental processes, and different people prefer different styles of thinking, organizations will get better results when they can strategically harness the diver-sity of thinking available—analytical, organizational, strategic and interpersonal (the four quadrants of thinking preferences as depicted in the Herrmann Whole Brain® Model on the next page). By applying Whole Brain® Thinking, people and teams can learn to leverage their thinking preferences more effectively and think and act outside their preferences when necessary.

The Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument® (HBDI®), which is the 120-ques-tion thinking styles assessment at the core of the Whole Brain® approach, reveals a person’s thinking preferences in the form of an HBDI® Profile.

Because its premise is that we all have brains, we just use them differently, the HBDI® assessment doesn’t pigeonhole people or put them into “types.” Instead, it shows people that while there are some areas they may be less comfortable with, they aren’t limited in what they can do. It also reveals how teams and groups can work together in the most productive way by drawing on their cognitive diversity to tackle specific tasks and problems.

These consultants needed to be able to authentically connect with their clients – the hotel owners — to facilitate the opening process, so they learned how to “put themselves in the investor’s mindset” and communicate in a Whole Brain® way.

“The point is while we may not have known our clients’ thinking styles, we knew ours, and we wanted to be sure to communicate in way that makes them comfortable with us and return to us when they’re ready to build a new hotel,” explains Crystal.

While they had looked at other assessment models and approaches, they chose the Whole Brain® Thinking approach because of its applicability to busi-ness.

The four-color, four-quadrant graphic and Whole Brain® are trademarks of Herrmann Global, LLC.


“Other models are more focused on behavior,” Crystal explains. “So it’s hard-er to have a conversation about problem solving. Whole Brain® Thinking is more applicable in the workplace because it’s about the way you think and solve prob-lems. It facilitates a good work discussion.”

It was a natural next step to apply the methodology to the Hotel Opening Team’s project management processes. Combined with work the company was doing to incorporate more visual communications into the materials they were creating for non-native-English-speaking hotel owners, they knew they could build the framework for a Whole Brain® process, one that brought creative thinking and design sensibility to the rigor of project management.

Developing and Implementing “The IHG Way” of Project Delivery

When mapped against the Whole Brain® Model, the thinking preferences of the project managers, as well as of traditional project management tools, were strongly tilted toward A (analytical, rigorous) and B (disciplined, organized) quad-rant thinking. The IHG culture and the majority of its employees, on the other hand, had strong C (interpersonal, expressive) and D (imaginative, experimental) think-ing styles. The goal was to embed Whole Brain® Thinking into project manage-ment and delivery to make the process more productive for everyone involved.

There were several key elements

the Hotel Opening Team focused on:• Learning about one’s own

thinking preferences and the impact of thinking on work approaches

• Understanding the role differ-ent thinking preferences play on results and the importance of including all perspectives

• Solving problems more efficiently and completely by taking all thinking preferenc-es into consideration

• Communicating project updates in a way that appeals to all thinking pref-erences

• Creating Whole Brain® project management tools and templates

“Ultimately, when you’re managing projects and communicating updates, you want to include all thinking preferences and balance your style,” says Josie Oliver, who used to manage the IHG’s Project Delivery Methodology and Training. “You don’t have the luxury of knowing everyone’s thinking preferences so you need to focus on Whole Brain® approach.”


Whole Brain® Thinking quickly became a way of working for the team, and it was having a profound impact on their results. Others in the organization quickly took notice.

“Everyone started to notice how successful their projects were, so the team gradually evolved from only working on hotel openings projects to taking on more global and technology-related projects,” Josie says. “And they would build Whole Brain® teams to handle them.”

When people began to ask why their onboarding programs were so effective, they would explain: “It’s because we took a Whole Brain® approach.”

Their successes led to the decision to create a toolkit and formalized training that would provide the foundation and tools to think about project management and delivery at IHG in a more Whole Brain® way.

The project delivery approach was created with a basis in traditional project management/problem solving methods such as PMBOK, Prince2, Lean Six Sigma and others, which are rooted in A- and B-quadrant thinking. IHG then worked with a visual design company to create methods and tools that support visual thinking techniques, facilitation, change management and the C and D quadrants — alto-gether creating a Whole Brain® approach to delivering projects.

The IHG Way Toolkit for Project Delivery

The first thing some-one may notice when they open the IHG Way Toolkit is that it looks nothing like conventional project management processes. Its striking design, method cards, discovery cards and color-coded materials filled with infographic-style visuals communicate the same information but in a dramatically different way. Beyond the immediate visual difference, the tools themselves are different, too.

“Many of industry’s project management tools and trainings available today use generic templates and are not very visual or engaging,” says Alexandra Scott, who currently leads the IHG Global Programme Office Methodology, Tools, Train-ing & Community. “If we were to just use the generic templates, immediately, we lose the opportunity to engage and get input from those having a right brain pref-erence. Instead, our methodology includes a broad range of materials and tools designed to appeal and engage to the full spectrum of all thinking styles.


No matter what are the thinking preferences in any one audience, the project manager is able to effectively foster collaboration, communication and a new way of working.”

Now that he knows about his team members’ thinking preferenc-es, Brian is able to leverage their strengths and fill the gaps in his own. The team also has a better understanding of how each of them processes through things, so rather than label someone a “flip flopper” or “by the book,” they’ve learned to recognize “that’s just how they think.” By getting away from these preconceived notions, Brian says, they are able to engage with each other in a more meaningful and productive way.

There are over 45 method cards, for example, which are categorized to help a project manager when working with the client to:

• Align – whether a thought, ideas, consensus • Facilitate- tips on effective facilitation of meetings, workshops• Envision – tools and techniques to help see and plan for the future• Plan – tips and effective ways for a project, meeting or approach• Explore – ways to solicit new ideas and thoughts• Communicate – company tools to share messages, plans and projects

A great example of a popular method card is the “Pain/Gain”. It is designed to influence a decision by engaging participants. It is frequently used during work-shops, meeting and other interactions. The “Pain/Gain” incorporates visuals, brain-storming and colorful interactive elements that help target the discussions about the core issues that matter to the participants.

Another popular card is the “Big Head Persona”. This interactive and fun meth-od is a way to think about and “get inside the head” of your customer, audience, stakeholder or sponsor. With a better understanding, the team can use this infor-mation to solve their problems.

“Sticky steps” give people a collaborative and interactive way to identify and plan out what needs to be done and in what order to deliver the project.

The toolkit appeals to all four thinking preferences of not only project manag-ers but also of the clients. The end result is positive- it is a Whole Brain® approach to project management; to problem solving, innovation, planning and communica-tion.


Training in the IHG WayIHG Way of Project Delivery has a three day expert training that is framed

and executed by Whole Brain® Thinking concepts. Each participant completes an HBDI® instrument prior to the class. On the first day, everyone is debriefed of their HBDI® profile results and the group shares in discussion and understanding in their own thinking preferences and how to effectively work with other thinking preferences.

The training program also explores how successful project management is a Whole Brain® process. Participants are put into Whole Brain® teams and work through a case study over the three days allowing them to experience firsthand the Whole Brain® team effect.

“I personally took this class and it was probably the best IHG training I’ve ever taken; moreover, this is the way we commence speaking to the business as it relates to all projects. Let’s be early adopters!”

– Cleveland McKinney, Director, IHG Rewards Club and Channel Integration

Many of the training elements used over the three days include visual, written

and creative team exercises demonstrating a Whole Brain® way of communicating and learning. During the class, participants are eager to share ideas, ask for help and new ways of working. The class is encouraged to leverage what they have learned about HBDI® and their thinking preferences.

During the three days, the participants spend time learning how the toolkit supports Whole Brain® Thinking and practicing how to use it in project manage-ment and delivery.

IHG Way of Project Delivery is also introduced in another format; a one day training targeted for people in the company who are responsible for managing projects, even though they may not have “project manager” in their title. This group goes through a shortened version of the training and receives a condensed toolkit.

Better Thinking Leads to Better Project Outcomes

The process has allowed the company to articulate a clear IHG Way of Man-aging Projects, which includes a community of project managers, a project man-agement approach, and project delivery standards all grounded in Whole Brain® Thinking.


According to Crystal and Alexandra, it has yielded clear results, including:• More visibility of active projects• More effective collaboration, which means they’re able to deliver on more

complex initiatives• Embedded common language and processes that has bought about a

cultural shift in approach to project management

Of the HBDI® Profile debriefs and discussions, Leanne Henderson, Director, Global Brand Standards, says, “These were the most accurate analyses of our personalities and preferences that I have seen to date at IHG…We enjoyed over-laying our profiles to see why we work as a team and where we had room to grow – need to head more into the red when we are under pressure! I hope this is used more through the business as it was a real winner for us.”

Participant Feedback “[Now I] understand how to structure a project, and various

tools we could apply to stimulate and organize thoughts.The activities with the project mapping cards can be used not just in Project Delivery but in all things I do on a regular basis.”

For a hotel organization that encompasses more than 674,000 hotel rooms

across nearly 100 countries, there are complex projects in all areas of the busi-ness benefitting from the approach. Not only is Whole Brain® Thinking helping them improve project success rates, it’s also helping them make smarter decisions about project prioritization.

“Having introduced the IHG Way with Whole Brain® Thinking as the core foundation for Expert Practitioners, as a company we’re able to incorporate more balanced thinking when prioritizing projects,” says Alexandra.

More often than not, there does tend to be pushback about the length and ex-tracurricular activities of the Expert Training Programme she says but the feedback afterwards is almost always “we wish we would have had more time” and “I want my whole team to go through this training so we can all use these tools together!”

During the training and while adopting the HBDI® in their everyday work, Alex-andra sees her colleagues stepping outside their comfort zones. “They are quick to apply the concepts learned because they notice how much more productive and successful they can be once they do.”

She also points out that the HBDI® profile results have become a way of intro-ducing and describing others. On our team, we have our profiles hanging outside our cubicles so people know how to communicate more effectively with one an-other based on their thinking preferences. When working with other departments, Alexandra says “the biggest compliment I can receive is when others are telling me about ‘this awesome tool’ that has helped them learn more about themselves and how much more effective they have become”.


“It’s interesting to note how the Whole Brain® concept just naturally fits into our culture and our Winning Ways – the set of behaviors based on our values that are designed to help everyone support our culture and make us one of the best com-panies in the world,” says Josie. “It gives people a vehicle to work together and deliver on the Winning Ways.”

Next Steps and Lessons LearnedNext for the roll out of the IHG Way, the company will focus on implementing a

regional train-the-trainer process to complete the training for the global population who have project management responsibilities but aren’t “expert” project manag-ers. Additional application-specific Whole Brain® Thinking training will be added in specific areas, including communication-focused training for regional project managers.

The growing adoption of the IHG Way has been in part due to a strong grass roots effort. “People attend the training and end up not only liking it but also ex-press how easy it is to use that they end up telling their peers to sign up” says Al-exandra. “Another positive indicator of adoption is the growing number of requests we receive to conduct team HBDI®s”.

Participant Feedback “The methods, guides and tools are impressive and do what

they say – they combine the principles and rigor of project man-agement with fun, creativity and collaboration.”

© Herrmann Global 2013

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Case Study IHG

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