Effective Facilitation through the Six Thinking Hats Approach

Cindy Casebolt, PMPIIBA Professional Development Day

Columbus, OH

September 14, 2012

Thinking Techniques

“The Western notion is that ideas should be hammered into shape by argument.

The Japanese notion is that ideas emerge as seedlings and are then nurtured and allowed to grow into shape.”

-Edward De Bono, Six Thinking Hats

Techniques by De Bono

Six Thinking Hats– Practical, positive approach to making decisions

and exploring new ideas

Lateral Thinking– Approaches to think more creatively

Six Thinking Hats

Allows groups to use thinking styles uniformly: “walking around a house together”

Provides steps for the individual to use thinking approaches separately and sequentially

Excellent for high-emotion, high-passion discussions

Process Control -Thinking Strategy

*Blue Hat – Overview of process, facilitator

Red Hat – Strong Feelings

(Later iterations: thinking can change emotions)

White Hat – Relevant Information

Facts, statements of others, missing data or information

-believed facts/checked facts

Yellow Hat – Existing Proposals and Suggestions

Positive and logically bound; exploration and positive speculation beyond “good feelings”

Green Hat – Generating new concepts

Formal – each person contributes

May include “creative pause”

Utilizes Lateral Thinking: movement, po (provocative operation), multiple alternatives, random word method

Black Hat – Screening, challenging alternatives

Caution, critical thinking

Logical basis for criticism

*NOTE: Begin and end with Blue Hat. After first iteration, further each creative proposal with White, Yellow, Green Hat thinking.

Lateral Thinking

“Lateral thinking is very precisely concerned with changing concepts and perceptions; these are historically determined organizations (patterns) of experience.” (De Bono)

Lateral Thinking - Types

Movement – using an idea as a stepping stone– Service Center personnel do not key withdrawals

Provocation – starting with an idea outside of any existing pattern– Reversal: turning an existing way backwards

Annuitants process their own withdrawals

Multiple Alternatives Random Word Generation

Small Group Exercise

Cross-Questions Activity

Questions?