Someone tipped me off last year to a really useful technique. It may be one of those things that the rest of the world was aware of and I have been under a rock and missed it but in case there are some fellow rock-dwellers reading this blog I’m going to share the epiphany here. I’ve been working on a new business proposition over the past couple of weeks where it has been incredibly useful to apply this technique: Edward De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats.

The premise is that we all have a natural or preferred thinking style. For example, my thinking style is quite critical and ‘nit-picking’ whereas one of my colleagues is more optimistic and grandiose. When considering new business investments we need to apply both styles of thinking (and more) to the proposition to ensure we cover all bases. I’m sure everyone has worked with someone who you dread having a meeting with because they’re so negative or obstructive? I’m not saying I work with anyone like that right now but I have in the past and as a Project Manager it is imperative that I get the outcomes that I need from meetings and the Six Thinking Hats is a great enabler for this. (I have copied the following definitions from wikipedia)

• Neutrality (White) - considering purely what information is available, what are the facts?
• Feeling (Red) - instinctive gut reaction or statements of emotional feeling (but not any justification)
• Negative judgement (Black) - logic applied to identifying flaws or barriers, seeking mismatch
• Positive Judgement (Yellow) - logic applied to identifying benefits, seeking harmony
• Creative thinking (Green) - statements of provocation and investigation, seeing where a thought goes
• Process control (Blue) - thinking about thinking

Six Hats Thinking means that in meetings, for example, the team considers the issues while imaginatively or figuratively wearing each of the Six Hats in turn. Some people stay quiet during Green Hat as they can’t think that way and then jump in with enthusiasm during Black Hat. Genius!

Which Hat are you?