Effective Facilitation through the Six Thinking Hats Approach Cindy Casebolt, PMP IIBA 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?