1. Adapted from Gary Dichtenberg CyberSkills, Inc. Creative Problem Solving with Six Thinking Hats How to use Edward deBono’s parallel thinking in problem solving

2. Goals of this program Define parallel thinking Identify each of the six hats Learn how to ask a good question Apply six hats method to problem solving

3. What is parallel thinking? At any moment everyone is looking in the same direction.

4. Edward de Bono is a physician, author, inventor, and consultant. He is known as the originator of the term lateral thinking, wrote a best selling book Six Thinking Hats.physicianauthorinventorconsultantlateral thinkingSix Thinking Hats He has written 82 books with translations into 41 languages. He has taught his thinking methods to government agencies, corporate clients, organisations and individuals, privately or publicly in group sessions. De Bono has developed a range of 'deliberate thinking techniques' - which emphasise thinking as a deliberate act. De Bono's techniques are used in companies like IBM, DuPont. Agencies offer corporate training courses based on his techniques think outside the box.IBM DuPontthink outside the box

5. So the six hats are…? Six colors of hats for six types of thinking – Each hat identifies a type of thinking – Hats are directions of thinking Hats help a group use parallel thinking – You can “put on” and “take off” a hat

6. Uses for Six Hats Problem solving Strategic planning Running meetings Much more

7. Six colors… White: neutral, objective Red: emotional, angry Black: serious, somber Yellow: sunny, positive Green: growth, fertility Blue: cool, sky above

8. …and six hats White: objective facts & figures Red: emotions & feelings Black: cautious & careful Yellow: hope, positive & speculative Green: creativity, ideas & lateral thinking Blue: control & organization of thinking

9. General hat issues Direction, not description – Set out to think in a certain direction – “Let’s have some black hat thinking…” Not categories of people – Not: “He’s a black hat thinker.” – Everyone can and should use all the hats A constructive form of showing off – Show off by being a better thinker – Not destructive right vs. wrong argument Use in whole or in part

10. Benefits of Six Thinking Hats Provides a common language Experience & intelligence of each person (Diversity of thought) Use more of our brains Helps people work against type, preference Removal of ego (reduce confrontation) Save time Focus (one thing at a time) Create, evaluate & implement action plans

11. Using the hats Use any hat, as often as needed Sequence can be preset or evolving Not necessary to use every hat Time under each hat: generally, short Requires discipline from each person – While using it, stay in the idiom Adds an element of play, play along Can be used by individuals and groups

12. The blue hat Thinking about thinking Instructions for thinking The organization of thinking Control of the other hats Discipline and focus Control Responsible for Conclusions Sets the Focus Use of All the Hats

13. The blue hat role Control of thinking & the process Begin & end session with blue hat Facilitator, session leader’s role Choreography – open, sequence, close – Focus: what should we be thinking about – Asking the right questions – Defining & clarifying the problem – Setting the thinking tasks

14. Open with the blue hat… Why we are here what we are thinking about definition of the situation or problem alternative definitions what we want to achieve where we want to end up the background to the thinking a plan for the sequence of hats

15. …and close with the blue hat What we have achieved Outcome Conclusion Design Solution Next steps

16. White Hat Thinking Neutral, objective information Facts & figures Questions: what do we know, what don’t we know, what do we need to know Excludes opinions, hunches, judgements Removes feelings & impressions Two tiers of facts – Believed Facts – Checked Facts  Neutral & objective  Deal with facts

17. Red Hat Thinking Emotions & feelings Hunches, intuitions, impressions Doesn’t have to be logical or consistent No justifications, reasons or basis All decisions are emotional in the end

18. Yellow Hat Thinking Positive & speculative Positive thinking, optimism, opportunity Benefits Hopeful Constructive Best-case scenarios Exploration

19. Green Hat Thinking New ideas, concepts, perceptions Deliberate creation of new ideas Alternatives and more alternatives New approaches to problems Creative & lateral thinking

20. Black Hat Thinking Cautious and careful Logical negative – why it won’t work Critical judgement, pessimistic view Lays out risks Separates logical negative from emotional Focus on errors, evidence, conclusions Logical & truthful, but not necessarily fair

21. Six hats summary Blue: control & organization of thinking White: objective facts & figures Red: emotions & feelings Yellow: hope, positive & speculative Green: creativity, ideas & lateral thinking Black: cautious & careful

22. Results of Six Hat Thinking Deriving power from focused thinking Saving time Removing ego from decisions Doing one thing at a time

23. Asking the right question We can’t get the right answer if we ask the wrong question Crucial blue hat skill One technique: five whys

24. Creative Problem Solving Paul Reali CyberSkills, Inc.

25. “Traditional” CPS Mess-finding Data-finding Problem-finding Idea-finding Solution-finding Acceptance-finding

26. Common idea-finding methods Brainstorming Mind Maps Free association Freewriting Incubation

27. Six hats & problem solving A more deliberate process than CPS Like CPS, uses creativity (green hat) Unlike CPS, provides a mechanism for evaluating ideas & making decisions