1. Six Thinking Hats - One-Day Workshop
   
2. Course Outline
   
3. 6 Hats

Six Thinking Hats - One-Day Workshop

Maximising Team Performance

Finally, a surprisingly simple and proven technique that provides everyone with the enthusiasm, creativity and courage to make every meeting, every decision, come alive with new ideas…

Parallel Thinking

Parallel Thinking with the Six Thinking Hats is best understood in contrast to traditional argument or adversarial thinking. With the tradition of argument or adversarial thinking, each side takes a different position and then seeks to prove that the other side is wrong. Argument is relied on because we believe that if you remove what is wrong; you will be left with what is right. The reality is that most arguments, and therefore meetings, result in very little constructive output at all, only bruised egos. Parallel Thinking offers a practical alternative. It encourages co-operation, exploration and innovation. With Parallel Thinking both sides, or all parties, are thinking in parallel, using the same style of thinking simultaneously. There is co-operative and co-ordinated thinking. The style of thinking used can be changed in order to give a balanced, objective view of the situation.

Using the Six Thinking Hats

A simple and practical way of parallel thinking is to use the Six Thinking Hats method - this results in dramatically shorter meetings, (up to 75% time saving) and more constructive outcomes. This method is now rapidly being taken up by corporations such as Du Pont, IBM, NASA Prudential Texas Instruments, NTT, Statoil, Shell and JP Morgan

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Course Outline

(Awaiting room image to be included here)

The day will include a mix of teaching and practical exercises. The aim being for you to leave the workshop with skills, which you have practiced and can, apply immediately on return to your workplace

• The nature of thinking
  
• Why we need to change our thinking behaviour
  
• Why argument is inadequate
  
• Introducing the Six Thinking Hats
  
• Why very little new thinking is accomplished at meetings
  
• Tools and techniques focusing on each hat
  
• Occasional use of Six hats
  
• Frameworks for structuring meetings and focusing thinking
  
• How to turn disagreements into positive contributions
  
• Techniques for opportunity thinking
  
• Programming meetings for a successful outcome
  
• Creating the action plan

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6 Hats

White Hat
Information known and needed

• Neutral and Objective
  
• Pure facts and figures
  
• "The facts, just the facts"
  
• First class facts: Checked and proven
  
• Second class facts: Believed to be true
  
• Identifies information that is missing
  
• Never your own opinions

Yellow Hat
Optimism: Values and Benefits - Why it will work

• Symbolises sunshine, brightness and optimism
  
• Positive and constructive
  
• Probes and explores for value and benefit
  
• Generative and supportive
• Strive to find logical support
  
• Speculative and opportunity seeking
  
• Permits visions and dreams

Green Hat
Possibilities, Alternatives and New Ideas

• Symbolises fertility, growth, and the value of seeds
  
• Creative thinking
  
• The search for alternatives
  
• Does not have to be logical
  
• Movement replaces judgment
  
• Moves from one idea to reach other ideas
  
• Generates new concepts and new perceptions

Red Hat
Feelings Hunches and Intuition

• Legitimises emotions and feeling
  
• "This is how I feel"
  
• Fears, likes, dislikes, loves, hates
  
• The opposite of neutral, objective information
  
• Keep it short
  
• No need to give reasons of the basis
  
• Allows exploring the feelings of others

Black Hat
Negative Judgment/Devil's Advocate - Why it will not work
Caution - Not argument

• Critical negative judgment
  
• Risk Analysis
  
• Logical reasons must be given
  
• Points out dangers and potential problems
  
• Points out faults in a design

Blue Hat
Managing the Thinking Process

• The "control" hat
  
• The orchestra conductor
  
• Organises the thinking
  
• "Thinking about the thinking needed to explore the subject"
  
• Calls for the use of other hats
  
• Sets the focus: Defines the problems and shapes the questions
  
• Responsible for summaries, overviews and conclusions
  
• Ensures that the rules are observed

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