six%20thinking%20hats

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six thinking hats
From Philip Hodgson, Ph.D. User Experience Group
/ Global Consumer Design Whirlpool
Corporation (presented with minor modifications
to ISE 311 Ergonomics Work Measurement)
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about thinking

• automatic background thinking
• conscious problem solving thinking
• logical, linear, critical, argument based

We tend to think the same way every time
like water running down a hillside deepening
the channel ensuring that future thinking
follows the same path
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the problem with thinking
The main difficulty with thinking is confusion.
We try to do too much at once. Emotions,
information, logic, hope and creativity all crowd
in on us. It is like juggling too many balls.
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thinking about thinking

• identify the different kinds of thinking
• separate the different kinds of thinking
• direct the different kinds of thinking
• switch between the different kinds of thinking
• think about thinking

Thinking is a skill it can be improved but it
needs to be understood, managed and practiced ...
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• a thinking cap
• defines a role
• gives direction and focus
• gives you the floor
• attracts attention
• provides a way to switch gears
• we become a group of thinkers
• now the game has rules
• emotion will follow motion.

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• Evaluate the layout and food choices of the
  cafeteria.
• Take a customer-centric view.
• All aspects of the customer experience are to be
  explored.

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white
neutral objective information creating the map

• the information seeking hat
• neutral
• the facts
• what information is available?
• what is relevant?
• true facts
• beliefs (but not guesses)
• not giving opinions
• not presenting arguments.

• Last year there was a 25 increase in the sale
  of turkey meat
• Give me the employment figures for high school
  dropouts for 6 months after they leave school
• I think I am right in saying that the 777 is
  the quietest plane in the Boeing fleet
• I need some white hat details of the volume of
  traffic trying to leave Atlanta during rush hour.

Our example Give me some white hat facts or
questions about the customer experience in the
cafeteria today.
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red
emotion feelings intuitive subjective

• how you feel about the suggestion
• your gut reactions
• your intuitions and hunches
• getting upset, being delighted
• a legitimate outlet for emotion
• allows exploration of feelings.

• I feel we are being pressured into agreeing
  with the new proposal
• Give me your red hat view of our current
  direction
• I am very pleased with the way things are
  going
• I do not like the way this meeting is being
  conducted
• I have a strong feeling that the broken window
  and the torn theatre ticket are vital clues in
  solving this murder
• I am feeling really frustrated right now.

Our example What is your red hat view of the
way the cafeteria is laid out and run today.
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yellow

• positive (based on )
• the benefits, the savings, the advantages?
• constructive
• improving on ideas
• proposals
• speculative if
• about effectiveness and getting a job done
• making things happen
• but not blind optimism

positive (logical) benefits can do

• lets put our yellow hats on and look at the
  positive aspect of the new proposal
• the good thing about Jim getting the job is
  that at least he understands the Chinese culture
• it is hard to become an actress but if I go to
  the audition at least I have a chance
• I just love this idea I am really excited
  about getting started
• well I am wearing my yellow hat but I cannot
  find anything positive about this new idea
• there is a new opportunity here, but we must
  move quickly!

Our example Put on your yellow hat and tell me
some of the positive aspects of the cafeteria.
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black

• why it might go wrong
• the errors or pit-falls
• the risks or dangers involved
• identifies difficulties and problems
• logical rationale for not doing something
• legal limits
• technology limits
• critical judgement
• legitimizes negativity
• separates the logical from the emotional
• NOT negative feelings!

negative (logical) caution devils advocate

• I dont think that just lowering prices is
  going to work
• the sales figures I have show that just
  lowering prices is not going to work
• It looks good on paper, but what if the
  Japanese enter the civil aviation market?
• It sounds like a great idea but what you are
  proposing is not legal in that country
• But increasing the wages will drive up the
  costs so we must consider an alternative.

Our example Give me a black hat assessment of
some things that arent working well about the
cafeteria.
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green

• new ideas and concepts
• lateral thinkers wear a green hat
• sudden insights
• doing things differently
• not logical
• provocative triggers (random words frog
  cheese)
• ideas as stepping stones to where?
• explore the absurd (what if planes landed upside
  down?)
• taboos?
• now start over and explore alternative ideas.

creative provocative new ideas

• put your green hat on and have a new idea
• we are getting bogged down here everybody
  put your green hats on and try to come up with
  something new
• I know the idea sounds crazy but I am wearing
  the green hat right now
• under the protection of the green hat I want
  to suggest that we fire the entire sales force
• suppose we put the bread between two
  hamburgers instead, where might that take us?

Our example Put on your green hat and come up
with some novel ways of serving food in the
cafeteria.
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blue
orchestration reflection monitoring the meta-hat

• thinking about the thinking
• planning and organising the thinking
• managing the focus by calling for the use of
  other hats
• monitoring and reflecting on the thinking
  processes
• drawing conclusions
• uses blue hat to shift people in or out of the
  discussion
• others can also offer blue hat comments.

• my blue hat tells me we ought to be looking
  for alternatives at this point
• we seem to be spending much more time on red
  hat than I expected, lets switch to green again
• OK lets have ten minutes of white hat, and
  then five minutes of yellow
• Jane, you've been very quiet. Lets hear your
  yellow hat view on this
• I want you both to yellow hat each others
  point of view that should stop you arguing
• those were helpful black hat thoughts but we
  are supposed to be wearing our white hats right
  now
• wearing my blue hat it seems that the
  conclusions are as follows
• now everyone put on the blue hat and say where
  you think we ought to be going with this meeting.

Our example Give me a blue hat assessment of
how well this way of approaching the problem
works for evaluating the cafeteria.
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some of the benefits

• thinking is simplified
• direction of thinking can be effectively
  switched
• can be used for both group and individual
  thinking
• issues are resolved with more clarity
• issues are resolved more quickly
• everyone has a chance to contribute
• it becomes legitimate to express feelings
• opportunity to express all aspects of your
  thoughts
• new ideas are born
• meetings are more focused
• meetings are shorter

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Get a copy! 10.95
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the six thinking hats
informative
intuitive
constructive
creative
cautious
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Your turn

• Your textbook describes several methods of
  unstructured and structured search techniques.
  In groups of 3 or 4
• Select 2 of these methods one structured and
  one unstructured.
• Think of how the thinking hats methodology
  could be used in conjunction with the technique
  in the book.
• Focus in on using your hat (white, red, yellow,
  etc.)
• When instructed, exchange hats with another group
  and approach the question from that perspective.

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White hat thinking Red hat thinking Yellow hat thinking
Black hat thinking Green hat thinking Blue hat thinking