Edward de Bono believes thinking is a skill that can be improved. He provides strategies for doing so in his book “Six Thinking Hats”. According to de Bono the problem we face with our with thinking is “We try to do too much at once, Emotions, information, logic, hope and creativity all crowd in on us. It’s like juggling with too many balls.”
To avoid this jumbled thinking de Bono proposes that when you approach a problem you play only one of five roles at any given time. Namely pretend to be a person that thinks only:
- Factually
- Emotionally,
- Pessimistically,
- Optimistically, or
- Creatively.
One of the key assumptions of the book is that thinking is a team sport. De Bono proposes that each member of a team wear one of the five “hats” mentioned above and the thinking occurs as a group discussion. The facilitator of the thinking team wears the “sixth hat” and guides the team. It is the facilitator’s job to set the stage for a productive session and make sure the team stays focused.
We have used de Bono’s techniques in our facilitated brainstorming sessions with clients and find they help raise ideas that might not emerge using other brainstorming approaches. We’ve also found the techniques useful without a team. Just permitting yourself some dedicated time wearing each of the five hats can help your thought process.
If the book has a down side it is in its description of the “sixth” hat – the facilitator role. Though it describes what the role is it doesn’t do a great job of describing how to perform this role. Facilitation is something that’s hard to learn from a book.
The book has been out over 20 years now but its techniques are timeless and it’s an easy read. Time to read it (again?) and bring the techniques to your next brainstorming session.