Six Thinking Hats® is a simple, effective parallel thinking process that helps people be more productive, focused, and mindfully involved. And once learned, the tools can be applied immediately!
You and your team members can learn how to separate thinking into six clear functions and roles. Each thinking role is identified with a colored symbolic "thinking hat." By mentally wearing and switching "hats," you can easily focus or redirect thoughts, the conversation, or the meeting.
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The White Hat calls for information known or needed. "The facts, just the facts."
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The Yellow Hat symbolizes brightness and optimism. Under this hat you explore the positives and probe for value and benefit.
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The Black Hat is judgment - the devil's advocate or why something may not work. Spot the difficulties and dangers; where things might go wrong. Probably the most powerful and useful of the Hats but a problem if overused.
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The Red Hat signifies feelings, hunches and intuition. When using this hat you can express emotions and feelings and share fears, likes, dislikes, loves, and hates.
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The Green Hat focuses on creativity; the possibilities, alternatives, and new ideas. It's an opportunity to express new concepts and new perceptions.
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The Blue Hat is used to manage the thinking process. It's the control mechanism that ensures the Six Thinking Hats® guidelines are observed.
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Click here for Six Thinking Hats Presentation
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As you know, the difference between mediocre and highly effective teams lies not so much in their collective mental equipment, but in how well they use their abilities to think and how well they work together.
Six Thinking Hats® helps actualize the full thinking potential of teams. And when used as a meeting management tool, the Six Hats method provides the disciplined process for individuals to be focused and to the point.
But possibly most important, it requires each individual to look at all sides of an issue.
Employees like the way the Six Hats method neutralizes employee rank in a meeting where several levels of employees are present. It also puts people who are quiet and reserved on an equal playing field with those who are more talkative and might monopolize a meeting.
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Pertinent Applications for the Parallel Thinking Process of Six Thinking Hats®
- Creativity Training, Meeting Facilitation and Meeting Management
- Team Productivity and Communication
- Product and Process Improvement, and Project Management
- Critical and Analytical Thinking, Problem-Solving, and Decision-Making
- Wherever High Performance Thinking is needed
Six Thinking Hats As a Meeting Management Tool
According to a recent USA TODAY Snapshots® pole 49% of the responders reported that Unfocused Meetings is what makes them feel unproductive at work. Utilize Six Thinking Hats as a meeting management tool and eliminate unfocused and unproductive meetings from your schedule.
Pre-Seminar Reading On The Six Thinking Hats.
We encourage you to read this article prior to attending the Six Thinking Hats seminar. This article is also available in booklet format and can be purchased to help you communicate the value of the Six Hats method to others.
Contact us if you need additional copies.
Using Six Thinking Hats®, you and your team will learn how to:
- look at problems, decisions, and opportunities systematically
- use Parallel Thinking™ as a group or team to generate more, better ideas and solutions
- make meetings much shorter and more productive
- reduce conflict among team members or meeting participants
- stimulate innovation by generating more and better ideas quickly
- create dynamic, results oriented meetings that make people want to participate
- go beyond the obvious to discover effective alternate solutions
- spot opportunities where others see only problems
- think clearly and objectively
- view problems from new and unusual angles
- make thorough evaluations
- see all sides of a situation
- keep egos and "turf protection" in check
- achieve significant and meaningful results
Now, a valuable and cost-effective extension for Six Thinking Hats classroom training...
Click here to take a look at de Bono Online.
Contact us and request a 5-day password.
de Bono Online interactive courseware introduces Six Thinking Hats to your Team Members, allowing them to quickly become valuable contributors to the Parallel Thinking effort in your organization.
Powerful Simplicity!
Q: What is the biggest hurdle in implementing Six Thinking Hats organization wide?
A: Introducing the concept to untrained members in your organization.
Q: What is the second biggest hurdle in implementing Six Thinking Hats organization wide?
A: Having enough classroom instruction time for application and practice.
Q: What is the most painful hurdle in implementing any training course organization wide?
A: The time and money for people sitting in a classroom.
Q: How can The de Bono Group help you jump these hurdles?
A: Introducing Powerful Simplicity…
The Purpose of de Bono Online is Simple... and Return on Investment is Impressive
de Bono Online is obviously not a replacement for live training, but it does accomplish a very important objective; it assures that Six Thinking Hats is introduced consistently throughout your entire organization in an easily usable interactive learning program format, 45-60 minutes in duration.
When using Dr. Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats™ framework complemented by de Bono Online your teams can expect these powerful results:
- Faster implementation of the Six Thinking Hats process
- Increased skill and development as Parallel Thinkers
- More frequent application of the methods within teams
- Immediate and continuing return on your investment
The Online Courseware is available to you and your organization when...
- You are a team member where at least one individual on your team has taken the one-day Six Thinking Hats course led by a certified instructor.
- You are a team leader and are enrolled in an upcoming Six Thinking Hats classroom course. This online course is an excellent way to prepare you for the one-day course and will also serve as an excellent reinforcement following your classroom teaching.
- You want Six Thinking Hats to be introduced to your organization or business unit.
As a result and once your leadership team has finished the classroom course, you may use the online courseware as a quick and cost effective way to introduce your other team members to the Six Hats process. Each of your team members may enroll in the online course because you have taken the classroom course. As one who has participated in the one-day Six Hats course, you are more knowledgeable and familiar with the practical application of the process and can guide your team as an emerging Blue Hat Leader.
Pricing, Use and Return on Investment
The online course is $99 per user for 6 months of use. You and your team members may use the courseware anytime and anywhere you have Internet access. Once logged on you and your team members can use the interactive online software to prepare yourselves to effectively function as valuable contributors and users of the Six Hats process. And, as new members join your team, they too will be ready to contribute immediately after they have participated in de Bono Online.
Key Benefits to Remember
Two key benefits to remember... |
Your people spend little if any time being away from the job when you introduce Six Thinking Hats in this manner, and the Six Hats methods can be used immediately after the initial training/online interactive session. There is no delay.
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A third key benefit... |
The investment is affordable with a reasonable per person cost.
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A fourth key benefit... |
Training and application of the use of de Bono methods in a variety of organizational settings have a proven and well-established pattern of return on investment record. (Click here for Return on Investment Reporting.)
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Request a complimentary 5-day password to use and experience the de Bono Online courseware now. Call The de Bono Group at 1-888-572-2190 or email jpc@debonogroup.com for more information or to order de Bono Online today! You might also want to take a look at the Applications section of this website to see which initiatives you are already implementing will be complemented by de Bono methods.
P.S. – Be sure to ask about the Online Management System, which is included in the de Bono Online package …This revolutionary feature serves as a way to monitor, encourage, and measure Six Thinking Hats usage within teams and across your organization.
Finally, training and learning where everyone is on the same page!
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