CREATIVE
PROBLEM SOLVING
Six Thinking Hats and Other Tools
by
Culture Transformation Resources, LLC
www.CTRConsultingServices.com
TRAINING OBJECTIVES
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Provide you with new Tools, Tips and Techniques to
improve your Problem Solving Skills.
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Learn Six Thinking Hats Techniques.
Revolutionize Group Problem-Solving.
Bring Diverse Perspectives to Decision Making.
Depersonalize Team-Dynamic Feedback.
Save Time and Reach Decisions Quickly.
Expand Your Thinking as a Leader.
Facilitate Productive and Effective Meetings.
“
THERE ARE NO RULES HERE- WE ARE
TRYING TO CREATE SOMETHING.
- Thomas A. Edison
“
CHALLENGES
BRAINSTORM
CHALLENGES THINK TANK
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5 Minute Think Tank
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Brainstorm as many team
CHALLENGES as possible and
list them on a flip chart or board.
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Vote on the Top 1 or 2 challenges
you will focus on during this
session.
TRADITIONAL CPS
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Mess-finding
Data-finding
Problem-finding
Idea-finding
Solution-finding
Acceptance-finding
COMMON IDEA-FINDING
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Brainstorming
Mind Maps
Free Association
Free-Writing
Incubation
BRAIN BASICS
Left Right
Rational
Emotional
Pratical
Creative
Logical
Immaginative
Linear
Intuitive
Analytical
Holistic
Mathematical
Expanded
CRITICAL VS. CREATIVE
Critical Thinking
Creative Thinking
• Analytical
• Generative
• Judgmental
• Non-judgmental
• Selective
• Expansive
• Probability
• Possibility
• Left brain
• Right brain
• Yes but…
• Yes and…
The Thinking process is like a KAYAK with
Two Paddles: One is CREATIVE Thinking while
the other represents CRITICAL Thinking.
SIX THINKING HATS
www.CTRConsultingServices.com
SIX THINKING HATS
An effective tool for decision making
and problem solving that uses both
sides of your brain.
EDWARD DE BONO
• Edward de Bono has written 70 books in
37 languages.
• Rhodes Scholar to Oxford.
• Originator of the term 'lateral thinking.’
• Leading authority in the field of creative
thinking, innovation and the direct
teaching of thinking as a skill.
• International Bestselling Author of
Six Thinking Hats.
SIX THINKING HATS
Six Thinking Hats is a very simple, effec8ve parallel thinking
process that helps individuals be more focused, produc8ve, and
mindfully involved. A powerful tool to add to your leadership
toolkit that, once learned, can be applied immediately!
You and your team members can learn how to separate
thinking into six clear func8ons and roles using “thinking hats.”
Each thinking role is iden8fied with a colored symbolic thinking
hat. By mentally wearing and switching "hats," you can easily
focus or redirect thoughts, conversa8ons, or mee8ngs.
SIX THINKING HATS
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Six colors of hats for six types of thinking
- Each hat identifies a type of thinking
- Hats are directions of thinking
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Hats help a group use parallel thinking
- You can “put on” and “take off” a hat
USES FOR HATS
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Critical, Analytical Thinking and Problem-Solving
Strategic planning
Running meetings
Generating ideas
Public Speaking
Process Improvement
Project Management
Organizational Change
and much more!
GENERAL
HAT ISSUES
General
Hat issues
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Direction, not description
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Not categories of people
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A constructive form of showing off
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Use in whole or in part
– Set out to think in a certain direction
– Let’s have some black hat thinking…
– Not:“He’s a black hat thinker.”
– Everyone can and should use all the hats
– Show off by being a better thinker
– Not destructive right vs. wrong argument
BENEFITS
General Hat issues
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Provide a common language
Maximize productive collaboration
Diversity of thought while using more of our brains
Consider issues, challenges, decisions and opportunities
systematically
Remove ego (reduce confrontation)
Save time
Focus (one thing at a time)
Think clearly and objectively
Create, evaluate & implement action plans
Achieve significant and meaningful results
Make meetings more productive in less time
SIX COLORS
White: neutral, objective
Red:
emotional, angry
Black: serious, somber
Yellow: sunny, positive
Green: growth, fertility
Blue:
cool, sky above
…AND SIX HATS
White: objective, facts & figures
Red:
emotions & feelings
Black: cautious & careful
Yellow: benefits, positive & speculative
Green: creativity, ideas & lateral thinking
Blue:
process, control & organization
SIX THINKING HATS
Six Thinking Hats
FEELINGS
REFLECTIVE
INFORMATION
BENEFITS
CREATIVE
JUDGEMENT
WHICH TWO HATS DO YOU USE?
Six Thinking Hats
FEELINGS
REFLECTIVE
INFORMATION
BENEFITS
CREATIVE
JUDGEMENT
TECHNIQUE:
Choose the right hat or tool
FOCUS:
Decide on what you want to think about
TIME:
Set limits and work within them
:60
SECONDS
If you are a business leader serious about
CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING in your
company / department / team,
contact us @
www.CTRConsultingServices.com
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SIX HATS DEEP DIVE
Six Thinking Hats
The Blue Hat
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The control hat, organizing thinking
itself.
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Sets the focus, calls for the use of
other hats.
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Monitors and reflects on the thinking
processes used.
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Blue is for planning.
“
PROBLEM SOLVING IS HUNTING.
IT IS A SAVAGE PLEASURE AND WE
ARE BORN TO IT.
- Thomas Harris
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THE BLUE HAT
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FACILITATOR ROLE
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The role of the facilitator focuses and
refocuses thinking
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Makes calls for the group to make
decisions
“
WHAT IS THE POINT OF HIRING
SMART PEOPLE IF WE DON’T
EMPOWER THEM TO FIX WHAT’S
BROKEN?
- Creativity, Inc.
“
BLUE HAT CASE STUDY
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3 Minutes
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Define Your Team Problem
BLUE HAT QUESTIONS
START:
• What is the main idea?
• What is the problem?
• How do we sequence the events?
• Explain? Summarize.
END:
• What is your conclusion?
• What next? Action plan?
• How was it solved?
“
WE BELIEVE IDEAS ONLY BECOME
GREAT WHEN THEY ARE
CHALLENGED AND TESTED.
- Creativity, Inc.
“
THE WHITE HAT
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The information seeking hat.
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What are the facts?
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What information is available?
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What is relevant?
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When wearing the white hat we are
neutral in our thinking.
“
IDENTIFY YOUR PROBLEMS BUT
GIVE YOUR POWER AND ENERGY
TO SOLUTIONS.
“
- Tony Robbins
THE WHITE HAT
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FACTS AND LOGIC
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Separates fact from speculation
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Specifies action needed to fill
gaps
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Assesses the relevance and
accuracy of information
WHITE HAT CASE STUDY
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5 Minutes
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Record as many facts
about your Team
Problem
WHITE HAT QUESTIONS
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Who, what, when, where?
What do you know about?
What are the facts about?
What do you need or want to
know about?
Where might you go to find out
about?
What OPVs should we consider?
THE GREEN HAT
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This is the creative mode of
thinking.
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Green represents growth and
movement.
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In green hat we look to new ideas
and solutions.
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Lateral thinking wears a green hat.
“
ALMOST ALWAYS, THE CREATIVE
DEDICATED MINORITY MADE THE
WORLD BETTER.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
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THE GREEN HAT
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CREATIVITY AND IMAGINATION
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Encourages search for new ideas
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Seeks to modify and removes
faults from existing ideas
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Makes time for creative effort
“
YOU CAN’T USE UP CREATIVITY.
THE MORE YOU USE, THE MORE
YOU HAVE.
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- Maya Angelou
THE THREE P’s
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Positive: every idea is potentially
valuable, record all
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Prolific: the more ideas the better;
build on ideas
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Playful: it is easier to tame a wild
idea than to make a boring idea
interesting
OTHER USES FOR
• Balloon
___________________
___________________
___________________
Golf Tee
___________________
___________________
___________________
• Toothbrush
___________________
___________________
___________________
Paperclip
___________________
___________________
___________________
OTHER USES FOR
Balloon
Golf Tee
Shower Cap
Traffic Sign
Tooth Pick
Paper Holder
Scarecrow
Stake a Picnic Blanket
Hot Air Balloon Center Piece
Tile Spacers
Decorative Lantern
Replace a Lost Cap (Plug a Tube)
Toothbrush
Brush Your Eyebrows
Silver Cleaner
Paint Cleaner
Clean Fingernails
Apply Hair Dye
Clean the Toilet
Paperclip
Egg Dipper for Dying Eggs
Popping Discs
Jewelry Clasp
Remove Hair from Brush
Unclog Bottle of Glue or Salt Shaker
Letter Opener
GREEN HAT CASE STUDY
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10 MINUTES
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List as many ideas and
solutions to your team
problem.
GREEN HAT QUESTIONS
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What if?
What is good about?
What is the value of?
How can we make this work?
What are the alternatives?
What else can we do?
What is holding our team back?
“
CREATIVITY IS INVENTING,
EXPERIMENTING, GROWING,
TAKING RISKS, BREAKING RULES,
MAKING MISTAKES AND HAVING
FUN.
- Mary Lou Cook
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THE RED HAT
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EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS
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Gives permission to express feelings,
hunches and intuitions
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Help to make a decision
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Does not require justification
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Best expressed in a word or two
THE RED HAT
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What do you feel about the
suggestion?
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What are your gut reactions?
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What intuitions do you have?
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Don’t think too long or too hard.
“
TO LIVE A CREATIVE LIFE,
WE MUST LOSE OUR FEAR OF
BEING WRONG.
- Joseph Chilton Pearce
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RED HAT CASE STUDY
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Quickly, < :30 Seconds
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Discuss how everyone
feels? (1-2 words)
RED HAT QUESTIONS
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What does your intuition tell you?
Did your feelings change? How?
What prejudices are present?
What are you feeling now?
What is your hunch about?
“
IF I HAD 60 MINUTES TO SOLVE A
PROBLEM, I’D SPEND 55 MINUTES
DEFINING IT, AND 5 MINUTES
SOLVING IT.
- Albert Einstein
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THE YELLOW HAT
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The sunshine hat.
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It is positive and constructive.
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It is about effectiveness and
getting a job done.
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What are the benefits, the
advantages?
“
MANAGERS OF CREATIVE
COMPANIES MUST NEVER FORGET
TO ASK THEMSELVES: ‘HOW DO
WE TAP THE BRAINPOWER OF OUR
PEOPLE?’
- Creativity, Inc.
“
THE YELLOW HAT
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LOGICAL POSITIVES
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Explores Benefits of Ideas
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Must give reasons why an idea
is valuable and might work
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Reinforces creative ideas and
new directions
YELLOW HAT CASE STUDY
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5 MINUTES
Discuss the Benefits of Your
Team’s Ideas and Solutions
YELLOW HAT QUESTIONS
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What are the Benefits?
What is good about?
What are positive outcomes?
What is the value?
Can this be made to work?
What did you like about?
If you are interested in a workshop or training
on SIX THINKING HATS or CREATIVE PROBLEM
SOLVING for your company / department /
team, contact us @
www.CTRConsultingServices.com
Contact / Follow / Like / Share
Twitter
Facebook
Slideshare
LinkedIn
THE BLACK HAT
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The caution hat. Devil’s advocate.
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In black hat the thinker points out
errors or pit-falls.
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What are the risks or dangers
involved?
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Identifies difficulties and problems.
“
I HAVE NOT FAILED. I’VE JUST
FOUND 10,000 WAYS THAT WON’T
WORK.
“
- Thomas Edison
THE BLACK HAT
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LOGICAL NEGATIVES
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Explores why an idea may not
work
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Must give logical reasons for
concerns
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Points out difficulties and
weaknesses
BLACK HAT CASE STUDY
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5 MINUTES
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What are all of the
negatives and pitfalls of
your team’s ideas and
solutions?
BLACK HAT QUESTIONS
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What should you be cautious
about?
What are the consequences?
What are the pitfalls?
Why won’t/didn’t this work?
What weaknesses exist?
What are the risks?
THE BLACK HAT
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Is there someone you work with
who tends to overuse black hat
thinking?
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What is the impact?
“
THE CREATIVE CULTURE IS THAT
ITS PEOPLE FEEL FREE TO SHARE
IDEAS, OPINIONS, AND CRITICISMS.
LACK OF CANDOR, IF UNCHECKED,
ULTIMATELY LEADS TO
DYSFUNCTIONAL ENVIRONMENTS.
- Creativity, Inc.
“
THE RED HAT CHECK
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How does everyone feel now?
(1-2 words)
BLUE HAT WRAP UP
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Conclusions
What next?
Action Plans
Blue Hat
Information & Data
Neutral & Objective
Checked & Believed Facts
Missing Information &
Where To Source It
Managing The Thinking
Setting The Focus
Making Summaries
Overviews • Conclusions
Action Plans
Black Hat
Why It May Not Work
Cautions • Dangers
Problems • Faults
Logical Reasons
Must Be Given
FOCUS
Yellow Hat
Why It May Work
Values & Benefits
(Both Known & Potential)
The Good In It
Logical Reasons
Must Be Given
Red Hat
Green Hat
Feelings & Intuition
Emotions Or Hunches
“At This Point”
No Reasons or Justification
Keep It Short
Creative Thinking
Possibilities • Alternatives
New Ideas • New Concepts
Overcome Black Hat Problems &
Reinforce Yellow Hat Values
SUMMARY
OF
SIX
HATS
General Hat issues
SIX HATS
HATS REMINDERS
General Hat issues
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Use any hat, as often as needed
Sequence can be preset or evolving
Not necessary to use every hat
Allow specific time for each hat (generally, short)
Requires discipline from each person
– Stay in the idiom
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Adds an element of play, play along
Can be used by individuals and groups
HAT QUIZ
General Hat issues
1.
“Retooling will take a minimum of six months.”
2.
“I am unhappy with the merger.”
3.
“Our product is the most expensive on market?”
4.
“It will increase our profile in the community?”
5.
“Low staff morale is causing high attrition.”
6.
“The meeting seems to be drifting.”
HAT QUIZ
(CONT’D)
General Hat issues
7.
“Joe told me he was worried about a staff issue.”
8.
“We tried that and staff are not supportive.”
9.
“It would be easy to implement a new logo.”
10. “We could offer two for the price of one.”
11. “I am concerned about staff morale.”
12. “Are we ready to commit to a decision?”
13. “What if we gave everyone an additional day off?”
TECHNIQUE:
TRY ON EVERY HAT
PLANS
FACTS
Process,
Agenda
Informa8on,
Data
Ideas,
Solu8ons
What do we
want to
accomplish?
What is the
current
informa8on
and facts on
the issue or
problem?
What are
new
crea8ve
ideas or
alterna8ves
in solving
the
problem?
CREATIVE FEELINGS BENEFITS
Gut Ins8nct,
Intui8on
How does
everyone
feel about
the current
situa8on,
issue or
problem?
JUDGE
FEELINGS DECISION
Values,
Posi8ves
PiZalls,
Problems
Gut Ins8nct,
Intui8on
Next Steps,
Ac8on Plans
What are
the posi8ve
aspects of
the current
situa8on,
issue or
problem?
What are
the nega8ve
aspects or
piZalls?
How does
everyone
feel now
that we
have
worked on
the issue?
What
conclusions,
decisions or
summaries
can we
make in
moving
forward?
MY LEADERSHIP
ACTION ITEMS
CREATIVE
PROBLEM SOLVING
andre@CTRConsultingServices.com
1-877-CTR-1236 OR 1-877-287-1236
If you are interested in a workshop or training on CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING or
SIX THINKING HATS for your company / department / team, contact us
@ www.CTRConsultingServices.com
Contact / Follow / Like / Share
Twitter
Facebook
Slideshare
LinkedIn