SIS: Group B Project Aims, Theories of Change, Change ideas: Module – Creative thinking: Six thinking hats: Facilitators

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Lead facilitator read through briefly, or as participants to read.

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Using Six Thinking Hats for generating change ideas we are mainly in Theory of Knowledge.

However, the principles of Six Thinking Hats can be used to improve communications in any situation where we are working with others, so it also brings in other components of Profound Knowledge, in particular Psychology.

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OPTIONALThis review section (up to ‘which have you used?’) all optional.

AimReview of brainstorming frameworks introduced previously.Learning from each others’ experienceSome peer pressure – to start using tools that others have triedFor participants to recognise the need for tools for creative thinking; Six Thinking Hats then answers that need.

Key messagesImportance of using a framework for generating change ideas – not to expect them to emerge from a blank slate.

Timing10 minutes for this section.

Lead FacilitatorWe have previously talked about the principles of brainstorming, and used 3 different frameworks to support brainstorming (better than a blank sheet of paper).We might consider Six Thinking Hats as another framework for brainstorming.

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You tried using this framework in relation to a Portering example, and your own project.

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You looked at change ideas for a ‘staff wellness’ scenarios in relation to this framework, with a framework used in enhanced Significant Event Analysis.

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You used this for your own project during the workshop

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Which of these frameworks have you used since we looked at them together?

Discuss in 2s or 3s.

Plenary debrief:Elicit a few examples of how these tools have helpedAnd examples of how participants would use them differently in future(ie what challenges they encountered when using them, and how they would overcome those challenges next time)

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Discovery

AimGeneral introduction to the tool.Opportunity for participants to indicate if they have previous knowledge of Six Thinking Hats

Key messageCreative thinking means provoking our brain to have new thoughtsEach hat represents a different way of thinking.

Timing2 mins

Lead facilitator

Now moving on to another approach to generating change ideas.

It does not refer to actual hats that people put on to do this thinking.Link between thinking and hats: hats can be put on and taken off easily;

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each indicates a role (just as job related hats do).Each colour hat represents a different type of thinking.When you use one of the hats, you use only that type of thinking.Everyone should be able to use every colour hat, but some people may be better at some hats than others.When we use the hats, everyone in the conversation uses the same hat at the same time. (except the blue one)Short bursts of thinking – 3 – 5 minutes. (If the thinking is flowing and on colour, you may extend the time – do so overtly and in small increments.)

De Bono’s thinking on creativity is based on how the brain works as an active, self-organising information system, with a tendency to reach stable states of local equilibrium.Creativity implies having thoughts that are outside the normal pattern.What can we do to have ‘new’ thoughts?The brain needs to be provoked.Aiming to produce an unstable concept that the mind must deal with.The mind re-stabilises by connecting the concept with existing patterns.

We will work through an example 6 Thinking Hats, then discuss how you might use this in your work.

de Bono Bio: born 1933 in Malta, educated there and then widely in US, UK, Australia; faculty appointments in Oxford, Cambridge, London, Harvard.

Has anyone used this? Will ask them to share their experience later.

[picture of de Bono downloaded from Google Images – free and modifiable]

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AimVery brief outline of what the different hats are about

We are going to work through each of the hats, thinking about a topic that I have chosen.

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Managing the thinking – today this is meControl hatOrganises the thinkingSets the focus and agendaSummarises and concludesEnsures that the rules are followed

From time to time the blue hat will provide summaries of the thinking for consideration by all.And will clarify action required on the basis of what has been discussed.

Arrange participants into groups of 3 – 5 people.

Rotate the ‘scribe’ role, so for each hat a different person writes on the flip chart.(or you may choose to use a different approach eg everyone writes to post-it first, then all put their post-its on the sheet)

Elicit the key features of brainstorming including eg no value judgement or assessment, getting each person’s contribution down in their own

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words.

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AimTo use a relevant topic for discussion so that participants benefit from the content as well as the experience of using the Six Thinking Hats process.Initially, participants to identify their service users in their own mind.

Key messagesImportance of contributing with each hat

TimingTotal time for hats – roughly 6 mins per hat including briefing and debriefing = 6 x 5 = 30 mins(less time for red hat) Extend the time for some hats if all groups need it – tell them how much more time they have.

MaterialsFlip chart sheets – 5 per table (or a flip chart stand/pack per table)Flip chart pens – 1 per table, black or blueBlu tac or velcro to display the sheets on the wall.Optional: post-it notes

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Lead facilitatorAs the person with the blue hat on, I have chosen today’s focus.It could be something that the group has agreed on in advance, or at an earlier stage in the discussion.

In relation to your improvement project, we are going to think about placing a service user on your improvement project team.A ‘service user’ could be a patient or family member or carer, if these are the people using your services. Or, if your service users are stakeholders within your own or other health and social care organisations, for example if you work in a department such as facilities or finance or in an administrative team, or in a special board, you will be thinking about your colleagues or partner organisations who use your services.

Your role is to contribute honestly and fully under each of the hats – for our topic today, answer questions in relation to your own project context.You can offer blue hat comments and suggestions if you wish.

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DISCOVERY/PRACTICE

We’ll start with the white hat.

White hat – InformationInformation we knowInformation we needHow are we going to get that information?Determines accuracy and relevanceLooks at Other People’s Views

Time: 4 minutes

Lead facilitatorTables brainstorm.Plenary debrief: elicit some thinking from each table and comment/facilitate brief discussion as appropriate.All flip sheets to the same part of the wall so that tables can see each others’.

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Red hat – Feelings, intuition, gut instinctPermission to express feelingsNo need to justifyRepresents feelings right nowKeep it shortA key ingredient in decision makingYou don’t need to justify or explain the reason for your feelings.

Lead facilitatorVery brief outline of what the red hat is about, so participants aren’t distracted by thinking about their answers.30 second time limit.Tables brainstorm.Plenary debrief: elicit some thinking from each table and comment/facilitate brief discussion as appropriate.Some of the responses will be more rational than emotional. Point this out and ensure discussion addresses the importance of providing opportunities for people to bring their feelings into the open and the benefits this brings – refer back to ‘Leading people through change’ modules covered earlier.

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All flip sheets to the same part of the wall so that tables can see each others’.

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Yellow hat – benefits and FeasibilityThe optimistic viewReasons must be given.Needs more effort than the black hatFinds the benefits and valuesConsiders both short and long term perspectives

Time: 4 minutes

Lead facilitatorTables brainstorm.Plenary debrief: elicit some thinking from each table and comment/facilitate brief discussion as appropriate.All flip sheets to the same part of the wall so that tables can see each others’.

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Black hat – risks, difficulties and problemsThe sceptical viewReasons must be given.Points out that thinking that does not fit the facts, experience, regulations, strategy, valuesPoints out potential problems. Why it won’t work.

Time: 4 minutes

Lead facilitatorTables brainstorm.Plenary debrief: elicit some thinking from each table. Minimal comment/discussion here, to avoid pre-empting the Green hat: ensure any discussion focusses on the content generated by the Black hat and the reasons, and does not move into how you might overcome these problems/challenges.All flip sheets to the same part of the wall so that tables can see each others’.

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New Ideas, PossibilitiesCreative thinkingSeeks alternatives and possibilitiesRemoves faultsDoesn’t have to be logicalGenerates new concepts.

Time: 4 minutes

Lead facilitatorTables brainstorm.Plenary debrief: elicit some thinking from each table and comment/facilitate brief discussion as appropriate.All flip sheets to the same part of the wall so that tables can see each others’.

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AimDebrief on the focus. Participants to identify next steps for their project to place a service user on their project team.

Key messagesImportance of having a service user on the project team.And doing this from an early stage in the project.

Timing5 mins

Lead facilitatorDebrief on content of discussion.What were the most useful insights you gained in relation to this focus?If you don’t already have a service user on your project team, what action are you going to take to do this?

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Aim

Debrief on Six Thinking Hats.

Key messages

Individuals tend to feel more comfortable with some hats than

others.

Need to make a conscious effort to use other hats.

Timing

5 – 10 mins

Lead Facilitator

Which hat(s) do you feel most comfortable using?

Why do these hats feel more comfortable?

Why do other hats feel less comfortable?

Discuss in 2s/3s.

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Plenary debrief:

As this module is focussing specifically at using Six Thinking Hats

for creative thinking, the plenary discussion should include:

- How many feel more comfortable with the Green hat than other

hats? If not comfortable with this, it is particularly important to

explicitly use the Green hat sometimes to encourage this kind of

thinking.

- Creativity is not all about the Green hat. The other hats can help

lead you towards Green hat thoughts that would not have occurred

if you had gone straight to the Green hat.

Be aware of your preferences, and be prepared to make more

effort with other hats.

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OPTIONAL to use in workshop, but keep in slide set – if short of time, ask participants to reflect on this back at work.

Key messagesNot only individuals but groups also have hat preferences.This will impact on the effectiveness of teams/organisations.Use Six Thinking Hats to create opportunities for the team/organisation to use other hats.

Timing5 – 10 mins

Lead FacilitatorTeam/department/organisation depends on the context for your project – think about your project.Discuss in 2s/3s.Plenary debrief

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OPTIONAL

AimA quick recap of the different hats.

Key messagesHats can also be used one at a time in a meeting or during a conversation, specifically to request a particular type of thinking.

Timing2 – 5 mins

Lead FacilitatorWhat hat would you call for when ….? The slide brings up one bullet at a time. Elicit answer to (1) in plenary.Then either continue in plenary (quicker)OR bring remaining 4 items up together, for discussion in 2s/3s/tables followed by a plenary debrief.

Answer Key – most obvious answers below. Accept other answers with

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a suitable rationale.1. Yellow – look for positives2. Black – look for negatives3. Blue – control the meeting4. Red – bring feelings out into the open5. Green - need new ideas

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AimHighlight the benefits of using Six Thinking Hats

Key messagesAs below.

Timing2 – 5 mins

MaterialsIf any participants indicated earlier that they have used Six Thinking Hats before, animate the slide:0 – title1 – 4 bullets (on next click)

Lead FacilitatorIf any participants indicated earlier that they have used Six Thinking Hats before, ask them to share their experience: How did it help them and their colleagues?Then, Lead Facilitator summarise how the Hats help us:

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• Separates out thinking: normally when we think we try to do too much at once eg looking for information, judging it, and forming new ideas. 6 Hats unbundles our thinking by separating out different aspects.

• Explores ideas in parallel: everyone focusses on the same thinking tool at the same time. This helps you to pool ideas, rather than defending your own position, so you are not adversarial.

• Signals switches: a common language, and a way to ask people to switch thinking from one mode to another

• Allows specific time for creativity – not all the hats are about creative thinking, but the sequence that you use them in supports creative thinking as one of several thinking modes. NB Depending on the aim of your discussion, you sequence the hats differently.

And the benefits resulting from this:• Shortens meetings and increases participation• Critique and strengthen ideas for change• Facilitates agreement• Supports constructive and creative thinking• Enables best use of information and team

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OPTIONAL

Use this slide to summarise or discuss next steps, depending on how this module is being used in the programme.

Timing1 min

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