COLLABORATIVE DECISION MAKING

Transcription

1 COLLABORATIVE DECISION MAKING with 6 Hat Thinking 6 Hat Thinking is a parallel thinking model developed by Edward de Bono that can be used for collaborative decision making when it is critical to: Consider multiple points of view Hear different arguments Come to consensus Satisfy all members that their point of view was considered It is particularly useful when there is disagreement as it provides a structured way to discuss and determine the merits and drawbacks for multiple alternatives. Adversarial Thinking occurs when everyone argues their point of view or shoots down ideas presented by other members. This can result in a stalemate of no decision being made, or the person or persons with authority make the final decision. Overriding with authority can result in frustration or even anger from some members that their way wasn t chosen. In a sense, adversarial thinking is a debate with winning and losing sides. Parallel Thinking is a process where the group focuses together in in a structured manner to consider all angles of a problem or situation rather than competing. Parallel thinking is a critical thinking tool that ensures all options are considered and consensus is reached on the best approach. 1

2 How to Conduct a 6 Hat Meeting The 6 hats represent a perspective in the decision-making process. ALL group members wear the same hat at the same time, with the exception of Blue Hat, who is the executive and facilitator. Blue Hat is not about authority but skill in encouraging and capturing ideas and leading the group to systematically consider all angles. Blue Hat Process. The Blue Hat is worn by the meeting facilitator. Blue Hat: Frames the issue Determines which hat the group is wearing Summarizes, clarifies, concludes, recaps discussions Determines when another hat needs to be re-visited All other hats are worn in parallel - when generating ideas (Green Hat) no one is allowed to discuss negatives or positives about the ideas. This allows for complete free-flow of ideas without constraint. Positives and negatives are considered when wearing Yellow and Black hats. The benefits to 6 Hat Thinking include: Allow issues to be discussed without risk More creative and innovative thinking Deters certain members from taking over the meeting and pushing their ideas Forces naysayers to consider solutions Strengthens arguments by considering negative and positive implications Gets feelings on the table people s intuition can be powerful and accurate Focuses thinking Allows for everyone to feel heard and fosters greater commitment to solutions 2

3 Before the meeting: 1. Prepare the room by hanging 5 flip charts on the wall, or use a white board. 2. Label each flip chart with one hat name: White Hat Green Hat Yellow Hat Black Hat Red Hat Kickoff the Meeting Frame the Issue and Explain the Process 1. Explain to group that you will utilize parallel thinking to explore solutions, ideas, solve a problem why you re there. 2. Frame the issue by stating the problem to be solved in a way that the majority would agree with. Take care not to insert opinion but frame it in simple, non-judging terms. For example: Employees and managers are in disagreement over how working from home is handled. Employees dislike asking to work from home and want to do it more often. Managers agree that working from home is okay at times but have concerns over coverage and productivity if it is overused. We re here to explore possible solutions that will work for everyone and come to consensus on a course of action. 3. Explain parallel thinking in that all group members will wear the same hat at the same time. When we are generating ideas with Green Hat, in order to fully explore all possibilities, we ll hold discussion of benefits and drawbacks for when we are wearing those hats Yellow for benefits, Black for why an idea won t work. Reassure everyone that all ideas and concerns will be heard and that parallel thinking is designed to allow for multiple viewpoints to be heard and considered in order to strengthen the solution by pooling diversity of thought. 4. Explain conditions or parameters. Explain or lead a discussion on what SOLVED would look like. For example: a. Budget constraints - Our solution must not exceed the budget of $$. b. Decision constraints or targets Our target is to reduce escalations by 5%. All ideas considered must keep that in mind and have ways to track and measure progress. 3

4 Conduct the Meeting 1. White Hat - list facts and information 2. Green Hat Brainstorm ideas on how to handle/solve the issue 3. Yellow Hat List the benefits of each idea 4. Black Hat List the drawbacks (cautions) of each idea 5. Red Hat Get everyone s gut feelings about the alternatives 6. Narrow the list and agree to a decision. Hats may need to be revisited if a large roadblock is identified with Black Hat the revisit Green Hat for new ideas. If a major concern is raised with Red Hat then revisit facts with White Hat, or ideas with Green Hat, benefits with Yellow Hat, etc. The Blue Hat s role is to conduct the meeting as an art and a science he or she reads the pulse of the room and determines when we to move forward, drive a decision, sense when more discussion must take place, etc. Conducting decisions this way ensures everyone is heard and all ideas are considered. Step 1: White Hat Blue Hat - ask a member to be scribe white hat answers and have them go and stand by the White Hat flipchart. Prompt the discussion with questions: What facts do we know about this issue? What facts do we NOT know about this issue? you can make a note for follow up, such as we aren t sure how many days employees work from home or we don t know if productivity is lower when employees work from home. Blue Hat - clarify what is fact and what is not Employees are more productive when working from home is this a fact or an opinion? Do we have data to support that assertion? Also, redirect attempts to disagree or give opninion remind the group that for this segment you are discussing facts only. 4

5 Step 2: Green Hat - Brainstorm ideas Have a different person scribe for Green Hat. White Hat scribe should remain at the White Hat chart in case other facts arise. Ask the group to brainstorm ideas to solve the problem. Number each idea. Step 3: Yellow Hat - discuss benefits of each idea One by one discuss the benefits of each idea from the Green Hat brainstorming: 1. Monthly WFH schedule: a. Everyone knows their schedule b. Managers won t worry about coverage c. Proactive rather than reactive 2. No WFH if # s aren t met a. Ensures productivity standards b. Employees are clear on expectations Step 4: Black Hat - discuss the cautions Discuss potential issues, cautions, drawbacks, etc. of each idea: 1. Monthly WFH schedule a. Doesn t allow for emergency situations b. Employees may not like their assigned days 2. No WFH if # s aren t met a. It may go on too long and become a bigger problem b. Customer service will suffer c. Department goals won t be met d. Embarrassing for the employee 5

6 Step 5 (Optional): Green Hat - Discuss ideas to overcome the cautions If needed, go back to Green Hat and discuss ideas to overcome the cautions raised with Black Hat, then benefits with Yellow Hat, and back to Black Hat for cautions/drawbacks. The idea is to narrow, refine and strengthen your list of solutions. Step 6: Red Hat - discuss feelings Don t skip Red Hat - it s important to understand people s feelings about potential issues, to get them on the table. This not only encourages buy-in to the final decision but can also raise concerns and positive points that may not have been considered. For example: I like the idea of a WFH schedule because it feels fair. I don t like the idea of a WFH schedule; it makes me think back to a rigid call center environment. Ask people for their gut feelings and record them. Revisit Black Hat to review facts around the feelings, or Green Hat to brainstorm ideas. Support people s intuitions and feelings with exploration. Overlooking this step can result in overlooking potential benefits or drawbacks! Step 7: Drive for Consensus There are many ways to drive consensus. Dot Voting have each member of the group place a dot (circle label) by the idea they like best. Assign a score assign a score such as 1-10 for each idea. Re-discuss the top ideas by alternating Green, Yellow, Black hats, etc. If agreement can t be reached, assign tasks. If you find that more information is needed to make a decision assign specific tasks to different members Find the actual numbers on productivity during WFH days and set a date to report back. Questions? Feel free to reach out to shannon@congruentpaths.com or for help with this exercise! 6