6 thinking hats benefits you should grab

Are you taking full advantage of the 6 thinking hats benefits?  It’s a helpful technique for you and your group to plan your reflection process.  Read on to see what it is and how it supports you. 

‘Six Thinking Hats was written by Dr. Edward de Bono. “Six Thinking Hats” and the associated idea parallel thinking provide a means for groups to plan thinking processes in a detailed and cohesive way, and in doing so to think together more effectively.[2]’ – find out more on Wikipedia

I first came across this handy method at a workshop.  It was a physical event held at a club.  You can use the framework in various ways, adapting them to your needs.

At the club, we used it to prepare speeches.  It assisted in the evaluation of my presentation content.  I used different hats to examine my points.

In my article, I’ll show examples for illustration.  You can see how bloggers may use it.  Adapt the six modes of reflection to other activities.

The six colors are:

1. Blue, the big picture, and managing.
2. White, facts and information.
3. Red, feelings, and emotions.
4. Black, negative.
5. Yellow, positive.
6. Green, new ideas.

Take the time to analyze your ideas through each one of them.  Look at the big picture.  Double-check facts and information.  

What about the feelings and emotions perspective?  Are there negative and positive sides?  Does it bring in new ideas?

Example of 6 thinking hats

Although it’s a group activity, solopreneur bloggers can go through these directions to ponder.  Take a look at your content from different angles before publishing.  How will it look to someone else?

Is it easy for readers to understand the points you make?  Does it give a comprehensive picture of the topic?  Does it sound objective or show bias?

Make important checks on your content.  Do so before putting out your work to the public.  The internet is fantastic, it helps you to reach many readers.

A great thing about blogging is that you can update your articles.  Go back to older ones and improve them.  Apply new best practices.

Critical thinking

Brainstorm to find better ideas.  Evaluate and select the greatest options.  Don’t miss out on the best choices.

Critical thinking is a smart habit and approach.  There are also various tools for it.  I once attended another workshop, which was on problem-solving.

The event was interactive and over a few days. It was fun and interesting as well. If you want to find out about this (other) framework, read my article. Solve your problem in seven steps.

I illustrated handy steps in the form of a story.  It includes an example in the form of a life situation.  Going through the story, you can see how simple it is to use the method.

You can also use 6 thinking hats for problem-solving.  It gives a better overview of things.  Other frameworks also exist. 

High-quality decisions

Make better decisions. It can be crucial to success. Take proper steps by evaluating and comparing options. Don’t overlook potential pitfalls. Be prepared and seize opportunities that you shouldn’t miss.

Use structured ways to organize thoughts and ideas.  Use proven methods that have stood the test of time.  Analyze for better understanding.

You use white for facts and red for emotions.  It’s an example of how you can consider different angles to the same point.  For example, your business decisions are likely to be based on facts.  Considering the feelings side of it may reveal another perspective.

Use green for new ideas and innovate.  Black for the negative side and yellow, for the positive.  Together, they all give a better outlook to consider.  Blue is for the big picture.

Take risks smartly 

Life is full of challenges.  As a blogger and solopreneur, there are risks to take.  You may risk more time than money.  Time is also a scarce resource!

Entrepreneurs often risk more money.  Content creators may choose to put in more time while operating at a lower cost (compared to other types of businesses).  Whichever the business model, take calculated risks.  

Even in your personal life, better be careful.  Through frameworks, do some exercises.  These can guide you to better results.   

Groups and individuals

In companies, departments may use such methods.  It could be departmental or interdepartmental.  For example, I was once part of a quality circle.    

Brainstorming frameworks (normally) aim at facilitating group work.  If you’re alone, you can choose to find help from your close ones.  The more relevant participants are to your niche, the better.    

I find that the steps are also helpful to individuals, and used such tools alone.  Going through the steps gave me a structured way to sort things out.  The final option that I chose provided me with the best option possible.

Here’s an example of blogging decisions.  Examine a new article draft.  Does it cover all the essential points?  Try to be as comprehensive and original as possible.

Investment decisions are more complex. You often have to consider figures and your budget.  Research the features, pros, cons, and alternatives.  Brainstorming can be a part of it.

Should you invest in a new tool?  Is it feasible or should you dedicate resources to something else?  I made the right choice when I started using an SEO tool.  It brings me results that I can see in my stats.

I didn’t have a group to work on it.  However, I listed everything with pen and paper.  Using frameworks to guide me, was a systematic approach.  It also left room for creativity and innovation.

You may choose any critical thinking method that you prefer.  Use it for the better.  You can also use a combination of different techniques to work on the same matter.

Using more than one tool could take more time.  However, you’re likely to get more insight into what you’re considering.  When undertaking important projects, it could be a priority.

For example, a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis could be the first stage.  Then, brainstorm to find possible options and choose the best.  You can then take it a step further by planning goals for action-taking.  The SMART (specific, measurable, assignable, realistic, and time-related) criteria is a popular one.

Conclusion

Parallel, critical thinking, and brainstorming are some handy techniques.  Use them to make better choices.  Take risks smartly, and make the most of 6 thinking hats for all the benefits.