Hat Workshop

How to generate clarity, direction &
commitment to organizational Goals

Hat Workshop

The difference between brilliant and mediocre teams isn’t
so much in their collective mental capacity, but in how well
they can tap into their collective wisdom and how well
they function together.

Why? Building ownership across the organization
When an organization sets out new goals and
directions it is crucial that their members fully
understand the scope and consequences of the
new goals. The better the staff understands and
takes ownership of the new goals, the faster the
organization can reach them.

How? Lateral thinking
Working and thinking as a unit The workshop purpose is to build ownership on
the group follows De Bonos six the objectives and actions, the staff is not just told
to do but are creating their own tasks and area of
thinking hat system. responsibility. By developing the objectives and
actions for themselves the staff also tailored them to
The six thinking hats guides you to make better their knowledge and interests to execute them more
decisions by forcing you to move outside your habitual efficiently.
ways of thinking. As such, it helps you understand the
full complexity of the decision, and spot issues and
opportunities to which you might otherwise be blind.

When we think in the “normal way”, we try to do too
much at once. We may be looking at the information,
forming ideas, and judging someone else’s ideas all
at the same time. The Six Hats method allows us to
unbundle thinking. Instead of trying to do everything at
once, we separate out the different aspects of thinking.
This way we can pay full attention to each aspect in
turn.

What? Clarity, Direction & Commitment
The workshop should in the end have resulted in:
• Clarity of the goal.
• Initiate cross function collaboration.
• 3 objectives.
• Defined actions to the objectives.
• Delegated actions to business units, work groups or members.
• Generate commitment and dedication to the actions, objectives and goal.

Some questions that should be answered throughout the workshop.
• What does this goal mean for us?
• Where will the goal take us?
• What will the consequences be?

Process
The workshop process goes through four main to identify the most reasonable solution. This mix of
activities based on the double diamond design diverging to converging thinking provides a framework
process. Starting with diverging and open up to new to open up the dialogue to new alternatives and to
possibilities to converging narrowing down options break old patterns.

Discover: Diverging Define: Converging Develop: Diverging Deliver:
Information gathering and Organizing information Generating actions for the Converging
creating objectives. and select the objectives. objectives. Creating action plan and
delegate owners for the
objectives.

Workshop steps
The thinking hats sequence can be changed depending
on what the process or meeting is target towards. This
time we have chosen to use the hats in the following
ordered.

Step 1: White Hat; facts, figures and information. Step 5. Black hat; Critical thinking. (Objective)
(Objective)
Why would the objectives not work? Criticism, judgment
Gathering and sharing of information known or needed, and negative aspects of the objectives.
facts and figures related to directly or indirectly to the
organizations goal. Step 6. Yellow hat; Positive thinking. (Objective)
Step 2. Red Hat; Intuition and emotions. (Subjective) Positive aspects of why the objectives will work to reach
the goal.
What intuition, hunches, opinion and emotion does the
group have to the situation? Create forecasts of the Step 7. Green hat; Creativity and alternatives.
organizations future and identifying links between the (speculative/creative)
trends, patterns and forces to the organizations goal.
What are the possibilities, alternatives, new ideas
Step 3. Green hat; Creativity and alternatives. and approaches that can lead us to the objectives?
(speculative/creative) Generating actions to the objectives.
What are the possibilities, alternatives, new ideas and Step 8. Blue hat; Overview process control. (overview)
approaches that can lead us to the goal? This step is to
generating objectives to the goals Selection of the actions.

Step 4. Blue hat; Overview process control. (Overview) Step 9. Presentation
Selection of tree objectives. Step 10. Follow up

Rules & Guideline
White Hat; facts, figures and information - No idea too stupid.

Current
- Watch the clock.
Read Hat; Intuition and emotions - Record your progress.
- Quantity not quality.
Grean hat; Creativety and alternitives
- Use both sides of your brain.
- Encourage the right mindset & have fun.
Blue hat; Overview process control
- Let no good idea go unheard.
Black hat; Critical thinking - Build on ideas.
- Weird, wild, wacky and off the wall,
Yelow hat; Posetive thinking ideas are welcome.

the workshop.
3 2 1
Tools-The Hat matrix

Actions
The matrix is specially developed for this

Opportunities
team to organize the information in step 5-7 of

Start by type the organizations goal in the orange field
workshop and a tool that will help you and your

Information & Facts
goals.

Objectives

Business goal; ................................
Future
group that is attending the workshop each group can
on the matrix. Each team should focus on one goal so

focus on the organizations different long and short term
the workshop become focus. If you have more than one

Tools-The decision matrix
The decision matrix is a tool that can be
used to help you and your team to decide
what to focus on. By evaluate the level of The decision matrix
importance and feasibility you post one post-it in 1 2 3 4 5
each square. The matrix helps the team to look YOUR DESIGN MUST
ADDRESS THESE

upon the different alternatives more objectively 5
and place them in proximity of each other.

FOCUS
Be alert of the bias the team may have to the
alternatives before placing them on the matrix. 4

IMPORTANCE
YOUR DESIGN SHULD
ACCOMODATE THESE

3

CONSIDER
2

UNWISE USE OF TIME

NEGLECT
TO ADDRESS THESE

1

FEASIBILITY / VIABILITY

Step 1
White hat – Facts & Information
(objective)

Goal:
• Spread the known facts and information in the
group.

Task:
Put up articles, post-its notes and other facts
that have direct or indirect consequences to the
organization. Display them on a big wall and try to
identify links and patterns in the information.

Time:
30 min

Try to stick with the white hat and just state facts and information.
It is good to assign a group leader that can manage the team
through the steps.

TIP Let the attendee know about this task so that they can gather and
prepare some relevant facts.

Step 2
Red hat – Feelings & Emotions
(subjective)

Goal:
• Identify trends, patterns, and forces.
• Create projections on future headlines.

Task:
Use the red post-its to identify links, hunches,
intuition, patterns and forces on facts and
information posted on the wall. Don’t hesitate to
express opinion, emotion or feelings. Use different
covers from various magazines and construct your
own future headlines.

Time:
30 min

Nothing is wrong, so don’t hesitate to express any thought, even the
smallest or silliest connection can trigger great ideas.

TIP Use strings or yarn to visualize and stretch the links.

Step 3
Green hat – Alternatives & creativity
(speculative/creative)
Goal:
• Create objectives to the goals

Task:
While looking at all the information, facts, forces, trends and
future scenarios what can be done to reach goal. Generate
objectives that will help the organization to reach their goal.
Focuses on creativity, “everything goes” what is the
possibilities, is there alternatives what new ideas and
approaches can we figure out to reach our goals.
What can be done if we would cross-pollinate business
units or teams?

Time:
30 min

The green hat is speculative and creative phase where no devil’s
advocate should be present, be creative and build on each other’s ideas.

Think quantity not quality.
TIP

Step 4
Blue hat – The Big Picture
(Overview)

Goal:
• Select the three most relevant objectives.

Task:
Look up on your wall of information and
discuss which three objectives will be the
most reasonable to reach the goals with the
help of the decision matrix.
When you have chosen the objectives,
transfer the related information, projections
and opportunities (white and red).

Time:
30 min

Try to be as objective as possible when looking on all the
information and the objectives while using the matrix.

TIP
Try to avoid individual voting and use the matrix to spark a dialog.

The decision matrix

To facilitate the process use the matrix to
decide which objectives to choose. The decision matrix
Evaluate the level of importance and
1 2 3 4 5
feasibility of the objectives before posting
one in each square. Use the three
YOUR DESIGN MUST
ADDRESS THESE

objectives that get rated highest and 5
transfer them to the worksheet.

FOCUS
4

IMPORTANCE
YOUR DESIGN SHULD
ACCOMODATE THESE

3

CONSIDER
2

UNWISE USE OF TIME

NEGLECT
TO ADDRESS THESE

1

FEASIBILITY / VIABILITY

Step 5
Black hat – Critical Judgement
(objective)

Goal:
• Identify threats that can jeopardize the objectives.

Task:
Discuss what factors could jeopardize the
objectives and the goal.
What can go wrong, what are the negative aspects
of the objectives?
How can the objective take the organization further
away from the goals?

Time:
30 min

By blocking and questioning your decision you will fully grasp the
objectives, but stay objective and be aware of your bias.

TIP Build on each other’s thoughts.

Step 6
Yellow hat – Positive Judgement
Goal:
• Identify the positive aspects of the objectives.

Task:
Discuss in the group the positive aspects of the
objectives and why they will work and how they will get
you closer to the goal.

Time:
30 min

The black hat is over, now it’s time to see the positive
side to the objectives.

TIP Build on each other’s ideas; see the opportunities and
positive consequences.

Step 7
Green hat – Alternatives & creativity
(speculative/creative)
Goal:
• Action to the objectives

Task:
Generate possible actions that can lead up to the
objectives.
focusing on creativity, “everything goes” what is the
possibilities, is there alternatives what new ideas and
approaches can we figure out to reach our goals.

Time:
30 min

The green hat is speculative and creative phase where no devil’s
advocate should be present, be creative and build on each other’s ideas.

TIP
Think quantity not quality.

Step 8
Blue hat – The Big Picture
(overview)
Goal:
• Create action plan for the objectives.

Task:
Look up on your worksheet of information
and discuss which actions will be the most
reasonable to reach the objectives.

Time:
30 min

It will facilitate future work if you delegate the actions to
units, work groups or individuals to take responsibility for
the actions.

TIP
Use the decision matrix to objectively look upon the
actions to select.

Step 9
Presentation
Spend a few minutes to summarize your
content before presenting it to the other
groups. Share and discuss the findings,
insights, bias and difficulties of the workshop.

There could be many different ways of
presenting your groups conclusions.
• Statement of the context, objectives, actions
and who could be responsible for them.
• Role-play where you act out the outcome.
• Magazine headlines and its story.
• Future sample of the board of directors
meeting agenda.

Step 10
Follow up
The most crucial step after the workshop is to
build a team that has dedication, time, power,
knowledge and resources to manage the
objectives and actions.

Good luck !

Hat Workshop

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