How many times have we stepped out of a meeting feeling completely drained and unaccomplished? I think it happens most often. The reason is debates are taken as you vs me. The premise is that one of the two competing ideas is right. People will fight it out and finally, the best idea will prevail. This is not true with the power in the hierarchical structure of the organization. Also, the side that loses a debate does not participate actively in implementing the opposing idea.
Edward de Bono came up with a great tool to overcome these challenges. He developed 6 Thinking Hats to let every participant add value in a way that is natural to him/her. Thus, an analytical person presents more facts and figures. A pessimist helps point out risks and an optimist comes up with novel breakthrough ideas. Each of the members looks in one direction at a time and looks at the problem with six different perspectives. Thus, this tool is a collaborative way of problem-solving.
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