A Process For Thinking
Perspective and pretending.
I think most of us can agree that perspective (or perception) is a pretty big deal in how we engage with the world. It determines how we think and how we act.
One of the things that I love about the human brain is that we’re endowed with the superpower of taking others’ perspectives. In fact, not only can we imagine how someone else might be thinking, but we can even conjure up imaginary perspectives just to aid our thinking process. When we do this intentionally, some people call it “lateral thinking,” an outside-the-box, creative approach.
In 1985, Edward De Bono wrote a book called “Six Thinking Hats.”
In his book, he describes 6 perspectives that are helpful in thinking about problems and solutions specifically for businesses.
Here’s a quick rundown created by The McQuaig Group:
Some of us tend to wear certain hats more naturally than others, and that’s fine. What’s important about this framework is that each hat is worn temporarily and doesn’t dominate the decision.
“Why have a mind if you can’t change it?”
-Edward De Bono
It’s the equal power that each hat is given that makes this a strong process.
What’s truly cool about this is that this model illustrates thinking is a skill—not just a trait. With practice, we can all learn to wear each hat with comfort and think in a more well-rounded and effective way.
I hope this is a helpful, new, and creative way for you to think about problems and to think about thinking!