Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: de Bono Six Hats?

[Unnat (zen]

Hi Todd, hi everyone,

Our coho group is part rental (publically funded non-equity) co-op and
private ownership (equity).  We are members of a federation of housing
co-ops (not cohousing, but that's irrelevent).  At our recent conference
training was offered in '6 Hats'.

There was a training session in the morning, about 25% of the delegates
(including me) attended. The next conference item was a presentation by 4
speakers on 'The future of co-ops .....' which I facilitated.  We pulled
out a few key issues and packed people off in small groups to work through
them applying the '6 Hats' as the method of approach. This had been
suggested by the '6 Hats' trainer.  He gave a 'learn fast' presentation on
'6 Hats' to the assembley. We included a couple of the morning's trainees
in each small group.

Now the reason that I'm going into this explanation is that although there
was limited training, and the time available for the problem solving was
ridiculously short, at the end we got good results.  Not finite, but useful
enough to highlight priorities and clarify direction. In my experience, we
wouldn't have got this sort of result in such a short time and with so many
people without a useful focussing tool like '6 Hats".  Some people saw it
as controlling, which I believe is hogwash.  It enabled each person to
express their particular pov's because it takes into account the range of
ways in which individuals view the world.  The method promotes listening
and reduced the tendency for people to argue a point.

As a road test under messy conditions it came out well.  I believe that
excellent results could be obtained, even with little training, given more
time and practice.  But it's a tool not a religion and is to be used when
it suits the job in hand.

Warmest regards
Robyn Williams
Pinakarri Community
Fremantle, Western Australia

Todd O. Derkacz wrote:

> Has anyone used Edward deBono's Six Hats method for group process
> problem solving and if so with what results?  It seems it would work
> particularly well in small groups or committees although with good
> habits and effective facilitation (needed for all solid group work)
> there seems no reason why it couldn't help the larger groups as well.
>
> todd derkacz
> The Hilltop Cohousing Neighborhood, twenty homes on three acres in San
> Marcos, TX where the river gushes up cool and clear from under the foot
> of the hill country.
> Presentation on Sunday, Public Library, 3-5PM