Engaging Stakeholders 
                                                                           
                                                                          Thinking hats (De Bono’s method)  
                                                                           For using different mindsets and creativity  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 The Thinking Hats method (by Dr. Edward de                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                            WHAT IS NEEDED?                                                                                                                                                                      Bono)  is  a  mental  roleplay  based  on                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             HOW TO USE IT? 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 (imaginary  or  real)  thinking  hats  which  will 
                                                       Time: 2 hours                                                                                                                                                                                                                             encourage  the  participants  to  use  different                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    There  are  many  possible  ways  to  use  the  idea  of 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Thinking  Hats  as  part  of  a  peer-review  and  idea 
                                                       Material: workboard + A4 sheet + 6 hats                                                                                                                                                                                                   mind-sets and creativity to think, discuss and 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     exchange session. 
                                                       (optional)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                evaluate their projects and topics. 
                                                                   
                                                       > Define the meaning for the six thinking                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Method 1                                                                  Participants                                                         are                            assigned                                                with 
                                                       hats.  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 De  Bono’s  Hat-method  supports  both  group                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       different hats defining their role in the discussion. The 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 discussion  and  individual  thinking  and  it  helps                                                                                                                                                                                                                               hats will be circulating among the participants so that 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 people to step outside their ordinary thinking. The                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 everyone gets to wear all the hats during the session.  
                                                                                                                             WHAT FOR?                                                                                                                                                           “hats” can be used simultaneously with other peer-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 review and ideas exchange methods.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Method 2                                                                  The  facilitator  can  apply  the  hat 
                                                                   
                                                       >  To  “think  outside  the  box"  –  Generating                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              technique to structure an idea exchange session. The 
                                                                   
                                                       new perspectives and positions of thinking                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    hats are used collectively: “Let’s put our red hats on 
                                                                   
                                                       that would possibly  not  occur without the                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   and talk about this topic!”  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
                                                       guise of “hats”. 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Method 3                                                                  With                            flipcharts                                           –                Each  flipchart 
                                                       > To provide a comprehensive picture of the 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     represents an assigned hat. Participants roam around 
                                                       project  –  Discovering  multiple  possible 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     a  room filled with  posters to write  down  comments 
                                                       solutions                                          by                       asking                                   multiple                                          possible                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               about the topic from the given perspective. 
                                                                   
                                                       questions (also a brainstorming method).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
                                                       > To incorporate inputs from all participants 
                                                                   
                                                       –  The  roleplay  and game-like environment                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
                                                                   
                                                       encourages people to participate.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Find out more about the original tool 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      at: http://www.debonogroup.com/ 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
                                                         Engaging Stakeholders 
        
       Role cards Print these cards and distribute them to the participants