[R&D] 6 hats tools
Purpose:
Like after-UX, the focus is on reworking, improving, and distributing existing methodologies so they can be used in actual practice.
Problem we're seeing:
In an ordinary small group,
the opinion-gathering process almost inevitably ends up one-sided.
Because of tight deadlines, the way opinions get shared, and individual temperaments, most meetings
end up being less a way to draw out a shared conclusion than a check-in on something that's already
been decided or laid out.
On the flip side, when opinions are split, people often judge the opinion based on the speaker's title or usual demeanor rather than on the opinion itself — a bias-driven evaluation.
On top of that, scheduling often means not every member of the TFT running the project can attend, and only the views of two or three decision-makers get reflected.
Sure, there are upsides — quick alignment, decision, and execution — but from a long-term view
(as long as the members aren't parts or disposables to the group, and as long as the group isn't just a temporary detour of convenience),
it's not a positive pattern for the group, let alone the individual.
An alternative:
So it'd be nice to build and roll out a lightweight tool based on the 6-hats methodology.
For a given period, each member records their opinion in a designated space.
Participants rotate through the 6-hats roles over the period and log opinions matching each role.
Entries go in anonymously,
and the accumulated entries are shared whenever roles change.
A lightweight shareware or even a paper box would work for something like this.
