Imagination is what keeps marketing and brand work relevant and meaningful. Dreaming up new ideas, processes and applications isn’t merely a good skill, it’s increasingly a metric for your success. Can you see the world differently enough to write a story, design a product or execute a strategy? And if you are lucky enough to work for a company that invests in you – asking you to solve problems and innovate – then you’ll want to reacquaint yourself with the the “Six Kid Technique.” It’s our adaptation of the classic Six Hat Technique used by Edward de Bono. It’s simple and easy to use. Pull out the six color-coded kids during your next meeting. Use and apply all kids when working on a challenge.

The Six Kid Technique Spectrum

Red

Use emotions to look at the situation. What do your feelings or impulses tell you about it?

White

Use facts, logic and objectivity to assess what’s in front of you. Make a list of all the facts.

Yellow

Put on a smiley face and look at the bright side. With a positive view, make a list of what works and what can be accomplished.

Black

Tap into your dark side. Make a list of what doesn’t work and which elements of the solution just can’t work.

Green

Think laterally and then some. Imagine the situation in the most alternative and unconventional ways, then work backward.