Have you ever considered putting yourself in someone else's position or role? I believe that it's important to do so, especially when we want to empathize with others. However, we often neglect to apply this method in our daily lives. The masters of mindset, on the other hand, frequently adopt a role-playing mindset or what is known as Permutation Thinking. To illustrate this concept more clearly, let me provide a simple example.
Let's say Mr. A is the director of a large commercial group. He possesses exceptional talent and has earned the respect of his former boss. As a result, his boss promotes him to be the next successor after retirement. However, this promotion is hindered by Mr. B and Mr. C. These two individuals also demonstrate strong performance, and in addition, they have garnered significant support from influential parties. They have engaged in an underground competition for quite some time, putting Mr. A at a disadvantage. Furthermore, the company board prioritizes revenue and does not consider the ex-boss's opinion, leaving Mr. A without their support. So, how can Mr. A succeed in this situation?
Fortunately, Mr. A has a friend named Mr. D, who is a master of the role-playing mindset. Mr. D can step out of Mr. A's mindset and analyze the situation from the perspectives of the company board and the other competitors. He suggests that Mr. A should temporarily withdraw from the competition. Eventually, the company board will come to accept Mr. A as the CEO. But what is the secret behind this strategy?
From the perspective of the company board, they might think as follows:
"I want to assign a person with exceptional talent to help the Group generate substantial profits. Although Mr. A possesses the necessary abilities and has been promoted by the ex-CEO, Mr. B and Mr. C have demonstrated similar performance. Moreover, they have a strong background and a significant number of supporters. Perhaps they will contribute significantly to the growth of the group."
On the other hand, Mr. B and Mr. C might perceive the problem in this way:
"Does Mr. A really have what it takes to compete with me? When comparing our backgrounds and abilities, it seems there is no way for him to surpass me. It would be quite embarrassing if Mr. A outperforms me. Therefore, I must find a way to eliminate him."
However, if Mr. A follows Mr. D's suggestion and withdraws, Mr. B and Mr. C will change their thinking. They will likely consider:
"Mr. A's retreat is a certainty. His abilities are weak, so I just need to focus on competing with the other competitor. How can I eliminate him? Perhaps I should..."
This is why Mr. A's retreat will lead to intensified competition between Mr. B and Mr. C. Consequently, Mr. A can easily step back and make significant progress. It's like the saying, "Take one step back to take two steps forward."
From this example, you can observe the advantages of the role-playing mindset. This is just the beginning, so let's delve deeper into exploring this mindset.
To effectively embrace this mindset, it is crucial to understand the concept of the six hats. Each hat represents a specific role trait. The first hat, colored blue, symbolizes the essence of general analysis. The second hat, white in color, signifies the pursuit of objective truth. The third hat, red, encourages intuitive thinking. The next hat, yellow, embodies the power of positive thinking. The fifth hat, black, promotes conservatism. Lastly, the sixth hat, green, fosters even more positive thinking.
To solve a problem using the six hats, it involves passing it through a round-robin process where each hat represents a different perspective on the issue. This method allows for a gradual exploration of various angles and viewpoints. I understand that this concept may seem abstract, but don't worry, we will break it down step by step.
Blue Hat and White Hat
There is no predetermined order for using these six hats. The blue and white hats are commonly used at the beginning of the process. The white hat represents the gathering of objective information, making it suitable for starting when general information needs to be collected. Moreover, the white hat can be reintroduced during the analysis stage to provide additional information when the objective truth is insufficient and immediate implementation is necessary.
The blue hat is typically used at the beginning and end of the analysis process. Its role is to provide an overview and facilitate deliberation on the various viewpoints. Initially, it helps in gathering a comprehensive understanding of the problem. At the end of the process, when all the hats and their characteristic mindsets have been explored, there may be a wealth of information that needs to be organized. The blue hat steps in quickly to handle this task efficiently and ensure a smooth conclusion. Additionally, if the mindset process becomes chaotic, the blue hat, acting as a host, intervenes to restore order and bring the process back on track.
The other hats
The other hats provide flexibility that depends on the situation and the flow of thinking. You have the option to think positively and then consider the negative aspects or even challenge traditional thinking with creativity. When engaging in the thinking process, it is important to allow your thoughts to flow continuously, exploring multiple angles of the problem. Once you feel that you have gathered enough information, you can use the blue hat to synthesize and reach a conclusion. There is no set number of processes or ways of thinking. It all depends on whether the problem is solved or not.
To further illustrate this mindset, let's explore another example.
Imagine a person working in the advertising industry who is contemplating a job change. He has gained three years of experience working for a local company in a rural area, but now he has aspirations to move to a big city for professional development. Despite careful consideration, he finds himself unable to make a decision.
In this scenario, we can apply the six-hat mindset to help solve their problem.
Firstly, they would begin by using the Blue hat to analyze his situation.
Blue Hat
First and foremost, we must contemplate our considerations. The critical decision at hand is whether he should move to a big city or remain in the countryside. In essence, we need to weigh the pros and cons, both for his personal life and professional trajectory.
However, he is currently overwhelmed, finding it difficult to initiate the decision-making process. Amidst this confusion, he gazes at the six hats and has an epiphany: "The white hat could be employed from the start. So, if I were a data enthusiast, what would be my approach? Naturally, I would begin by gathering information."
White Hat
According to the collection information, the chance to work in the advertising industry in the countryside is nearly zero, except the state-owned company which he is working. Thus, the opportunity to hop the job is zero, my boss needs 12 years to get promotion, and the salary is higher than me only 3.000 USD. I do not know much about other benefits, but I can make sure it cannot over 50.000 USD. At the same time, that position has 6 competitors who are in queue. About the job descriptions, the countryside company only focus on the traditional marketing and expand the premises. About the cost, rental house fee is about 1.800 USD/month, the other expenses is about 1.500 USD.
On the other hands, the advertising industry has strong development, high demand in recruiting, so it is easy to find a job anytime. Based on the internet data, the speed of promotion in advertising industry is average 2-3 years and the wages also are double or triple when compared to countryside. The high position may have 5x salary. Because the market always expands, so the new leader position continuously appears in the industry. The exact ratio of which is unclear, but it can be affirmed that it cannot be lower than in the countryside. In terms of job content, the advertising industry in Shenzhen focuses on direct marketing, encompassing both traditional advertising and being a leader in the advertising sector. Regarding pricing, the average rent is about 5.000 USD, while the cost of living including food expenses is about 3.000 USD.
Faced with these figures, what would he think? Following his instinct, he would feel confused again. Therefore, he continues to look at the paper and thinks: "Let's try one at a time, now try the yellow one. If I were an extremely optimistic person, what would I think?"
Yellow Hat
It seems very optimistic, if I go to Shenzhen for work, due to the high demand for recruitment, I would easily find a job. With such a rapid promotion rate, I wouldn't have to wait for 12 or 5 years to be promoted like my current company's leaders, but just an average of 2 – 3 years. Who knows, in a few more years with rich work experience, I might even be able to build my own career! As for salary, it's definitely much higher than in the countryside, although the cost of living is also high, but that doesn't matter at all.
Next, let try the black hat, "if I were a pessimist, who criticizes anything new, then what would happen?"
Black Hat
Is there really no problem at all? Having worked in the advertising department of a state-owned enterprise in his hometown for 3 years, I surely must have learned some experience. Can I compete with his peers in the industry in Shenzhen? They have been intensively trained for 3 straight years! Although the income is two or three times higher, the cost of housing is five times higher! Can I afford to buy a house in Shenzhen? Even with a higher salary, it's impossible to buy! Not to mention buying, even renting is difficult. Moreover, wouldn't the resources in his hometown be wasted if he leaves? If I cannot stay there, when I returns, I will not have to come back to this place to work anymore!
Now it has come to the most difficult moment, his thinking becomes chaotic again, because it has returned to the original state "having both advantages and disadvantages, completely unpredictable." After pausing for a few minutes, he feels increasingly stuck, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. Suddenly he thinks he should continue the process with the six thinking hats, so he looks at the paper: "Ah, there's still the green hat I haven't used. Alright, let's temporarily set aside the conflict of the yellow and black hats. If I were a person brimming with creative thinking, what should I think?
Green Hat
The black hat has pointed out some existing truths; let's see if there are solutions to them. Going to Shenzhen but not being able to compete with peers is a reality... Right, wrong place to compete! Let's compete with the fresh graduates; surely we will have an advantage! The simplest thing is to start from basic positions. This is not a big issue; life is long, after all, living in something new is better than suffocating in the old. Housing prices being higher than the salary is indeed a problem, so what should be done? If everything goes well, with an annual income of about 50,000 USD, then renting a house wouldn't be too big of an issue. But what if, after a few years, such a high income level is not achieved? If there's not enough money to buy a house, then one could return to the countryside. Haiz, well, not necessarily, one could look for opportunities in other cities! With the advertising skills learned in Shenzhen, one could move to second-tier cities to lessen the competition!
Right! Speaking of which, returning to the countryside also means reducing competition! The current company might still be an option to return to, after all, by then, my skills will definitely be better than this group, but what if they don't let me in? Anyway, there are no similar advertising companies in this city, and the level of other companies is even worse. It might not be possible to find a job then! Haiz, it's really not easy...
Right, entrepreneurship? Starting a business in the countryside could work! Oh my, using the highest standard to deal with the low level of local advertising companies, this seems pretty easy! By then, the resources of the homeland might still be reusable...
Well, it seems a path has been found, but has the problem been solved? Hard to say for sure, because the red hat has not been used yet. When rational analysis hits a bottleneck, you can ask your intuition: "If relying solely on intuition, how would my intuition analyze the current situation?"
Red Hat
Even though it makes a lot of sense, I still feel something is not right, and I'm very worried.
If you feel there's a problem, then try using the black hat again to pinpoint where the issue lies: "Now that I've become a critic, where does the problem lie?"
After some thought, he finally identifies the problem.
Black Hat
But after just one year, you can't stand the prices there, so essentially there won't be a story afterwards!
This issue is a reality, so what should be done? He looks at the words on the paper and realizes it's time to continue using the green hat.
Green Hat
The first year indeed poses a great pressure. Specifically, a person with no experience who has just arrived in Shenzhen could expect a salary ranging from 6,000 to 7,000 USD. Although my level is not high, I am still considered to have some experience, so let's say around 7,000 to 8,000 USD. The cost for food, transportation, and basic expenses would be about 2,500 to 3,000 USD , and rent would be 5,000 yuan, which essentially means spending the entire salary, sometimes even not enough. Thanks to the average promotion speed, I would need at least 2 to 5 years to stabilize, haiz, indeed it's hard to think!
His thinking hit a dead end once more. He looked at the words "The green hat" on the paper and suddenly realized a problem: The thinking mode is wrong, the green hat is not responsible for feelings and negative thoughts, but for developing methods and creating new ideas. He decides to rely on the correct approach to think with the green hat once again.
Green Hat Again
Alright, new ideas. Regarding the high rent issue, in fact, upon arriving in Shenzhen, we don't need a fully furnished house; renting a single room would suffice. How much does it cost to rent a single room in Shenzhen? At this point, we need to temporarily use the white hat to gather information. After collecting the necessary data, we obtain the following results:
White Hat
The rent varies significantly across different areas, ranging from 1.800 to 3.000 USD.
Green Hat
That's great, just renting a single room upon arrival means the financial situation won't be too tight. Striving for about 2 years should stabilize things.
At this point, the thought process seems to have clarified somewhat, and it's possible to summarize a bit.
Blue Hat
To summarize, based on the analysis, if you work in Shenzhen, you will have better job opportunities, the potential for longer-term development, and a higher average income. The risks and costs involve, if a few years later your career does not go well, you will not be able to afford the rent and the high cost of living there, forcing you to move elsewhere. Initially, you need to start from scratch and set your competition target against fresh graduates, accepting the tight financial situation.
The solution to facing risks and costs is, if you improve your skills in Shenzhen, even if you can't buy a house, you can still return to your hometown or move to a second-tier city to seek new opportunities. In the first two years, you should only rent a single room to reduce financial pressure and also need to save on entertainment expenses.
Now it seems we have a comprehensive evaluation based on rational analysis, could we have found the final result? Don't rush, you can still consider from the emotional perspective, so try using the red hat and start comparing to see.
Red Hat
The feeling is very clear! Although there's some pressure, it's acceptable! People should change their way of living!
This time, the feelings from the red hat are much more positive than before. If he is still not confident with this result and wants to be more cautious, then the black hat can be used again.
Black Hat
I object! I think that's very risky!
So, under the scrutiny of the black hat, does he have any additional viewpoints or arguments? After some thought, it's realized that there are no more reasons, just baseless worries. Thus, we can complete the thought process and formulate a plan of action.
Blue Hat
The objection is invalid. Summarizing the judgment, although moving to Shenzhen will become a significant pressure, it is generally within control and there's a way out. At the same time, the relatively positive future outlook aligns with our desire for a better life. Starting now, he will enter the job search phase, and upon receiving an offer, will submit his resignation to the current company. The thought process should conclude, disband!
Conclusion
This article has provided a comprehensive evaluation of the power of permutation thinking in both life and work. It highlights the importance of trying different approaches when faced with challenges. The more you explore and experiment, the more you will discover the magic behind it. In the upcoming articles, I will delve deeper into other mindsets that can also be beneficial in various aspects of life and business.
Contact me: