BIG HAT - LITTLE HAT

The principle of BIG HAT-LITTLE HAT comes to us from Chris McGoff and his 2011 book The Primes.  As Chris says, "It's fun to put on a BIG HAT, think like the CEO, and make decisions that are good for the company. It's natural and unavoidable, however, to put on a LITTLE HAT and assess how corporate actions impact your unit or local operation."

McGoff, Chris. The Primes: How Any Group Can Solve Any Problem (p. 196). Wiley. Kindle Edition. 

You can introduce BIG HAT-LITTLE HAT as a facilitation principle like this: 

"During our time together, you have the option of wearing one of two hats. The BIG HAT gives you a perspective of the entire organization, enterprise, or ecosystem that your organization is a part of. The LITTLE HAT provides you a perspective of your immediate team, department, office, or individual job. 

"From time to time, I'm going to ask you to switch hats. for example as we're thinking about the vision, mission, values, and strategy for the organization, I'll ask you to put on your BIG HAT, and think from an enterprise perspective. 

"When we start talking about implementation of the strategy at an individual or team level, I'll ask you to put on your LITTLE HAT. 

"Don't worry, I'll tell you when it's time for either hat." 

BIG HAT-LITTLE HAT does a great job of defining the scope and level of altitude for each conversation. 

The Primes is chock-full of great facilitation principles. You should get a copy! https://amzn.to/46wiIYg

PS: If you’re interested in how a few simple principles can turn your team from good to great, let’s talk. https://calendly.com/brian-lizardbrain/45-min-discovery-call