Counsel
The framework gives practical tools. The Counsel applies judgment inside the panes, tuned to ethos and risk tolerance. Use it when pilots stall, risk ownership is fuzzy, or spend grows faster than realised value.
Inspired by Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats (parallel thinking). This is a complementary application for AI adoption, not an official Six Hats product.
Blue
Are we thinking in the right order?
Primary panes: Rhythm / all
If over-dialled: Process theatre, no decision
When to dial: Dial up when meetings thrash modes, decisions stall, or owners stay vague. Dial down when ceremony replaces action.
White
What do we know, and what is missing?
Primary panes: 1, 2, 3, 7 (signals)
If over-dialled: Analysis paralysis
When to dial: Dial up before seat spray, renewals, or board packs when facts and gaps are thin. Dial down when more data only delays a known Steady fix.
Black
What could go wrong, and who is accountable?
Primary panes: 4, 5
If over-dialled: Frozen innovation
When to dial: Dial up for overshare, agent permissions, regulated contexts, or unowned AI misuse. Dial down only after the Steady baseline holds and owners are mirrored.
Yellow
Where is the value, and is the money working?
Primary panes: 6, 7
If over-dialled: Pollyanna ROI
When to dial: Dial up at renewals, dormant-seat reviews, and value-case freezes. Dial down when cost talk crowds out necessary Security work.
Red
How do people feel: trust, fear, joy?
Primary panes: 8, 10, 11, 12 (joy)
If over-dialled: Sentiment without action
When to dial: Dial up when clinics stall, shadow tools rise, or narrative and trust diverge. Dial down when feelings are noted but no pane action follows.
Green
What else could we try, safely?
Primary panes: 9, 12
If over-dialled: Shadow AI / shiny objects
When to dial: Dial up for bounded pilots with kill criteria after Guardian fences exist. Dial down when exploration becomes seat spray or unowned agents.
Worked session example
Illustrative only. Same decision, six modes in order. Chair opens, members speak in turn, Chair closes with pane actions and owners. Everyone stays on the active mode.
Chair opens
Decision today: do we expand Copilot seats to two more divisions, or hold until Wave 0 foundations hold. Sequence: facts, risk, value, people, options, then close with owners.
Cartographer
We know licensed seats, weekly-active use, and three overshare hotspots. We do not yet know which business outcomes the next seats will move. Value case is still draft, not frozen.
Guardian
Agent permissions and IR runbook extensions are incomplete for the new divisions. Accountable owner for AI misuse is named in Security, not yet mirrored in the business units. Expand now and you accept unowned risk.
Steward
Dormant seats already sit above the reclaim threshold. Cost per active user rose last quarter. Expanding licences without a reclaim wave funds shelfware. Realised value still sits below the frozen-case line.
Pulse
Champions in the first cohort report trust when clinics answer real tasks. The waitlisted teams feel ignored. Fear shows up as quiet shadow tools, not open pushback.
Pathfinder
Safe trial: keep seats capped, run one bounded pilot on a mapped task with Guardian fence and Steward metrics. Kill criteria at day 45. Do not spray seats to quiet the waitlist.
Chair closes
Hold broad expansion. Pane actions: Security remediates hotspots and closes IR gaps (owner: CISO, 30 days). GRC mirrors accountable owners in the register. Cost and Value freezes the case and schedules reconcile. Licence starts a 30/60/90 reclaim. Adoption keeps the clinic rhythm for the current cohort only. Pathfinder proposal accepted as bounded pilot under those fences. Next Counsel check in 30 days.
Read more in Meet the 12 Panes Counsel. Then set dials on Wave 0, assemble a roadmap, or pick a package.
Dials
Muted. Do not consult unless explicitly asked
Whisper. Brief caveat only
Light. Short contribution
Default balance
Strong. Substantial weight in decisions
Dominant. Must be satisfied before proceeding
Example org profiles
Guardian 5 · Cartographer 4 · Steward 4 · Chair 4 · Pulse 3 · Pathfinder 2
Pathfinder 5 · Pulse 4 · Steward 3 · Chair 3 · Cartographer 3 · Guardian 3
Steward 5 · Guardian 4 · Cartographer 4 · Chair 4 · Pathfinder 2 · Pulse 2
Operating modes
Ask one Counsel voice on a live issue.
Chair sets hat sequence. Members speak in turn. Chair synthesises Insight → Action → owners.
Answers quietly bias by dials without a full session.
Parallel thinking rule: everyone stays on the active mode. Park off-mode points for their turn. The Chair enforces this.
CRAIG STANLEY / 12 PANES