The Hats at the Front of the Room

“That meeting could have been accomplished in an email.”

“All we did is talk in circles. I don’t think we made any decisions at all.”

“I’m pretty sure we just got a whole new way to do our work. Didn’t see that coming.”

When the members of the room all begin to shift in their seats uneasily, and the whispers begin to awkwardly sound like screams in your head, the role at the front of the room becomes uncomfortable… cold and uncomfortable. As a bald man, it’s like stepping outside in late January without my hat on. Truly, it is somewhere between unsafe and unwise.

Setting the expectations of those in the room prior to the meeting can minimize the frigid breezes of being caught off-guard by the scope of the meeting. It’s a simple task to identify purpose on your meeting agenda; to include the “Inspire, Inform, Brainstorm, Decide” to show the intent of each section of your well-thought-out meeting. But, as we shift from one line to the next on your agenda, how naturally and clearly do we shift our role in the front of the room for each? Metaphorically, it requires a switch of hats.

The four primary hats we wear in meetings necessitate clarity in our own mind about the function we are playing, allowing us to strategically and smoothly alter our headwear to meet the objectives of our meeting. Being “engaging”– as is often the request — can appear differently with each hat. They all serve their purpose, and knowing your own strengths and weaknesses will allow you to maximize your greatest contribution, and potentially empower your other team members who may have a slightly more stylish hat in other certain areas. To better understand this, let’s unpack the four:

Magician’s Hat – Presenter

To convey the information in the most compelling way, one need not look any further than the masters of the TED talk. Succinct, well-rehearsed, professional, and masterfully supported with only the simple, elegant, and meaningful images, this hat draws you in, and before you know what has happened,as the master magician, is pulling a rabbit out of the hat. The stories often connect so deeply that the key takeaways seem to linger in your mind long after the presentations conclusion.

Best uses: New content, outside expert, report out of information

Mortarboard – Teacher

Though at times mistaken for a combination of other hats, the mortarboard’s trademark is the spread of knowledge. Outline driven, and repetition heavy, this front-of-the-room role balances stories of experience with mental exercises, resulting in participants wrestling with application opportunities. The goal of the mortarboard hat is to make sense of the complicated and imparting wisdom in a way that meaningfully connects with the participants; leading them into new behaviors.

Best uses: New workflows, policy adoption, new methodology or approach

Rally Cap – Motivator

Taking the baseball cap, throwing it on backwards, and getting the room successfully doing the wave together is the job of – and the joy for – the rally cap. The visionary, ‘take-one-for-the-team’ and inspirational communicator thrives on the emotional intensity they create in the room. From tears to laughter to righteous anger to action, this hat is a roller coaster of keeping you on your toes and drawing you in powerfully. You feel the pain, you see the hope, and you ultimately want to join in the game to just be close to this hat.

Best uses: project launch, conference keynote, pre-go-live

Pith Helmet – Facilitator

Indiana Jones would be proud as you navigate the jungle of the unknown to guide the team to the Holy Grail of unified action. This hat leads with questions, positioning itself alongside, rather than in the front often. As one embarking on a journey, the pith helmet uses tools expertly to support the room’s engagement and their ongoing dialogue. Though the path is often unclear, the destination is known, and the pith helmet thrives in reading the room, digging into veiled comments, and allowing the team to take ownership all along the way.

Best uses: conflict resolution, brainstorming, action planning

Hats serve a multitude of purposes: they conceal, protect, warm, shade, and even make statements of fashion and membership. Knowing the purpose of your hat must reflect the uniqueness of your situation and the purpose of your meeting. As you prepare for your next opportunity to appropriately model your headdresses, remember a couple of tips:

Determine which hat is needed in your room given your audience and the purpose of the meeting.
Strategize how you will successfully be able to switch to the variety of hats needed. If you don’t wear each hat well, determine who might be able to come alongside you to wear the needed cap just suited for the situation.
Remember that we don’t wear multiple hats at the same time without it looking funny, and causing people to wonder what is happening. Pick one, wear it well, then switch.

In personal reflection, if you’re uncertain of your ability, ask colleagues and those who have seen you in a variety of settings. Share with them the hats and their basic description and ask which of the hats you sport most smartly, and which seem a bit of an awkward fit for you.

Many of us will be called on to wear all of them, and that is ok. Reflect on which hats you love and those you wish you didn’t have to wear as often. Sharing the hats with others empowers them and builds the wardrobe of success on your team. The hats of the front of the room all serve a purpose, and all lead our audiences to their own outcome. Wear your hats wisely to weather the opportunity.