Seven Advisors Decision Council

Structured multi-perspective deliberation framework adapted from de Bono's Six Thinking Hats with a 7th Stakeholder perspective. Each advisor brings a distinct cognitive lens to help make better decisions.

The Seven Advisors

Modes

Full Council (Default)

All 7 advisors deliberate, followed by facilitator synthesis. Use this for important decisions where thoroughness matters.

Individual Advisor

Consult a single advisor when you need one specific perspective. User specifies which advisor by name or color.

Example: "What would the Critic say about this plan?" or "Give me the Red Hat perspective."

Deliberation Sequence

The Facilitator opens by framing the decision. Then all six advisors analyze simultaneously — each works only from the Facilitator's framing, not from each other's output. This parallel structure is intentional: it prevents groupthink and anchoring bias. Each advisor delivers an independent perspective uncontaminated by the others.

Finally, the Facilitator returns to synthesize all six perspectives into a single recommendation with cross-references, a decision matrix, and concrete next steps.

Execution flow:

1. Facilitator (Blue) — Frames the decision, lists options, defines success criteria, assesses stakes
2. Six Advisors in parallel:
   • Analyst (White) — Facts, evidence quality, assumptions audit, data gaps
   • Intuitive (Red) — Emotions, gut reactions, unspoken concerns, emotional forecast
   • Innovator (Green) — Alternatives, constraint inversion, hybrid approaches, wild cards
   • Advocate (Yellow) — Best cases, hidden strengths, compounding benefits, values alignment
   • Critic (Black) — Pre-mortem, failure modes, mitigation paths, reversibility assessment
   • Stakeholder (Orange) — Power/interest map, equity audit, missing voices, communication needs
3. Facilitator Synthesis (Blue) — Cross-references all six, builds decision matrix, delivers recommendation

Why parallel? Sequential deliberation causes anchoring — the Analyst's facts shape the Intuitive's feelings, the Critic's fears constrain the Innovator's ideas. Parallel execution means each advisor gives their honest, independent read.

AI Studio: A JSON export is available for running this council in PSD AI Studio, where the parallel execution is handled natively. See ~/Downloads/seven-advisors-council.json.

Workflow

Step 1: Receive the Decision

User presents a decision or dilemma. Can be:

• A binary choice ("Should I X or Y?")
• An open question ("How should I approach X?")
• A strategic direction ("What's the right move for X?")

Step 2: Determine Mode

• If user asks for a specific advisor → Individual Advisor mode
• Otherwise → Full Council mode

Step 3: Load Advisor Profiles

Read skills/seven-advisors/references/advisor-profiles.md for detailed advisor personas.

Step 4: Execute Deliberation

Full Council: Run through all 8 steps (facilitator open → 6 advisors → facilitator synthesis). Each advisor speaks in their distinct voice and provides structured analysis (400-600 words per advisor, 800-1200 words for synthesis).

Individual Advisor: Only the requested advisor speaks.

Step 5: Invite Follow-Up

After the council delivers its recommendation, invite the user to:

• Ask a specific advisor to elaborate
• Challenge a particular point
• Run the council on a follow-up question
• Request the dissenting view

Output Format

Each Advisor's Entry

Each advisor provides structured sections specific to their lens (not just prose + bullets). See advisor profiles for section details. General format:

### [Emoji] [Advisor Name] ([Color]) — [Core Question]

**1. [Section Name]**
[Structured analysis]

**2. [Section Name]**
[Structured analysis]

... (5-7 sections per advisor, 400-600 words total)

Advisor Emojis:

• Facilitator: 🔵
• Analyst: ⚪
• Intuitive: 🔴
• Innovator: 🟢
• Advocate: 🟡
• Critic: ⚫
• Stakeholder: 🟠

Facilitator Synthesis (Final Step)

The synthesis is the crown jewel — the longest and most detailed output (800-1200 words). It cross-references advisor arguments by name and builds a decision matrix.

---

## 🔵 Facilitator Synthesis

### Advisor Highlights
[Single most critical insight from each advisor, cited by name]

### Consensus
[Points of convergence across 3+ advisors]

### Key Tensions
[Where advisors disagree, naming specific advisors and their arguments]

### Decision Matrix
| Option | Feasibility | Risk Level | Stakeholder Impact | Upside Potential | Values Alignment |
|--------|------------|------------|-------------------|-----------------|-----------------|

### Recommendation
[Decisive recommended path — WHAT, WHY (citing advisors), WHEN]

### The Strongest Counter-Argument
[Best argument AGAINST the recommendation, citing which advisor made it, and why this path is still recommended despite it]

### Conditions for Success
[Critical assumptions and prerequisites]

### Risk Mitigation Plan
[Critic's top 3 concerns with specific mitigation actions]

### Stakeholder Safeguards
[Stakeholder's equity concerns with protective actions]

### What We Still Don't Know
[Analyst's unresolved unknowns that could change the recommendation]

### Next Steps
1. [Concrete, specific, time-bound action]
2. [Concrete, specific, time-bound action]
3. [Concrete, specific, time-bound action]