Head, Heart, Hands

Evaluate decisions and experiments through cognitive, emotional, and somatic filters

Donna Lichaw
How to discover your superpowers, own your story, and unlock personal growth

Head, Heart, Hands

"You run it through three filters... head, okay, how's this going? What are my thoughts?... Emotionally, how is this going in your heart?... But then how does it feel in your body? Our bodies are ultimately where we take in our stimuli and then store all of our experiences." - Donna Lichaw

What It Is

Head, Heart, Hands is a three-filter evaluation framework for processing experiments, decisions, and experiences. While product thinking typically focuses on external metrics ("Did it work?"), this framework adds emotional and somatic dimensions that provide crucial data often missed by purely cognitive analysis.

The framework comes from Gestalt psychology and coaching, which recognizes that humans process information through multiple channels—not just rational thought. Each channel provides different and often contradictory data. A decision might make logical sense (head) while creating emotional unease (heart) and physical tension (hands).

The insight is that our bodies store experiences and signal future actions in ways our conscious minds often miss. Someone might say "that was fine" while their face turns bright red—a clear signal that something isn't fine. Learning to read all three channels gives you access to data that purely cognitive analysis would miss.

How It Works

The Three Filters

  1. Head (Cognitive) - Rational analysis of the situation

    • What do I think about this?
    • Does this make logical sense?
    • What are the facts?

  2. Heart (Emotional) - Feeling-based response

    • How do I feel about this?
    • Am I excited, anxious, sad, energized?
    • What emotional memories does this trigger?

  3. Hands (Somatic) - Body-based response

    • How does this feel in my body?
    • Where am I holding tension?
    • What physical sensations am I noticing?

Why All Three Matter

Each filter catches different information:

Signal Head Heart Hands
"That was fine" Neutral Uncomfortable Face turning red
Correct interpretation Sounds okay Something's off Definitely not fine

In this real example from Donna's coaching practice, the head and verbal response suggested everything was okay, but the body told the truth. Without checking all three filters, you'd miss the real signal.

The Product Development Parallel

Just as product thinking uses experiments to learn, personal development requires experiments too. But the measurement is different:

  • Product experiments measure user behavior and metrics
  • Personal experiments measure head, heart, and hands

This is what distinguishes personal growth work from purely business-focused work—you need broader measurement criteria.

How to Apply It

  1. Run small experiments - Before committing to major changes, test your hypotheses with small experiments (try a behavior for 30 seconds, have a practice conversation, attempt a new approach in a low-stakes setting).

  2. Check Head - After the experiment, ask yourself: "What do I think about that? Does it make sense? What's my rational analysis?"

  3. Check Heart - Ask: "How did that feel emotionally? What emotions came up? Was I scared, excited, bored, energized?"

  4. Check Hands - Scan your body and ask: "What physical sensations am I noticing? Where is there tension or ease? What is my body telling me?"

  5. Look for divergence - Pay special attention when the filters disagree. If your head says "fine" but your body is tense, dig into that tension—it's data.

  6. Integrate the signals - Use all three inputs to make more informed decisions. A decision that works for head, heart, and hands is more likely to be sustainable than one that only satisfies cognitive criteria.

When to Use It

  • After trying a new behavior or approach (Did it actually work for you?)
  • When making decisions that feel emotionally complex
  • When something feels "off" but you can't articulate why
  • During coaching conversations or self-reflection
  • When evaluating whether a role, project, or relationship is working

Source

  • Guest: Donna Lichaw
  • Episode: "How to discover your superpowers, own your story, and unlock personal growth"
  • Key Discussion: (01:10:43) - The three-filter evaluation process
  • YouTube: Watch on YouTube

Related Frameworks

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