Created by Edward De Bono in 1985 The 6 thinking hats is a critical thinking tool that provides a structure for group problem solving and decision making. Using 6 different coloured hats it encourages people to consider different perspectives when it comes to certain situations and problems and promotes a structured way to reach a resolution / consensus.
The 6 thinking hats can be used in group meetings to improve productivity and to help improve the quality of decision making. It can also be used by an individual to aid their own decision-making process. The biggest benefits are often seen in teamwork and collaborative problem solving, as it helps diverse groups of people to work together with a common perspective in mind.
It also saves time, as it significantly speeds up what can otherwise be lengthy discussions.
Let’s look at each hat in more detail!
Jump To:
Blue Hat
One person “wears” this hat and their role is to control the meeting and make sure each hat is used and each person has a say. They also control the time and gather together the information / results to help finalise the overall decision.
Examples of blue hat thinking:
What is the issue?
When do you plan to achieve this?
What are your goals?
When will you come up with a solution?
White Hat
This hat focusses on facts and information known and also information missing that is need to make an informed decision. This hat is about neutral thinking.
Examples of white hat thinking:
What data is available?
What information is required?
What information is missing?
What questions need to be asked?
Red Hat
This is the emotions hat – your gut feeling, your intuition. This is the time to express emotions and concerns without any judgement.
Examples of red hat thinking:
How do I really feel about this?
What is the gut reaction?
What does our intuition say about the solution?
Green Hat
This is the creative and innovation hat. Looking at new ideas and out of the box thinking. This is where anyone can discuss any ideas they may have.
Examples of green hat thinking:
What are other options we can take?
Are there thought experiments we can take?
Are there other scenarios we can consider?
What about considering xyz?
Yellow Hat
This is the positive and optimistic thinking hat, focusing on benefits and possibilities. Wearing the yellow hat outlines the benefits of each idea.
Examples of yellow hat thinking:
How do we define success?
What are the potential long-term benefits?
How does this idea make our processes better?
Why is this a good idea?
Black Hat
This hat represents sceptical thinking, focusing on potential drawbacks and limitations. The black hat aims to look out for any possible risks that could occur in certain scenarios that may get in the way of moving forward to your end goal. This is a logical way of being prepared for hurdles in the process.
Examples of black hat thinking:
What are the possible pitfalls?
How do we identify any flaws?
What are the reasons we shouldn’t proceed?
What might be the challenges along the way?
By encouraging people to look at and have a say in all angles it offers a much more rounded discussion and approach and allows all partied to have a say. It also discourages spending too long on one area ad the Blue Hat ensures equal time on each hat.
Here is a video on the 6 Thinking Hats:
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