Six Thinking Hats

Six Thinking Hats

Origins of Western Thinking lie

with that ‘Greek Gang of three’:

Socrates, Plato and Aristotle!

It’s very critical and confrontational

thus so very non-constructive!

Raising only problem and difficulty

‘Opponents’ attack and counter-attack

defending only - one’s own point of view!

So Western Thinking is really quite negative!

Ed de Bono (1985) - Invented for bizz community

‘Six Thinking Hats’ Thinking Methodology.

Advantages are manifold:

Simple, robust, effective, efficient

time-saving and convenient.

When it’s used, meetings are faster

more constructive and productive.

It is Parallel Thinking:

which is focussed direction thinking!

It’s joint exploration in only one direction!

No battling or arguing involved in competition!

So it’s all very positive and not at all negative!

Let me demonstrate by way of example:

Imagine you and your friends are all blindfolded.

Now - an elephant is standing in front of you.

(An animal - just pretend - you’ve all never seen before.)

After being released, I ask you all randomly

to touch and feel and then describe the beast.

Descriptions from you all - you all beg to differ!

The latter essentially is non-parallel thinking!

Now let’s imagine the same scenario again.

But this time - I personally guide you all to touch

the same parts of the animal - at the same time.

Now descriptions from all - no longer beg to differ!

The latter essentially is parallel thinking!

In ‘Six Thinking Hats’ Thinking Methodology.

Each person in a group is asked

‘to wear’ the same coloured hat.

Then asked to think unidirectionally

and proffer suggestions constructively.

The Six Hats:

White Hat - Hat of Facts essentially.

Facts and figures - Anything factually.

What you know and what you want to know.

Red Hat - Hat of Emotion!

Feelings, gut instinct, hunches and intuition.

How do you feel?

Black Hat - ‘Devil’s Advocate’!

Caution and care to make you aware

of possible danger and potential despair.

Think like pessimists proffering

disadvantages, weaknesses and negatives!

Yellow Hat - Sunny Hat!

Illuminating and shining like bright sunlight!

Think like optimists proffering

advantages, benefits, strengths and positives.

Green Hat - Hat of Creation

Like plants and trees full of hope and life.

Think like Him - The Great Creator High Above

exploring new ideas, proposals and suggestions.

Blue Hat - Hat of Observation

Thinking about the thinking.

Setting agenda of the meeting

then directing and controlling

and summing ups with sit reps!

(of everyone’s parallel thinking)

Guidelines:

Blue hat: Like a book-end at start and end.

At Start: Define problem, goal and sequence.

At End: Sum up outcome, solution and next?

For specific thinking - Only one hat is worn.

Explore/problem solve - Sequence of hats worn.

Group Discipline: Very very important.

Timing: Allocate a given period of time.

(for each different hat worn)

Examples of Use:

Yellow Hat followed by Black Hat - Weighing up plusses and minuses.

Blue Hat followed by Red Hat - Set agenda then ask: ‘How one felt.’

(Perhaps reflecting upon the performance of a task - Happy or unhappy with outcome?)

Useful Links:

Parallel thinking

Six Thinking Hats

The Magic Hats Story for Children