The Six Thinking Hats

The six thinking hats decision-making technique

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July 9, 2005

Abstract

This paper will examine the six thinking hats decision-making technique created by Dr. Edward De Bono, beginning with a brief background of the founder, as well as a complete description of the six thinking hats decision-making technique itself. It will also include an example of the technique and how it is applied in a real world situation. Ending in examination of when it is and is not appropriate to use the six thinking hats method.

The six thinking hats decision-making technique

Background

The six thinking hats decision-making technique was created by Dr. Edward De Bono, an expert in thinking skills and is regarded by many as the leading authority in the field of creative thinking, innovation and the direct teaching of thinking as a skill. He is also listed as one of the two hundred and fifty persons, who made the most significant contribution to humanity. The work of Dr. De Bono is found appealing to many because of its simplicity and practicality. The technique can be utilized by individuals or groups, four year olds or seniors, and by the mentally challenged or highly intelligent. His methods are considered powerfully simple and can help to make decisions, solve problems, challenge assumptions and achieve a practical improvement in work and in life. (http://www.edwarddebono.com/about.htm)

The six thinking hats technique

The six thinking hats technique is an important and powerful method of thinking, which forces one to move outside of the regular way of thinking and to give a more complete well rounded view of a problem or situation. It is used to enhance creativity and critical thinking by looking at a decision from six different and important perspectives. Within this technique, the different perspectives are represented by six different colored thinking hats. Each thinking hat is named for a color which is related to the description of the perspective that one adopts when wearing the particular hat. When "putting on" one of the hats, one must operate exclusively in that mode of thinking and when changing hats, one changes the thinking mode associated from the first hat to the second. It is important to note that the six hats are not categories or descriptions of thinkers themselves and that every person or group can use all of the hats as tools to explore an issue and stimulate creative thinking.

The six thinking hats

The white hat

The white hat is from the perspective of an observer and is represented by the image of white paper and is thought to be neutral in nature. It is used to think about the facts, figures, and other objective information concerning the issue at hand. It looks for gaps in knowledge in an attempt to either fill them or take them into consideration, as well as focuses on what it is needed and how it can be obtained. This is where one can analyze past trends and historical data.

The red hat

The red hat follows the perspective of self and others and is associated with fire and warmth. It is focuses on emotions, feelings, intuition, and other non-rational but potentially valuable resources, such as hunches. When wearing this hat one must be free to present their ideas or views without explanation, it is also important to consider how others will react emotionally and to try to understand the responses of people who do not fully understand your reasoning.

The black hat

The black hat follows the perspective of self and others and is associated with the image of a stern judge wearing a black robe or of playing devil's advocate. It exercises caution and critical judgment in an attempt to think of all things bad regarding the decision. It is also used to identify weak points or a worse-case scenario in a plan or decision, where it may then possible to either eliminate them or prepare contingency plans in order to counteract them. Black hat thinking helps to make the plans tougher and more resilient, as well as spot fatal flaws and risks before you take a course of action. It is considered to be one of the real benefits of this technique, as many successful people can get to a point where they are so used to thinking positively, that they can not see problems in advance and are left under prepared for problems or difficulties.

The yellow hat

The yellow hat follows the perspective of self and others, and it is associated with the idea of the warming sun. It uses the optimistic approach when making a decision or solving a problem and can keep things going when gloomy or difficult. It takes a logical positive view that looks for what is good, and helps to see all of the opportunities, possibilities, and benefits of the decision and the value in it.

The green hat

The green hat follows the perspective of self and others, and it is associated with vegetation or the image of new shoots sprouting from seeds. It stands for creativity and is where creative solutions to a problem or situation can be developed. It is used to find new ideas, possibilities, and hypotheses by utilizing a freewheeling way of thinking, in which there is little criticism of ideas.

The blue hat

The blue hat is from the perspective of an observer and it is represented by an image of an overarching blue sky or a "cool" character that is in control. It is an overview of the decision-making process, also known as thinking about thinking. It is considered