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Six Thinking Hats

As a Management Tool

Presented by:

C Jalasayanan

Jalasayanan@lycos.co.uk

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Benefits Of The Six Thinking Hat Framework

Parallel

Improve Exploration

Save Time

Improve Creativity & Innovation

Adversarial

Foster Collaborative Thinking

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The Originator

Dr. Edward de Bono

• M.D., Ph.D., (philosophy, medicine & psychology), Rhodes scholar

• World-renowned consultant to business, governments, schools and industry

• Author of 62 books in 40 languages

• Originator of Six Thinking Hats, Lateral Thinking and Direct Attention Thinking Tools

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Results Around The World

• Since 1993 over 200,000 trained

• In use by many of the largest & most successful organizations worldwide

• Works well in different cultures

• Applies at all levels & across disciplines

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Thinking-Ultimate Human Resource

• We can always improve our thinking skills.

• Confused thinking arises from trying to do too much at once.

• We should emphasize what can be, not what is.

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Why Change Thinking Behavior

• Information technology is better than ever• Our everyday thinking has not changed in

centuries• Traditional thinking methods

– Don’t make use of available intelligence– Are slow and ineffective– Permit the ego to wreck objective thinking– Dominated by concepts of “argument” and

“critical thinking”

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Argument is Inadequate

• Only one tool of thinking• Lacks

– constructive energies– design energies– creative energies

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Three Philosophers

• Socrates: Focused on the Negative

• Plato: See Shadows of the Truth

• Aristotle: Concerned with What Is - Analysis, Judgment, Argument

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Samurai Assessment – Basic Concept

Miyamoto Musashi (1584 – 1645) A book of five rings

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Samurai Assessment – Basic Concept

The Black Samurai = Critics and Negative (Wind)

The Blue Samurai = Insights and Change (Water)

The Green Samurai = Basics and Objectives (Ground)

The Red Samurai = Change and Environment (Fire)

The White Samurai = Development and new horizon (Ether)

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The Basics

• There are six different imaginary hats that you can put on or take off.

• Think of the “hats” as thinking icons.

• Each hat is a different color and represents a different type or mode of thinking.

• We all wear the same hat (do the same type of thinking) at the same time.

• When we change hats - we change our thinking.

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Six Hats

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White HatWhite HatInformation & Data

Neutral & ObjectiveChecked & Believed Facts

Missing Information & Where To Source It

Red HatRed HatFeelings & Intuition

Emotions Or Hunches “At This Point”

No Reasons or JustificationKeep It Short

Black HatBlack Hat

Why It May Not WorkCautions DangersProblems Faults Logical Reasons Must Be Given

Yellow HatYellow HatWhy It May Work

Values & Benefits(Both Known & Potential)

The Good In ItLogical Reasons Must Be Given Green HatGreen Hat

Creative ThinkingPossibilities Alternatives New Ideas New Concepts

Overcome Black Hat Problems & Reinforce Yellow Hat Values

Blue HatBlue HatManaging The Thinking

Setting The FocusMaking Summaries

Overviews ConclusionsAction Plans

FOCUSFOCUS

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Why Six Thinking Hats

• Role-playing - avoid, ego defense• Attention directing - instead of

being reactive• Convenience - able to switch

gears & ask• Play acting leads to you becoming

a thinker

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Why Six Thinking Hats

• Rules of the game of thinking– Mapmaking versus Right or Wrong

• Simpler, one style of thinking at a time

• Ability and method of changing style or mode

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Overview

• Red Hat - Emotions & Feelings• White Hat - The Facts• Black Hat - Negative Aspects• Yellow Hat - Positive Aspects• Green Hat - Creative Thinking• Blue Hat - Control & Process Thinking

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Red Hat

• Red suggests anger (seeing red), rage and emotions and feelings.

• The red hat gives the emotional view• Hunches and intuitions• No justifications• Avoid mixing emotions with the facts• Feelings become visible• Allows place for fear & concern for safety

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White Hat

• White hat neutral and objective• Concerned with objective facts & figures• Virgin white, pure facts - information• Do not offer interpretation or opinions• First class facts - proven known to be

true• Second class facts - believed to be true• Discipline & direction• Who, What, Why, Where, When & How?

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Black Hat

• Black hat is gloomy and negative.• Black hat covers the negative aspects -

why it cannot be done.• Devil’s advocate• Negative judgment - why it will not work• Point out what is wrong, incorrect, in error• Point out risks and dangers & faults in

design• It is never argument & not negative

feelings

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Yellow Hat

• Yellow is sunny and positive• The yellow hat is optimistic and covers

hope and positive thinking, sees the benefits

• Brightness, constructive sees opportunity• Concerned with positive assessment• Spectrum: Logical & Practical through’

Dreams & Visions• Focus on effectiveness

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Green Hat• Green is for grass, vegetation and

abundant fertile growth.• Green hat indicates creativity and new

ideas• Fertile thinking, plants springing from

seeds• Movement and provocation (PO)• Search for alternatives, go beyond

known, the obvious and the satisfactory• Movement replaces judgment• Generate new concepts and perceptions

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Logic of Creativity

Logic of creativity = Logic of self organizing patterning

systems

Self organizing information systems

– Make Use of Patterns

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Theory Behind Creativity

Essenceof creativity

Humor

Significant behaviorof the brain

Perception

Setup in one way and suddenly reconfigured

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A developed pattern of the brain - perceptionA developed pattern of the brain - perceptionDataData

The Brain - Recognizes The Brain - Recognizes Patterns in InformationPatterns in Information

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Blue Hat• Blue is cool, the colour of the sky, above

everything else (+ Positive revolution)• The blue hat is about control and

organisation of the thinking process & the use of other hats

• Blue hat thinker like the conductor• Anyone can invoke blue hat thinking• Blue hat sets the focus, defines the

problem• Includes summaries, overviews &

conclusions• Monitor the rules of the game

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Reflective

Creative

Cautious

Intuitive

Informative Constructive

Informative

In Nutshell

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Facilitator’s Role

• Define the focus of your thinking• Plan the sequence and timing of the

thinking• Ask for changes in the thinking if

needed• Handle requests from the group for

changes in the thinking• Form periodic or final summaries of the

thinking for consideration by the team

x

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Use Preset Sequence

• Discipline

• Timing

• Guidelines

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Two Main Purposes

• Simplifies thinking by having to deal with one thing at a time.

• Allows a switch in thinking without threatening ego

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Participant’s Role

• Follow the lead of trained Six Thinking Hats facilitator

• Stick to the hat (type of thinking) that is in current use

• Try to work within the time limits

• Contribute honestly & fully under each of the hats

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Brainstorming Objectives

• Describe the objective(s) of the exercise– New product or service ideas?– New feature ideas?– Feature/Product naming?– Promotion ideas?– New process for doing something?

• Define top requirements or restrictions

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Rules

• No idea is a bad idea• Be creative• Take risks • No criticism allowed

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Summarize

• Review ideas • Vote on top candidates and

consolidate• Check requirements and restrictions• Trim list to top 5-10 ideas

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Next Steps

• Describe what happens next– Research the ideas generated?– Follow up with larger group?

• Generate action items for follow up– Start turning ideas into reality

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Remember These

EFFECTIVENESS

BE CONSTRUCTIVE

GIVE RESPECT

SELF-IMPROVEMENT

FULLCONTRIBUTION

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Fixed Sequences

Blue White Green Yellow Black RedDefine

the problem

Look at available

information

Generate possible solutions

Check feasibilty of each solution

Assess weakness

ess of each

solution

Decide how you feel

about the solutions

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Blue

White

Green

Yellow

Black

White

Blue

Define the problem

Look at available information

Generate possible solutions

Check feasibility of each solution

Assess weakness of each solution

Match between solutions/info. Are the solutions feasible based on the information we have?

Choice of the final solution and next step.

Problem Solving

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Creative EffortBlue

White

Green

Yellow

Black

Blue

Green

Red

Clarify creative need

Look at/into the subject

Generate ideas

Find the benefits of the ideas

Identify the faults in the ideas

Remove the faults

Decide how we feel about the idea

Summarise the exploration

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Alternative Sequencing

• Red Hat - Beginning• When there are strong emotions and

feelings - gets them out on the table• When a subject has been around a long

time - there will be feelings• If a subject is controversial• Dangers of red hat first:

– Boss present and expresses feelings– Certain cultures

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Alternative Sequencing

•White Hat - Beginning• When the subject is new to

anyone

• Subject is neutral - no fixed views

• Where purpose is exploration of subject

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Alternative Sequencing

•Yellow Hat – Beginning When decisions or judgment to be made

More difficult to be positive after you have been negative

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Alternative Sequencing

•Black Hat - Not first

•This is the habit of traditional thinking

•Does not give an idea the chance to show its value

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Alternative Sequencing

•Green Hat - Not first

•Need white hat - lay out situation

•Green hat can then be used to develop alternatives and ideas

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Alternative Sequencing

Blue Hat - simplest ending• Summarize - review - make

decision

• Determine next steps

• May end the sequence

– Or use black or red hat and come back to blue

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Alternative Sequencing

Black Hat - ending• Towards the end for final

assessment• Gives confidence to generate bold

ideas• Points out difficulties• Should be objective as possible

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Alternative Sequencing

Red Hat - ending• Use after decision for emotional Use after decision for emotional

reactionreaction

• When alternatives are evenly When alternatives are evenly balancedbalanced

• When there is insufficient When there is insufficient informationinformation

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For Further Course

C Jalasayanan8, New No 35, 19th AvenueBanu Nagar, Ambattur,Chennai – 600 053Ph: 044 2686 3783Mo: 0 92831 06854Jalasayanan@lycos.co.uk Jalasayanan@hotpop.com