Six Thinking Hats
Six hats for parallel thinking.
PURPOSE
In discussions, factual arguments, emotional reactions, and creative ideas often get mixed up, leading to ineffective results. The Six Thinking Hats separate different thinking perspectives and ensure each viewpoint is considered systematically and equally. They prevent endless debates and promote parallel thinking.
HOW TO USE
The facilitator assigns the group different hats in sequence, with each hat dictating a specific thinking direction. All participants think simultaneously in the same direction, reducing conflicts and speeding up the process. Typically, all six hats are cycled through in a fixed sequence.
WHAT IT IS
The Six Thinking Hats is a thinking and discussion framework developed by Edward de Bono with six color-coded perspectives. The white hat represents facts, red represents emotions, black represents risks, yellow represents opportunities, green represents creativity, and blue represents process management. The method is suitable for decision-making, problem-solving, and idea evaluation.
EXAMPLE
Example: Your leadership team has been discussing a location change for weeks, but conversations go in circles because factual arguments, fears, and wishful thinking keep getting mixed. With the Six Thinking Hats, you separate thinking styles: first facts (white hat), then emotions (red hat), then risks (black hat). The discussion is productively concluded in one session.