Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats An aid to decision making and problem solving

What is it? 'Six Thinking Hats' is a powerful technique that helps you look at important decisions from a number of different perspectives. It helps you make better decisions by forcing you to move outside your habitual ways of thinking. As such, it helps you understand the full complexity of the decision, and spot issues and opportunities to which you might otherwise be blind.

How can I use it?? Six Thinking Hats® is a simple, effective parallel thinking process that helps people be more productive, focused, and mindfully involved. It encourages you to separate thinking into six valuable functions and roles. Each thinking role is identified with a colored symbolic "thinking hat." By mentally wearing and switching "hats," you can easily focus or redirect thoughts, the conversation, or the meeting. It is a good problem solving and decision making strategy.

Watch the following video: Six Thinking Hats

The White Hat The information-seeking hat. What are the facts? What information is available? What is relevant? When wearing the white hat we are neutral in our thinking.

The Red Hat What do you feel about the suggestion? What are your gut reactions? What intuitions do you have? Don’t think too long or too hard.

The Black Hat The caution hat. What are the risks or dangers involved? Identifies difficulties and problems.

The Yellow Hat The sunshine hat. It is positive and constructive. It is about effectiveness and getting a job done. What are the benefits, the advantages?

The Green Hat This is the creative way of thinking. Green represents growth and movement. In green hat we look to new ideas and alternative solutions.

The Blue Hat The control hat, organizing thinking itself. Introduces the proposal Blue is for planning. Makes the final recommendations

Let’s Practice

I propose (suggest): Mobile phones should be blocked, using a cell phone jammer, at college.

I propose this because… Mobile phones are a major distraction in college classrooms.

What are the facts? Students are distracted by mobile phones. 95% of teachers surveyed said that mobile phones are the number one distraction in ADWC’s classrooms. Almost 100% of students have a mobile phone. Students find it easy to look at their phone in class

How do we feel? You can answer this – how would you feel if your phone was jammed? How would your teacher feel? How would your guardians or family feel?

What are the problems with this proposal? It might be illegal to do this. Staff might need to use their mobiles. Students might stop coming to HCT because of this. It would be dangerous in emergencies. Students would find a way to break the jammer.

What are the positives of this proposal? Students would focus more in class. Teachers would find it easier to teach. The classroom environment would be respected. Grades could improve.

What are some alternatives to this proposal? Students could leave phones at the front of the class instead. Teachers could increase the teaching through mobile phones so they were involved in learning. Students could be encouraged to leave the class to use their phones. Can you think of any more?

Accept the Proposal with some changes So what is your final recommendation about this proposal? Accept the Proposal Accept the Proposal with some changes Reject the Proposal Why?

Understanding your next assignment Final Assessment– 6 Thinking Hats Understanding your next assignment

Re-ordering an example assignment

PrACTicE Assignment – college proposal

For further discussion Additional slides

Use the Six Thinking Hats to solve one of the following problems How could we improve student morale in our college? How could we increase the number of students who join the activities clubs? How can we get students to become more involved in their community?

Thinking Hats