1. De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats
Dr Sunil Gupta
December 2011

2. Six Thinking Hats
It is a technique that helps meetings become more productive.
The attendees of the meeting separate thinking into six distinct categories.
Each category is identified with its own coloured metaphorical “thinking hat.”
The hats are red, black, yellow, green, white and blue.

3. Six Thinking Hats
By mentally wearing and switching "hats," the whole meeting focuses better attention at the problem.
The whole meeting wears one hat at a time and it is the role of all the attendees to come up with information which is relevant during that part of the meeting to the hat being discussed.
The hats can be worn in any order and more than once in a discussion on a particular topic.
The hats can also be used by an individual thinking about a problem.

4. Results of Six Hat Thinking
Change from adversarial to parallel thinking
More focused thinking
Saving time from doing one thing at a time
Removing ego from decisions and more collaboration
More creativity and innovation

5. De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats

6. The White Hat The White Hat calls for information known or needed
Neutral and objective

7. The Red Hat
The Red Hat signifies participant’s feelings, hunches and intuition
Do not have to give any reasons or justification
Keep it short

8. The Black Hat
The Black Hat is judgement, the devil’s advocate or why something may not work
Cautious, dangers, problems, faults
Logical reasons must be given

9. The Yellow Hat The Yellow Hat symbolizes brightness and optimism
Why it may work
The good points in the idea
Positive Thinking
Constructive
Give logical reasons

10. The Green Hat
The Green Hat focuses on creativity: the possibilities, alternatives and new ideas
How to overcome the Black Hat problems
How to reinforce Yellow Hat values

11. The Blue Hat The Blue Hat is used to manage the thinking process
Setting the Focus
Making summaries
Overviews
Conclusions
Action Plans

12. 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

13. Participant’s Role Follow the lead of the facilitator
Stick to the hat (type of thinking) that is in current use
Try to work within the time limits
Contribute honestly and fully under each of the hats

14. Summary
Six Thinking Hats is a useful technique to make meetings more productive.
The whole meeting wears one metaphorical hat at a time.
It can save time, bring about more focused thinking, more collaboration and more creativity.

15. Further Reading
Edward De Bono. Six Thinking Hats (1985) ISBN