The 6 Thinking Hats – Edward de Bono

• Devised in 1985
• The hats allow joint exploration of a subject
• They require each individual fully to explore a subject (using the ‘hat’ mode of thinking) rather than just to make and defend a case (or a mode of thinking)
• They provide a quick method of switching thinking
• The hats replace the ego and aggression with the challenge thoroughly to explore a subject.
• The metaphor of 6 colored hats is used where the hats provide a strong and neutral symbol of requesting a certain type of thinking
• White Hat
• means information.
• When it is used, everybody is focusing on information
• …….not a question of one person saying something and the other disagreeing
• Information can be hard facts or soft information like rumours, personal experience etc.
• Red Hat
• Represents emotions, feelings and intuition
• In this you do not have to give any reasons at all for your feelings.
• You just express your feelings
• Intuition is complex…….the thinker may not even be aware of all the components that go into the judgement
• Black Hat
• Is the basis of critical thinking
• It points out dangers, faults and problems
• It covers all ‘caution’ aspects
• Yellow Hat
• Under it we look for values, benefits and why something should work
• It stands for ‘value sensitivity’.
• Green Hat
• Is the productive/generative/creative hat
• It asks for ideas, alternatives, possibilities and design
• Blue Sky
• Its role is to organize the other hats and the thinking
• Its answers the questions: What are we here for? What is the end goal?