KC Cooper

How to Think through Your Hat    

Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats is an approach to creative thinking based on understanding the brain as a self-organizing information system. If a project has many interdependent components, a misstep in one place could have cascading consequences; these projects benefit from the more analytical approach to problem-solving and strategic planning embodied in Six Thinking Hats. Additionally, when diverse stakeholders are involved, each with an agenda, your communications, feedback, and analytical processes have to be maximized to get all the information you need. So how can you build consensus and form workable strategies to address diverse project interests?

Each Thinking Hat represents a different but equally valid approach to thought.  We all tend to think a certain way when developing strategies or solving problems. The Six Thinking Hats method encourages approaching issues from differing perspectives. Each Thinking Hat represents a different but equally valid approach to thought. The thinkers adopt perspectives that are not necessarily their own; they must walk in someone else’s thinking process shoes. By making these distinctions between thought processes, complex issues faced by people with diverse opinions can be studied methodically and different communication styles can be satisfied.

The order can be changed, but the Six Thinking Hats are as follows:

• White hat: just the facts, ma’am. This hat is neutral, objective, and doesn’t include subjective discussion. People wearing this hat can identify the missing facts needed to advance the process.
• Yellow hat: assesses the positive, the benefits of the options. The spectrum can run from logical and practical to visions and hopes.
• Black hat: assesses the negative, the drawbacks of the options objectively rather than emotionally. This approach points out weaknesses, repercussions, and previous bad experiences.
• Green hat: generates creative ideas or new solutions through classic brainstorming to encourage out-of-the-box ideas.
• Red hat: focuses on emotions and intuition, and identifies gut reactions to problems and their solutions. Emotional responses to issues are valid when wearing this hat.
• Blue hat (generally the facilitator): controls the thinking process and focuses discussion, summarizes and facilitates a conclusion, and identifies next steps. The facilitator may choose to revisit a certain hat if information gaps prevent the process from moving forward.

Let’s apply the Six Thinking Hats by imagining that your family is trying to decide between taking a Disneyworld vacation or an RV trip across the Southwest.

• White hat: the costs of the two trips, the schedules, and other factual details.
• Yellow hat: an RV trip would be a great opportunity for the kids to see America; we could prepare our own food and visit Grandma on the way! On the other hand, it’s Disneyworld for gosh sakes! For the kids—Utopia!
• Black hat: it’s Disneyworld for gosh sakes—lots of walking, money, long lines, and hot pavement. Flying cross-country with kids is hard and expensive. But the RV trip means being cooped up with bored kids in hot weather, buying expensive gas, and no decent showers.
• Green hat: at Disneyworld, we could alternate kid duty at the park and even tie in a trip to the beach. If we rent an RV with a TV, the kids can play video games. Besides, Grandma has a swimming pool.
• Red Hat: gut says the kids would like Disneyworld better, but the road trip feels safer.
• Blue Hat: put it all together—what information is missing? Do we need to revisit any hats? Analyze all the data and decide, or determine the next steps before deciding. (Can we get Disney discounts? Will Grandma be home if we drop by?)

Six Hats Thinking allows participants to speak freely and be creative without risk, creates an awareness of multiple perspectives, sets up a clean method for switching gears, focuses thinking and eliminates distraction, and improves communication and decision-making.
You can use this method for

• preparing for and facilitating meetings
• process evaluation and improvement
• designing new products
• focus groups and stakeholder interviews
• leadership development
• conflict resolution
• delivering presentations.

In fact, this technique is useful for almost any aspect of life’s decision-making.

KC Cooper is the public involvement manager for JD White.
Email KC to learn how JD White can use 6 hats on your next project.

This article was originally published in the White Report, on June 2006.