Six Thinking Hats®




















Imagine it. Your team wants to take a decision to go for a more Cradle to Cradle approach in their work.
It's not impossible. In fact, it's simple. Once they know how. That's where Dr. Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats® comes in.
This systematic method of thinking in a completely new and different way will provide your colleagues with skills and tools that they can apply immediately! See results in days, not months.
It is a simple, effective technique that helps them to take the right decisions. You and your team members can learn how to separate thinking into six distinct categories. Each category is identified with its own coloured metaphorical "thinking hat." By mentally wearing and switching "hats," you can easily focus or redirect thoughts, the conversation, or the meeting.
The difference between brilliant and mediocre teams isn't so much in their collective mental capacity, but in how well they can tap into their collective wisdom and how well they function together. After your team learns the skills behind the Six Thinking Hats® system they will:
• Hold critical meetings without emotions or egos making bad decisions
• Avoid the easy but mediocre decisions by knowing how to dig deeper
• Increase productivity and even more important -- be more effective
• Make creative solutions the norm
• Maximize and organize each person's thoughts and ideas
• Get to the right solution quickly and with a shared vision

The Six Thinking Hats (or modes)

The White Hat
The White Hat calls for information known or needed.

The Red Hat
The Red Hat signifies feelings, hunches and intuition.

The Black Hat
The Black Hat is judgment -- the devil's advocate or why something may not work.

The Yellow Hat
The Yellow Hat symbolizes brightness and optimism.

The Green Hat
The Green Hat focuses on creativity: the possibilities, alternatives and new ideas.

The Blue Hat
The Blue Hat is used to manage the thinking process.

What Are the Six Thinking Hats?
The Six Thinking Hats are metaphorical hats that you can "put on" or "take off" to indicate the type of thinking that you are using. When using Six Thinking Hats in a group, everyone wears the same hat at the same time (parallel thinking).

White Hat Thinking
White Hat thinking focuses on data, facts, information known or needed.

Black Hat Thinking
Black Hat thinking focuses on difficulties, potential problems. Why something may not work.


Red Hat Thinking
Red Hat thinking focuses on feelings, hunches, gut instinct, and intuition.

Green Hat Thinking
Green Hat thinking focuses on creativity: possibilities, alternatives, solutions, new ideas.

Yellow Hat Thinking
Yellow Hat thinking focuses on values and benefits. Why something may work.

Blue Hat Thinking
Blue Hat thinking focuses on manage the thinking process, focus, next steps, action plans.