Technical Report Writing on

SIX THINKING HATS AS A TOOL FOR CREATIVE

THINKING

Submitted by
NAME : Aritra Dutta

• Department: Electronics and Communication Engineering

• Paper Name: Soft Skills and Interpersonal Communication
• Paper Code: OE-EC506A
• Semester: 5TH
• Section: ECE-1
• Roll Number: 16900320057
• Year: 2022

Academy of Technology
Aedconagar, Hooghly-712121
West Bengal, India

Note: Nothing else must be written on title page. Begin the rest of the report from next page.
Abstract:-
Critical thinking and problem solving are recognized as essential skills for success, especially in
the 21st century digital economy, yet many educational
institutions do not explicitly teach them as part of the curriculum. To contribute to our
understanding of how to effectively teach critical thinking and problem solving, this paper draws on
the work of one of his leading minds in the field of critical thinking and problem solving, the De
Bonos Six. Describe how you can use it to teach these skills. Thought was taught to the hat
model. After explaining the basic principles of De Bono's model, in this paper he describes how
each of the six thinking hats are used in effective teaching methods.

Introduction:-
On a daily basis, many people think from an analytical, critical, and logical perspective and
rarely view the world from an emotional, intuitive, creative, or intentionally negative perspective.
As a result, their arguments become incredibly implausible, they underestimate their resistance
to change, and they fail to make contingency plans.

Lateral Thinking Footnote 1 is thinking that offers a new perspective on a problem from the side,
rather than from the front, in order to foster
change, creativity and innovation. The Six Thinking Hats technique, a lateral thinking tool,
was developed by Edward de Bono in 1985 to provide a means for groups to think
together more effectively, one thing at a time.

The notion of six thinking hats comes from Edward De Bono (Read Six Thinking Hats by
Edward De Bono, 1985) It is a simple and effective system that increases productivity.
There are six metaphorical hats and each defines a certain type of thinking. You can put
on or take off one of these hats to indicate the type of thinking you are using. This putting
on and taking off is essential, because it allows you to switch from one type of thinking to
another. When done in a group, everybody should wear the same hat at the same time.
The principle behind the 'Six Thinking Hats' is parallel thinking which ensures that all the
people in a meeting are focused on and thinking about the same subject at the same time.
In this system, thinking is divided into six categories with each category identified with its
own coloured metaphorical 'thinking hat'. Organisations that use the 'Six Thinking Hats'
system report that their teams are more productive and in general "happier and healthier".

Procedure & Discussion:-

Six Hats, Six Colours :

The Six Thinking Hat technique uses metaphorical hats in discussions. Each color is associated
with a function:-

White Hat Thinking - Neutral, Objective - Focuses on available or needed data and information.
Red Hat Thinking - Emotional - Sees problems through the lens of emotions, feelings and
hunches, without limiting or justifying them.

Black Hat Thinking - Calm and Serious - Uses experience, logic, judgment and attention to
consider the feasibility of subject-related difficulties, problems and ideas.

Yellow Hat Idea - Sunny and Positive - deals with utility and value.

Green Hat Thinking - Growth, Fertility - Indicates creative thinking and movement rather than
judgment to generate new ideas and solutions.

Blue Hat Thinking - Cool, Sky - Focuses on contemplation, metacognition (thinking about the
thoughts you want), and the need to direct your thought processes.

Applications
Applications related to the Six Hat Techniques include team productivity and
communication. product and process improvement and project management.
critical and analytical thinking, problem solving and decision making; Creativity training,
meeting moderation, and meeting management.

Benefits
The Six Thinking Hats technique provides a common language that works across cultures.
Promotes collaborative thinking, improves focus, facilitates communication, reduces conflict,
enables detailed assessment,
enhances exploration, fosters
creativity and innovation, saves
time, and increases productivity .
Conclusion:-
When it comes to what matters, individual decision-making on an issue is itself very difficult.
Teams are usually formed in groups as the best means of decision making. Both require a
concerted effort to systematically analyse the problem, its scale and intensity, and the various
alternative solutions available. Many of the stages are used for organizational problem
solving, as indicated by the six hats. There, a manager or team of managers work to reach
acceptable and effective decisions. Given that each person may fall into any of her personality
traits in her six hats, the complexities of organizational problem-solving become apparent. Six
Thinking Hat as a system helps managers effectively control problems. By practicing and
systematically executing the Six Hats
thought process, managers never feel the need to give up on searching for the ideal solution to
a problem or situation.

References:
1. Aithal, P. S., and P. M. Kumar. "Using six thinking hats as a tool for lateral thinking in
organizational problem solving." International Journal of Engineering Research and Modern
Education (IJERME) 1.2 (2016): 225-234 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sreeramana-
Aithal/publication/311557854_Using_Six_Thinking_Hats_as_a_Tool_for_Lateral
_Thinking_in_Organizational_Problem_Solving/links/584c30c708aed95c24fc550 b/Using-Six-
Thinking-Hats-as-a-Tool-for-Lateral-Thinking-in-Organizational- Problem-Solving.pdf

2. De Bono, Edward. Six Thinking Hats: The multi-million bestselling guide to running better
meetings and making faster decisions. Penguin uk, 2017.

3. Kivunja, Charles. "Using de Bono’s six thinking hats model to teach critical thinking and
problem-solving skills essential for success in the 21st century economy." Creative Education
6.03 (2015): 380. https://www.scirp.org/html/12- 6302477_54681.htm

4. Serrat, Olivier. "Wearing six thinking hats." Knowledge Solutions. Springer,

Singapore, 2017. 615-618. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981- 10-0983-9_67