6 Thinking Hats

A concept by
Edward De Bono

9/19/14 PROF.S.MAHESH, IBS, HYD

Describe your style of thinking

9/19/14 PROF.S.MAHESH, IBS, HYD

 About
• Powerful decision making tool
• View a decision/problem from various perspectives
• Move outside habitual thinking style;
rational/emotional/creative/intuitive etc
• Very effective way to increase productivity

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.

9/19/14 PROF.S.MAHESH, IBS, HYD

 About

Break the Search for

status quo new ideas

Receive
more value Face the
from idea reality
generation

9/19/14 PROF.S.MAHESH, IBS, HYD

 What are the 6 thinking hats?
Each Thinking Hat is a different style of thinking

9/19/14 PROF.S.MAHESH, IBS, HYD

 The White Hat

The white hat covers facts, figures, data and information

• What information do we have?

• What information is missing?

• How are we going to get the information?

Focus on: Information

9/19/14 PROF.S.MAHESH, IBS, HYD

 The Yellow Hat

The yellow hat is for optimism & positive point of view

• What are the benefits of the option chosen?

• Why is this proposal/option preferable?

• What are the positive aspects of this design?

Focus on: Positives/benefits

9/19/14 PROF.S.MAHESH, IBS, HYD

 The Black Hat

The black hat is for judgement, caution & evaluation

• What are the costs of the option chosen?

• Why are the regulations involved?

• Is the design practical?

• What safety standards should the product meet?

Focus on: Judgement/contingency

9/19/14 PROF.S.MAHESH, IBS, HYD

 The Red Hat

The red hat covers intuition, feelings, hunches & emotions

• What is your gut reaction?

• How will people react to this?

• What does my intuition tell me?

Focus on: Intuition/Feelings

9/19/14 PROF.S.MAHESH, IBS, HYD

 The Green Hat

The green hat concerns creating new ideas and new way of
looking at things
• Are there any alternative approaches?

• Can this be done in a different way?

• Can there be a creative solution?

• Are there any other possibilities?

Focus on: Creative thinking

9/19/14 PROF.S.MAHESH, IBS, HYD
 The Blue Hat

The blue hat is for organising and controlling the process of thinking.
• Could we have a summary of your views?

• I suggest we try some new ideas.

• Set the agenda

• What is the conclusion?

Focus on: manage thinking (facilitator)

9/19/14 PROF.S.MAHESH, IBS, HYD
 ADVANTAGES
• DIFFERENT VIEW POINTS

• CREATIVE DECISION MAKING

• PLANS SOUND & RESILIENT

• TIME SAVING

• TEAM BUILDING

• ADRESSES THE EGO PROBLEM

• LOGICAL DECISIONS

9/19/14 PROF.S.MAHESH, IBS, HYD