6 Thinking Hats

What is this technique about

This colourful strategy exposes learners to six different styles of thinking and helps them look at a problem from six different perspectives. It’s a simple mental metaphor. Each of the Six Thinking Hats has a different colour and each colour represents a unique way to look at an issue. Hats are easy to put on and to take off. If not available, other subjects of the same range of colours can be used – balloons, sticks, paper sheets. Each hat is a different colour which signals the mode of thinking. In a group setting each member thinks using the same thinking hat, at the same time, on the same thinking challenge.

Where does it come from 

Six Thinking Hats, a teaching model promoting critical and creative thinking, is used for exploring different perspectives towards a complex situation or challenge. It is  a system designed by Edward de Bono. Although the Six Thinking Hats was originally devised to help organizations conduct more efficient meetings, its use as a tool in education is equally valuable.

For which purposes it is used (why in your engineering teaching)

Thinking hats can be used at many different levels and for many different situations. Making good decisions as a group requires discussion where different perspectives and options are considered:

• • Group Project Brainstorming
  • Big Group Decisions
  • Preparation for Debates
  • Controversial Issues
  • Challenging Perspectives of Current Events
  • Developing Critical Thinking
  • Developing Innovative Thinking
  • Preparation for Discussions
  • Structuring and Facilitating Discussions
  • Problem Solving Situations

How to use it

Start the session by explaining that the Six Hats technique is designed to encourage everyone to approach a problem or issue from a variety of different perspectives.

Step 1 – Present a problem/issue to the group
Tell them that they are going to think about it from a variety of perspectives. There will be 6 types of thinkers – those who are in those roles will only address the issue from that particular perspective. The facilitator should initially explain to the participants that they are going to view the problem in six different ways.

White Hat: Discuss the facts and other objective information about the problem.  “I think we need some white hat thinking at this point…” means “Let’s drop the arguments and proposals, and look at the data base”.

Red Hat: Share feelings and emotions about the issue. “Putting on my red hat, I feel this is a terrible proposal.

Black Hat: Present negative aspects, or worst case scenarios, regarding the situation. The devil’s advocate or why something may not work.

Yellow Hat: Consider positives, or advantages, of the situation. Why something will work and why it will offer benefits.

Green Hat: Consider creative ideas that come from looking at the problem in a new way. This is the hat of creativity, alternatives, proposals, what is interesting, provocations and changes.

Blue Hat: Sum up all that is learned. “Putting on my blue hat, I think we should do some greener hat thinking at this point.”

Step 2 – Then the team starts focusing the discussion on a particular approach
The team members deliberately choose which hat they want to start with. For example, if they choose the blue hat, the discussion may start with everyone assuming the Blue hat to discuss how the meeting will be conducted and to develop the goals and objectives. The discussion may then move to Red hat thinking in order to collect opinions and reactions to the problem. This phase may also be used to develop constraints for the actual solution such as who will be affected by the problem and/or solutions. Next the discussion may move to the Yellow and then the Green hat in order to generate ideas and possible solutions. Next the discussion may move between White hat thinking as part of developing information and Black hat thinking to develop criticisms of the solution.

Step 3 – After developing a set of solutions
The participants examine the set critically and choose one solution.