Edward de Bono s six thinking hats

Purpose

This method is a framework for thinking and can incorporate lateral thinking. Using this approach encourages the coachee to think wider and from a different perspective.

Resources

This exercise can take up to 60 minutes. It requires no equipment.

Notes to the coach

The six hats represent six modes of thinking; the hats should be seen as indications of ways of thinking rather than as labels and should be used proactively rather than reactively.

The book, Six Thinking Hats (de Bono, 1985) is readily available and explains the system, although there have been some additions and changes to the execution of the method. There are also training courses that you can attend to learn how to use the method in a variety of situations. We are presenting you with a very short overview of the ideas here and recommend that you undertake some further reading prior to using the technique as it does require some skill as a facilitator to support the coachee as he or she ˜changes hats .

There are six metaphorical hats, which can be used to help the coachee think differently about the same issue or situation. You will ask the coachee to put on the different hats during the exercise “ this putting on and taking off is essential.

Instructions

Explain to the coachee that you will be asking him or her to put on or take off a series of metaphorical coloured hats to indicate the type of thinking you want him or her to use. When you ask the coachee to don a certain colour of hat, he or she should try to review the subject of your conversation from this viewpoint.

White hat thinking

This covers facts, figures, information needs and gaps. Ask the coachee to wear this hat when you want him or her to view the situation in terms of the data available.

Red hat thinking

This hat covers intuition, feelings and emotions. The red hat allows the thinker to put forward an intuition without any need to justify it. We tend to only allow feelings and intuition to be introduced into a discussion if they are supported by logic. The red hat gives full permission to a coachee to put forward his or her feelings on the subject at the moment.

Black hat thinking

The black hat is the hat of judgment and caution, and as such is a most valuable hat. It is not in any sense an inferior or negative hat. The black hat is used to point out why a suggestion does not fit the facts, the available experience, the system in use, or the policy that is being followed. The black hat must always be logical. This mode of thinking is very useful for you to encourage within a coachee who wishes to try out new ideas that you feel may not be appropriate or effective for that person.

Yellow hat thinking

When wearing this hat the coachee must be logical and positive. The coachee should explain why he or she thinks something will work and why it will offer benefits. The yellow hat can be used in looking forward to the results of some proposed action, but can also be used to find something of value in what has already happened .

Green hat thinking

This is the hat of creativity, alternatives, proposals and what is interesting; it centres on provocations and changes. It can be used to help the coachee come up with options and ideas and can be used in conjunction with or following some of the creative thinking ideas also mentioned within this section.

Blue hat thinking

This is the overview or process-control hat and when thinking from this position the coachee can express what he or she think needs to happen at this time, eg ˜Putting on my blue hat, I feel we should do some more green hat thinking at this point .