Six Thinking Hats

Definition

The Six Thinking Hats is a decision-making tool developed by Edward de Bono that encourages people to look at a problem or situation from different perspectives. It involves adopting different 'hats' or mindsets to approach a topic in a more comprehensive and effective manner.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The six hats represent different modes of thinking: white (neutral, factual), red (emotional), black (cautious, critical), yellow (positive, optimistic), green (creative, generative), and blue (process-oriented).
2. The Six Thinking Hats method encourages individuals to consider multiple perspectives on a problem, rather than defaulting to their typical mode of thinking.
3. By adopting different hats, team members can have more productive and focused discussions, as they are not influenced by personal biases or agendas.
4. The Six Thinking Hats can be particularly useful in the context of teamwork, as it helps to foster collaboration, open-mindedness, and a shared understanding of the problem.
5. The method can be applied to a wide range of decision-making and problem-solving scenarios, from strategic planning to product development and conflict resolution.

Review Questions

• Explain how the Six Thinking Hats can be used to enhance teamwork in the workplace.
  • The Six Thinking Hats can improve teamwork in the workplace by encouraging team members to consider multiple perspectives on a problem or decision. By taking turns adopting different 'hats' or mindsets, team members are able to have more productive and focused discussions, as they are not influenced by personal biases or agendas. This can lead to better collaboration, open-mindedness, and a shared understanding of the problem, ultimately resulting in more effective decision-making and problem-solving within the team.
• Analyze how the Six Thinking Hats method relates to the concept of parallel thinking.
  • The Six Thinking Hats method is closely tied to the concept of parallel thinking, which involves exploring different perspectives simultaneously rather than taking turns expressing views. By adopting different 'hats', team members are encouraged to look at a problem or situation from multiple angles at the same time, rather than defaulting to their typical mode of thinking. This parallel approach allows for a more comprehensive and effective analysis, as it prevents individuals from getting stuck in their own biases or preconceptions. The Six Thinking Hats, therefore, facilitates parallel thinking by providing a structured framework for exploring diverse viewpoints and generating a wider range of ideas and solutions.
• Evaluate how the Six Thinking Hats can foster creativity and innovation within a team.
  • The Six Thinking Hats method can significantly enhance creativity and innovation within a team by encouraging divergent thinking. The 'green hat' in particular, which represents the creative and generative mode of thinking, allows team members to explore new ideas and possibilities without immediately judging or evaluating them. By temporarily setting aside critical analysis and adopting a more open-minded and exploratory mindset, team members can generate a wider range of innovative solutions. Additionally, the other 'hats' like the yellow (positive, optimistic) and red (emotional) hats can also contribute to a more creative and collaborative environment, where team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas and building upon each other's contributions. Overall, the Six Thinking Hats framework fosters an atmosphere of openness, flexibility, and lateral thinking, which are essential for fostering creativity and driving innovation within a team.

Related terms

Parallel Thinking: A thinking process where people explore different perspectives simultaneously, rather than taking turns expressing their views.

Lateral Thinking: A problem-solving technique that involves approaching problems from an indirect and creative angle, rather than using traditional step-by-step logic.

Divergent Thinking: The ability to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions, without immediately judging or evaluating them.