“Six Thinking Hats” ….by Edward de Bono

Recently read the book “Six Thinking Hats” an excellent tool suggested to make the Discussions on any topic Fruitful.

Usually, for a particular Problem or issue many people think from analytical, critical, logical perspectives, and rarely view the world from emotional, intuitive, creative, or even purposely negative viewpoints. As a result, their arguments do not make leaps of imagination, they underestimate resistance to change, or they fail to draw contingency plans.

Lateral thinking is reasoning that offers new ways of looking at problems coming at them from the side rather than from the front (Lateral Thinking… exactly I remembered when I learn various Transforms …Z, Fourier, in Signal Processing Why We need to transform the signal from one domain (ex. Time) to another domain (ex. Frequency) It’s nothing but changing the perspective of looking towards the signal, to reveal the hidden contents which may not be exposed within one domain)

One tool of lateral thinking, the Six Thinking Hats technique, was devised by de Bono to give groups a means to reflect together more effectively, one thing at a time.
The concept is innovative & interesting too. When any Problem is to be discussed by a group. On what points the discussion should start.

Six Hats, Six Colors –

The Six Thinking Hats technique involves the use of allegorical hats in discussions.
Participants put on hats in turn, possibly more than once but not necessarily all of them, to indicate directions (not descriptions) of thinking. The color of each is allied to a function:
White Hat

# Information available & needed
# What information is available?
# What information do we need?
# What information is missing?
# How are we going to get the missing information?
# Includes both sides of disputed information.

Yellow Hat

# Benefits & values
# What are the benefits? Give reasons why.
# What are the good things about this?
# What are the values?
# How will this help us?
# What is the sense of potential?
# Why can it be done?

Green Hat

# Alternatives & creative ideas
# We need to make a creative effort.
# What are the alternatives and possibilities?
# How do we overcome our Black Hat difficulties?
# Are there any other ways to do this?
# Generate as many ideas as possible.

Red Hat

# Feelings & hunches
# Use is limited to 30 seconds.
# Signals feelings, emotions & hunches.
# No justification is required.
# Gives validity to feelings and hunches
# An ingredient in decision making.

Blue Hat

# Managing the thinking process
# Sets the thinking Focus and the agenda.
# Sets the timing.
# Decides on the next step.
# Keeps the discipline when using the hats.
# Asks for summaries and conclusions.
# Asks for decisions.

Usually our personalities take us to one or more of these hats naturally; but here the 6 Hats method requires that each hat be worn cordially- more or less.For ex. A person may be more emotional about that issue or Problem & get excited about Red Hat. But, if all are in the process together, then he has to wear each Hat along with everyone else. It becomes easier if all are all playing the same game by the same rules.

And that’s what Six Thinking Hats does.

It provides a outline- protocol to follow. The traditional method of G.D. where everyone put his logic, which leads the G.D.to argument and many times Discussions driven by particular person- which can be replaced by lateral, collaborative thinking. Where the best idea wins- not just the best thinker.

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