How to use the Six Thinking Hats to Make Better Decisions

Do you struggle with making decisions for your business or personal life? Do you often feel confused, conflicted, or biased when facing a problem? Do you wish you could explore different perspectives and options without getting into arguments or jumping to conclusions?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you might benefit from learning about the six thinking hats method. This is a powerful technique that can help you improve your decision-making skills, boost your creativity, and avoid common thinking traps.
In this blog post, we will explain what the six thinking hats are, how they work, and how you can use them to make better decisions in any situation.

What are the Six Thinking Hats?

The Six Thinking Hats is a method of parallel thinking developed by Dr. Edward de Bono, a renowned psychologist and author of several books on creativity and thinking skills. The idea behind this method is that the human brain can think in different ways, but often gets stuck in one mode or another. This can lead to narrow-mindedness, emotional bias, or unproductive conflict.
To overcome these limitations, de Bono proposed using six different hats as metaphors for six different modes of thinking. Each hat represents a distinct way of looking at a problem or a decision, and by switching hats, you can explore different aspects of the issue in a clear and structured way.

The six hats are:

• Blue hat: This is the hat of process and control. You use this hat to define the problem, set the objectives, plan the agenda, and manage the thinking process.
• White hat: This is the hat of facts and information. You use this hat to gather and analyze data, evidence, and facts related to the problem. You also identify any gaps or needs in your information.
• Red hat: This is the hat of feelings and emotions. You use this hat to express your gut feelings, intuitions, and emotions about the problem. You don’t have to justify or explain them logically.
• Black hat: This is the hat of risks and cautions. You use this hat to identify and evaluate the potential problems, drawbacks, and dangers of the decision. You also consider how to prevent or minimize them.
• Yellow hat: This is the hat of benefits and optimism. You use this hat to identify and evaluate the potential advantages, opportunities, and value of the decision. You also consider how to maximize them.
• Green hat: This is the hat of creativity and alternatives. You use this hat to generate and explore new ideas, possibilities, and solutions for the problem. You also consider how to improve or modify your existing options.

How do the six thinking hats work?

The six thinking hats work by separating out different aspects of thinking and allowing you to focus on one at a time. This helps you avoid confusion, distraction, or bias that might arise from trying to think in multiple ways at once.

You can use the six thinking hats individually or in groups. The key is to switch hats deliberately and systematically according to a predefined sequence or program. 

For example, 

1. You might start with the blue hat to set up the problem and the agenda, 
2. Then, move on to the white hat to gather information, 
3. Then, the red hat to express feelings, 
4. Then, the black hat to assess risks, 
5. Then, the yellow hat to evaluate benefits, 
6. Then, the green hat to generate ideas, 
7. And finally, go back to the blue hat to summarize the findings and make a decision.

By using this method, you can ensure that you cover all aspects of the problem or decision in a balanced and comprehensive way. You can also avoid getting stuck in one mode of thinking or getting into arguments with others who have different views. Instead, you can use each mode of thinking as a tool to enhance your understanding and creativity.

How can you use the six thinking hats to make better decisions?

• If you are deciding whether to start a new project or business venture, you can use the six thinking hats to explore the market demand, costs and benefits, risks and opportunities, creative options, emotional factors, and process steps involved in launching it.
• If you are deciding whether to buy a new product or service, you can use the six thinking hats to compare features and prices, reviews and ratings, pros and cons, alternatives and improvements, feelings and preferences, and purchase steps involved in acquiring it.
• If you are deciding whether to travel to a new destination or not, you can use the six thinking hats to research facts and information, benefits and risks, feelings and emotions, ideas and possibilities, options and alternatives, and plans and actions involved in traveling there.

The six thinking hats can be applied to any decision you need to make, big or small, personal or professional, individual or collective. The only limit is your imagination and willingness to try different perspectives.

Conclusion

The six thinking hats is a powerful technique that can help you improve your decision-making skills, boost your creativity, and avoid common thinking traps. By using this method, you can explore different aspects of a problem or a decision in a clear and structured way, and reach a better outcome.

If you want to learn more about the six thinking hats and how to use them effectively, you can check out these resources:

• The book “Six Thinking Hats” by Edward de Bono
• The website of the de Bono Group - Thinking as a skill | de Bono