During a recent education workshop, I was introduced to the book Six Thinking Hats*
A Different Approach to Meetings
While I am just beginning to understand this method of holding a meeting, I am excited about the possibilities. As De Bono writes, this method differs from the argumentative structure typically found in normal meetings where individuals take a position and debate with others. Instead, this method explores issues through the lenses of six different “hats.” A color and a function represent each hat. While wearing each hat, participants should focus their deliberations only on the hat’s assigned function.
Here are the different hats and their functions:
- White – Neutral and objective, concerned only with facts
- Red – Provides an emotional view
- Black – Examines an issue under a critical eye
- Yellow – Sunny and positive, looks for possibilities
- Green – The hat used to look for new ideas and alternatives
- Blue – The rule-keeping hat, organizes the meeting
The author organized this 173-page book into six major sections, each focusing on the functions of the different hats. There are 43 chapters. The first three chapters introduce the idea of the six hats, and the rest of the chapters address the different hats with 5 to 8 chapters per section. The final chapter of each section succinctly summarizes each hat and provides readers with a quick reference for the hat’s functions.
How the Six Hats Structure Discussion
As De Bono points out, most meetings focus on judgement and argument. Most meetings allocate little time to exploring issues creatively.
De Bono argues that meeting participants can increase productivity by using the six thinking hats to dedicate time to “mapping” out the issue and examining it one objective at a time.
By having participants put the “red” hat on, participants can focus on exploring the feelings and emotions surrounding an issue.
By putting on the “green” hat, participants can be creative and search for new ideas or alternatives for proposals.
Knowing there will be time to focus on the negative or “black” hat issues, participants can provide useful input at the appropriate time.
This approach eliminates the desire to counter every idea raised, allowing participants to create a full map of the issue.
“With the Six Hats method, the intelligence, experience and knowledge of all the members of the group are fully used. Everyone is looking and working in the same direction” (De Bono, 1999, p. 9).
Understanding Each Thinking Hat
Ideally, one should use each hat only for a period to examine an issue through that lens. The facilitator would change hats based on a sequence or the needs of the issue at hand. Typically, the participants would agree upon the order of hat use at the outset of the meeting. De Bono provides examples of sequences throughout the book; these sequences are based on the situation or issue being discussed. Participants must first understand a hat before they use it. Here summarizes each hat:
White Hat: Facts and Information
People wear the white hat to determine what they know about an issue or to identify missing information. Typically, information brought forward under a white hat must be able to be supported with data. Participants typically wear the white hat early in the meeting to collect essential information.
Red Hat: Feelings and Intuition
The red hat is used to draw out feelings participants have about an issue. The interesting part of the red hat is that participants do not need to justify their feelings, and no one should ask them to, only what feelings they experience. Again, participants often use the red hat at the beginning of a session and at the end. Participants may change their feelings after they receive more information.
Black Hat: Risks and Concerns
People use the black hat to analyze an issue critically and highlight all the danger points or problems related to it. Wearing this hat is the easiest, but participants must control and regulate it throughout the session. The black hat addresses concerns.
Yellow Hat: Benefits and Opportunities
Where the black hat looks for things that may be problems, the yellow hat looks for the positive or benefits of an issue. With the yellow hat, participants look for proposals, benefits, and opportunities. The yellow hat can be used to address issues and find solutions raised under the black hat.
Green Hat: Creative Alternatives
The green hat is the creative hat. Discovering new options is the focus of the green hat. The green hat aims to inspire ideas that differ from the usual. De Bono outlines a couple of exercises to facilitate creative thinking.
Blue Hat: Managing the Process
Finally, the blue is to organize and manage the meeting. It is the blue hat that identifies and controls the sequence of hats. The facilitator usually wears the blue hat. The facilitator manages the rules of the meeting. However, anyone can wear the blue hat to make adjustments to how the meeting is being run.
My Recommendation
I believe the value of the six thinking hats approach is the structure it provides a meeting. This structure allows us to address key areas without the discussion becoming a two-sided issue. I want to explore this approach at an upcoming meeting to see how it works. Based on what I have read without putting it into practice, I would recommend this book to others.
Here are additional articles to better understand this topic:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Thinking_Hats
- http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_07.htm
- Wearing Six Thinking Hats
Has anyone used this strategy for a meeting? How did it work for you? Are there any suggests you might offer?
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Reference
De Bono, E. (1999). Six Thinking Hats. Boston: Back Bay Books.
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