Six Thinking Hats
What is the Six Thinking Hats theory?
The six thinking hats is a powerful thinking framework developed by physician Dr. Edward de Bono in 1985 designed to help individuals and groups approach decision-making from multiple “hats” or perspectives, with an emphasis on improving creativity and collaboration. The core idea behind the six thinking hats is that instead of using a single thinking style, participants are encouraged to adopt different "modes" or "hats" to explore a situation more thoroughly.
The Six Thinking Hats
Here are the six hats and their associated thinking styles:
- White Hat: Focuses on data, facts, and information.
- Yellow Hat: Represents optimism, benefits, and positive outcomes.
- Black Hat: Highlights caution, risks, and potential downsides.
- Red Hat: Involves emotions, feelings, and intuition.
- Green Hat: Sparks creativity, new ideas, and alternatives.
- Blue Hat: Oversees the process, organizing and controlling thinking.
About the Author
Isaac Koenig-Workman
Isaac Koenig-Workman has several years of experience in roles to do with mental health support, group facilitation, and public speaking in a variety of government, nonprofit, and academic settings. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of British Columbia. Isaac has done a variety of research projects at the Attentional Neuroscience Lab and Centre for Gambling Research (CGR) with UBC's Psychology department, as well as contributions to the PolarUs App for bipolar disorder with UBC's Psychiatry department. In addition to writing for TDL he is currently a Justice Interviewer for the Family Justice Services Division of B.C. Public Service, where he determines client needs and provides options for legal action for families going through separation, divorce and other family law matters across the province.