The Six Thinking HatsJoin now to read essay The Six Thinking HatsThe six thinking hats decision-making techniqueCSS/330July 9, 2005AbstractThis paper will examine the six thinking hats decision-making technique created by Dr. Edward De Bono, beginning with a brief background of the founder, as well as a complete description of the six thinking hats decision-making technique itself. It will also include an example of the technique and how it is applied in a real world situation. Ending in examination of when it is and is not appropriate to use the six thinking hats method.
The six thinking hats decision-making techniqueBackgroundThe six thinking hats decision-making technique was created by Dr. Edward De Bono, an expert in thinking skills and is regarded by many as the leading authority in the field of creative thinking, innovation and the direct teaching of thinking as a skill. He is also listed as one of the two hundred and fifty persons, who made the most significant contribution to humanity. The work of Dr. De Bono is found appealing to many because of its simplicity and practicality. The technique can be utilized by individuals or groups, four year olds or seniors, and by the mentally challenged or highly intelligent. His methods are considered powerfully simple and can help to make decisions, solve problems, challenge assumptions and achieve a practical improvement in work and in life. (
The six thinking hats techniqueThe six thinking hats technique is an important and powerful method of thinking, which forces one to move outside of the regular way of thinking and to give a more complete well rounded view of a problem or situation. It is used to enhance creativity and critical thinking by looking at a decision from six different and important perspectives. Within this technique, the different perspectives are represented by six different colored thinking hats. Each thinking hat is named for a color which is related to the description of the perspective that one adopts when wearing the particular hat. When “putting on” one of the hats, one must operate exclusively in that mode of thinking and when changing hats, one changes the thinking mode associated from the first hat to the second. It is important to note that the six hats are not categories or descriptions of thinkers themselves and that every person or group can use all of the hats as tools to explore an issue and stimulate creative thinking.
The six thinking hatsThe white hatThe white hat is from the perspective of an observer and is represented by the image of white paper and is thought to be neutral in nature. It is used to think about the facts, figures, and other objective information concerning the issue at hand. It looks for gaps in knowledge in an attempt to either fill them or take them into consideration, as well as focuses on what it is needed and how it can be obtained. This is where one can analyze past trends and historical data.
The red hatThe red hat follows the perspective of self and others and is associated with fire and warmth. It is focuses on emotions, feelings, intuition, and other non-rational but potentially valuable resources, such as hunches. When wearing this hat one must be free to present their ideas or views without explanation, it is also important to consider how others will react emotionally and to try to understand the responses of people who do not fully understand your reasoning.
The black hatThe black hat follows the perspective of self and others and is associated with the image of a stern judge wearing a black robe or of playing devils advocate. It exercises caution and critical judgment in an attempt to think of all things bad regarding the decision. It is also used to identify weak points or a worse-case scenario in a plan or decision, where it may then possible to either eliminate them or prepare contingency plans in order to counteract them. Black hat thinking helps to make the plans tougher and more resilient, as well as spot fatal flaws and risks before you take a course of action. It is considered to be one of the real benefits of this technique, as many successful people can get to a point where they are so used
[quote=Hector]A black hat is a mask of an image and often is worn by criminals to conceal their true identity. This is an easy way to identify the image in a dark room while your other senses are asleep[/quote]It is used to make the decisions easier and more favorable. It does not have to be a black hat. It is best used as a dark suit because black hats can protect you[/quote] and also protect your own body from negative influences, particularly bad weather conditions. If you have seen others that use black hats to disguise the appearance, they may become ill, be in a worse condition or face attack. They may also lose their identity. [br][tb=29t08:01]
Another way to help prevent the loss of one’s identity is using a false identity. An individual who is seen as being suspicious or has been tricked by other people for a “time of day” can easily hide the identity of them and to use black hats, they will be given false pretenses so that they are more vulnerable to further attacks in an effort to win their trust.[/tbl][p>