Creative Problem Solving with
Six Thinking Hats
How to use Edward de Bono’sparallel thinking in problem solving
Presented by:-
Shruti Poddar – 24Atharva School of Business
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
What is 6 Thinking Hats?
Technique for effective meetings & problem solving.
NOT “What is”
“What can be”
Experience & Intelligence of EVERYONE is used in EACH direction.
Explore the subject! E.g. Court of Law
Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
Goals of using these Hats
Define parallel thinking
Identify each of the six hats
Learn how to ask a good question
Apply six hats method to problem solving
Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
Objective of using these Hats
Explore project ideas from a variety of viewpoints.
Add depth to the planning process.
Encourage critical thinking.
Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
What is parallel thinking?
At any moment everyone is looking in the same direction.
Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
So the six hats are…?
Six colors of hats for six types of thinking
• Each hat identifies a type of thinking
• Hats are directions of thinking
Hats help a group use parallel thinking
• You can “put on” and “take off” a hat
Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
Uses for Six Hats
Problem solving
Strategic planning
Running meetings
Much more
Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
Six colors…White: neutral, objective
Red: emotional, angry
Black: serious, somber
Yellow: sunny, positive
Green: growth, fertility
Blue: cool, sky above
Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
… & six hatsWhite: objective facts & figures
Red: emotions & feelings
Black: cautious & careful
Yellow: hope, positive & speculative
Green: creativity, ideas & lateral thinking
Blue: control & organization of thinking
Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
General hat issuesDirection, not description
• Set out to think in a certain direction• “Let’s have some black hat thinking…”
Not categories of people• Not: “He’s a black hat thinker.”• Everyone can and should use all the hats
A constructive form of showing off• Show off by being a better thinker• Not destructive right vs. wrong argument
Use in whole or in part
Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
Benefits of Six Thinking Hats Provides a common language
Experience & intelligence of each person (Diversity of thought)
Use more of our brains
Helps people work against type, preference
Removal of ego (reduce confrontation)
Save time
Focus (one thing at a time)
Create, evaluate & implement action plans
Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
Using the hats
Use any hat, as often as needed
Sequence can be preset or evolving
Not necessary to use every hat
Time under each hat: generally, short
Requires discipline from each person• While using it, stay in the idiom
Adds an element of play, play along
Can be used by individuals and groups
Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
The blue hat
Thinking about thinking
Instructions for thinking
The organization of thinking
Control of the other hats
Discipline and focus
Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
It is a hat of “ORGANISED” people.
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
The blue hat role Control of thinking & the process
Begin & end session with blue hat
Facilitator, session leader’s role
Instructions to think
Organization of thought
Control and Respect of the rules
Right Questions
Define the problem
Define the Targets
Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
Explorative Questions
Summaries and Conclusions
Sequence of steps
• open, sequence, close
• Focus: what should we be thinking about
• Asking the right questions
• Defining & clarifying the problem
• Setting the thinking tasks
Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
Open with the blue hat…
Why we are here
what we are thinking about
definition of the situation or problem
alternative definitions
what we want to achieve
where we want to end up
the background to the thinking
a plan for the sequence of hats
Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
… & close with the blue hat
What we have achieved
Outcome
Conclusion
Design
Solution
Next steps
Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
White Hat Thinking Neutral, objective information
Facts & figures
Questions: what do we know, what don’t we know, what do we need to know
Excludes opinions, hunches, judgments
Removes feelings & impressions
Two tiers of facts• Believed Facts• Checked Facts
Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
It is a hat of a “Rational” person.
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
Six hats summaryBlue: control & organization of thinking
White: objective facts & figures
Red: emotions & feelings
Yellow: hope, positive & speculative
Green: creativity, ideas & lateral thinking
Black: cautious & careful
Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
Creative Problem Solving
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
Six hats & problem solving
A more deliberate process than CPS
Like CPS, uses creativity (green hat)
Unlike CPS, provides a mechanism for evaluating ideas & making decisions
Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
Hypothetical problem solving using the hats - 1
Blue hat• Organize the process
Red hat• Emotional issues & feelings
White hat• What do we know, need to know
Yellow hat• Proposals & suggestions; what ifs, why nots
Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
Hypothetical problem solving using the hats - 2
Blue hat• Focus on the areas that need new ideas
Green hat• Generate new ideas & concepts
Blue hat• Organize ideas & process for evaluation
White, yellow & green hats• Constructive thinking
Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
Hypothetical problem solving using the hats - 3
Yellow hat• Positive assessment of viable alternatives
Black hat• Screening for impossible, unusable• Challenge the alternatives
Yellow & green hats• Overcome objections, correct faults, remove
weaknesses, solve problems
Black hat• Further scrutiny; point out risks, dangers
Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
Hypothetical problem solving using the hats - 4
Blue hat• Overview of achievements so far• Organize choice of route
Red hat• Express feelings about the choices
Yellow & black hats• Looking for the best alternative
Blue hat• Strategy for implementation
Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
Advantages of adopting Six thinking Hat method
Focused Thinking
Emphasis on parallel thinking
Symbolic role
Transformer of personality
Removes ego
Saves time
Empowers organization
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.Edward de Bono Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono Six Thinking Hats
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