Six Thinking Hats

You and your team members can learn how to separate thinking into six clear functions and roles. Each thinking role is identified with a colored symbolic “thinking hat.” By mentally wearing and switching “hats,” you can easily focus or redirect thoughts, the conversation, or the meeting.

	The White Hat calls for information known or needed. “The facts, just the facts.”
	The Yellow Hat symbolizes brightness and optimism. Under this hat you explore the positives and probe for value and benefit.
	Risks, difficulties, Problems – The risk management Hat, probably the most powerful Hat; a problem however if overused; spot difficulties where things might go wrong, why something may not work, inherently an action hat with the intent to point out issues of risk with intent to overcome them.
	The Red Hat signifies feelings, hunches and intuition. When using this hat you can express emotions and feelings and share fears, likes, dislikes, loves, and hates.
	The Green Hat focuses on creativity; the possibilities, alternatives, and new ideas. It’s an opportunity to express new concepts and new perceptions.
	The Blue Hat is used to manage the thinking process. It’s the control mechanism that ensures the Six Thinking Hats® guidelines are observed.

Using Six Thinking Hats®, you and your team will learn how to use a disciplined process which will…

• Maximize productive collaboration and minimize counterproductive interaction/behavior
• Consider issues, problems, decisions, and opportunities systematically
• Use Parallel Thinking as a group or team to generate more, better ideas and solutions
• Make meetings much shorter and more productive
• Reduce conflict among team members or meeting participants
• Stimulate innovation by generating more and better ideas quickly
• Create dynamic, results oriented meetings that make people want to participate
• Go beyond the obvious to discover effective alternate solutions
• Spot opportunities where others see only problems
• Think clearly and objectively
• View problems from new and unusual angles
• Make thorough evaluations
• See all sides of a situation
• Keep egos and “turf protection” in check
• Achieve significant and meaningful results in a less time

Significant Applications for the Parallel Thinking Process of Six Thinking Hats

• • Leadership Development
  • Team Productivity, Alignment and Communication
  • Creative and innovative thinking
  • Meeting leadership and decision making
  • Product and Process Improvement, and Project Management
  • Critical, Analytical Thinking and Problem-Solving
  • Organizational Change/Performance
  • Wherever High Performance Thinking and Action is needed