What Is the Six Thinking Hats Technique?
The Six Thinking Hats technique, developed by Dr Edward de Bono in 1985, is a method of parallel thinking that separates six modes of thought to simplify complex discussions. Rather than argue from opposing viewpoints, participants “wear” different hats — metaphorical thinking styles — in sequence to explore issues from all angles.
The goal of the technique is to foster structured thinking, balanced perspectives, and more effective decisions. De Bono believed that confusion in decision-making arises because “emotions, information, logic, hope, and creativity all crowd in on us simultaneously”. The Six Thinking Hats technique imposes order, allowing each mode to have its moment.
Why Use the Six Thinking Hats Technique for Problem Solving at Work?
Using the Six Thinking Hats Technique for problem-solving helps managers avoid biased decisions and promotes innovation in several key ways:
- Avoiding one-sided thinking: Regular meetings often lean towards negativity or data-driven analysis only. The hats ensure each dimension - facts, risks, emotions, creativity, and optimism are considered.
- Enhancing teamwork and innovation: Giving space for emotional input (Red Hat) and creative alternatives (Green Hat) helps teams feel heard and inspired.
- Resolving conflicts constructively: The framework reduces clashes by temporarily isolating critical issues, allowing discussions to follow a clear path rather than devolving into chaos.
- Strategic decision-making: For strategic initiatives such as mergers or product launches, the technique structures long, multi-angle thinking into manageable segments.
In real settings, when teams apply this technique, meeting length often decreases while decision quality improves.
Six Thinking Hats Explained: Roles & Questions to Ask
Here’s an overview of each hat and its thinking mode:
| Hat (Colour) | Thinking Mode | Questions to Ask |
|---|---|---|
| White Hat (Facts & Data) | Objective, information-based | What data do we have? What is missing? |
| Red Hat (Emotions & Intuition) | Subjective, emotional | How do we feel about this? Intuitively, what’s your sense? |
| Black Hat (Caution & Risks) | Critical, cautious | What might go wrong? What are the risks? |
| Yellow Hat (Optimism & Benefits) | Constructive, positive | What are the benefits? Why might this succeed? |
| Green Hat (Creativity & Alternatives) | Creative, innovative | What alternatives exist? How might we think outside the box? |
| Blue Hat (Process & Control) | Overarching, organisational | Are we following the proper process? What are the next steps? |
How to Use the Six Thinking Hats Technique in the Workplace
A step-by-step guide to using the Six Thinking Hats Technique effectively:
1. Define the problem clearly
Start your meeting with a Blue Hat: state the objective succinctly. E.g., “We need to resolve delivery delays affecting 20% of our orders” — and outline desired outcomes.
2. Choose the sequence of hats
You can run them in standard order (Blue → White → Red → Black → Yellow → Green → Blue), or adapt to the issue. For a technical problem, begin with White Hat to collect data; for a people-focused concern, allow Red Hat earlier.
3. Assign roles or rotate hats
Decide whether each person speaks through each hat in turn, or appoint subgroups to focus on specific hats. Helpful tip: Rotate the Blue Hat facilitator every session to foster team ownership.
4. Encourage balanced contributions
Limit the time per hat to, say, 10 minutes for White, 8 minutes for Red, and so on. Visual aids or actual coloured hat props can help keep participants grounded. Ensure quieter voices are invited through direct questions: “From a Black Hat perspective, what potential risk might we not see yet?”
5. Summarise outcomes and decide next steps
Return to the Blue Hat for evaluation and planning. Write down key takeaways under each hat, assign responsibilities, and set deadlines. E.g., “White Hat: Market data updates by next Monday; Black Hat: Risk mitigation plan in two days.”
Six Thinking Hats Technique Example in the Workplace (Coffeehouse Case Study)
Here is an example of a Six Thinking Hats technique from a small retail team facing declining customer satisfaction due to long queue times.
Scenario: A high-street coffeehouse (call it “Bean & Brew”) experiences a 15% drop in customer satisfaction scores over three months due to long wait times.
Step-by-step through the hats:
- Blue Hat (5 min): Manager outlines issue (“Queue times average 8 mins; target is 4.”) and session structure.
- White Hat (10 min): Team reviews data – average transaction times, staff numbers, and order patterns. They note a peak between 8–9 am and 1–2 pm.
- Red Hat (8 min): Staff share feelings - frustration with long queues, guilt at customers’ stress, and concern about workload.
- Black Hat (10 min): Risks – increased staff costs if hiring; potential for quality to slip; equipment constraints.
- Yellow Hat (10 min): Benefits – improved satisfaction could lift sales by 5%; potential positive reviews.
- Green Hat (12 min): Brainstorm – express-order option; pre-order via app; add a second till; staggered staff shifts; loyalty members pre-order.
- Blue Hat (5 min): Summarise – action plan: pilot mobile pre-orders next week; monitor queue time; review staff scheduling; report after two weeks.
After implementing the technique, “Bean & Brew” reduced average wait times from 8 mins to 5 mins within two weeks and increased satisfaction scores by 7 points (GfK Retail Consultancy data, 2023 internal survey).
Common Challenges of Using the Six Thinking Hats Technique and How to Overcome Them
Although powerful, the Six Thinking Hats Technique can face obstacles:
Challenge 1: Resistance to role play
Some team members feel silly "wearing" hats or dislike shifting modes of thought.
Overcome by: Emphasising metaphor as a tool, not a costume; start with short sessions; use visual prompts, such as coloured cards.
Challenge 2: Over-focus on one hat
Often, participants get stuck in Black Hat negativity or White Hat data.
Overcome by: Strict time limits; facilitator actively redirects conversation; reminds group to stay “on hat”.
Challenge 3: Time constraints in busy meetings
The full six hats process can feel time-consuming.
Overcome by: Using a shortened session (e.g., 4 hats for 30 minutes) or doing partial hats followed by a full review in a follow-up meeting.
Practical Tips for Managers and Executives on Applying the Six Thinking Hats Technique
To embed the Six Thinking Hats Technique effectively in team culture:
- Use for both quick decisions and long-term strategy
A short 20-minute hat session can resolve urgent issues; a full session can support strategic retreats. - Rotate facilitators (Blue Hat bearers)
This encourages leadership development and varied hosting styles, keeping sessions fresh. - Combine with other tools
After a session, apply SWOT analysis to refine ideas or use RACI charts to assign responsibility. - Track outcomes to measure effectiveness
Record ‘before vs after’ metrics, such as reduction in meeting time, improved decision quality, or higher satisfaction scores. In one UK-based firm, applying Six Thinking Hats reduced meeting time by 30% while increasing decision clarity (Bitesize Learning report, October 2023).
Conclusion
The Six Thinking Hats Technique is both simple and powerful. By guiding your team through distinct thinking modes — facts, feelings, risks, optimism, creativity, and process — you can bring clarity, fairness, and creativity into decision-making. It helps reduce bias, fuel innovation, and sharpen outcomes.
Next time you lead a meeting, try running a full Six Thinking Hats session, even a short one, and measure its impact. For deeper learning, consider joining SIM Academy’s Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats® course to master the technique and transform your leadership style.
Read More: What is Critical Thinking? 3 Reasons to Develop Thinking Skills