Six Thinking Hats

The Black Hat represents gloomy and negative judgment. The decision depends on the logics applied to identify flaws and mismatches. Participants identify barriers, hazards, risks and other negative connotations associated with the topic on which they are discussing. This is critical thinking, looking for problems and mismatches.

For example, your school may refuse for an excursion pointing the fore coming exams. Your father may say “I feel you are spending unnecessary on your pocket money provided. If you don’t give me an account this time, I’m planning to make a cut on your quota of money”.

The Yellow Hat represents sunny and positive. The decision depends on the logics applied to identify benefits and harmonies. It is just opposite to black hat.

For example, your school principal may say “I think, by taking you guys on an excursion to Egypt, you can learn more about archeology”. A decision to start the business in a new area, after making a study which identified that there is a demand for your product in that region, also falls under this group.

The Green Hat represents creative thinking, a method for identifying alternative choices. It is the color of grass which symbolize fertile and growing. It will take you through imaginations and investigations. This leads to the origin of new thoughts, based on the idea of provocation. This discussion generally involves black hat also, to identify the hazards in their new innovation.

For example, if a company needs to change its existing system, then they will think of various other new opportunities. They will also discuss the possible hazards and ways to eliminate. Slowly they will identify their new option.

The Blue Hat represents Process control. It is the color of the sky, which is above everything, in this world. It makes you to reiterate your thinking, which in other words can be said as “Thinking about Thinking”. This is the one used at the beginning and end of any discussions. This hat gives the whole picture of the discussion and hence it is the one a facilitator should have.

For example, your teacher says “Students, every one of you need to involve in this group discussion, as it is regarding your career growth”. By saying this, the teacher initiates the discussion. After this initiative, students will start wearing yellow, black, green hats depending upon their point of discussion. Whenever they go wrong, the teacher will say “Stop, Stop. This is not the topic of our discussion. You have to leave that”. Finally the teacher will conclude saying “So, this is what the best solutions are. Agree?”