Dr. Edward De Bono

1. Dr. Edward De Bono • Edward De Bono is a world-known expert in creative thinking. The 6 Thinking Hats is one such technique. • The main idea is to have the group only “wear one hat at a time” when considering a problem. The wearing of the hat is metaphorical. At any one time, everyone will wear the same colour, in other words, look at the problem at hand from only one perspective, the perspective indicated by the hat colour.

2. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Introduction   Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats techniques help you to a balanced assessment of your ideas, problems and challenges. By asking you to wear six different thinking hats that represent the six different aspects of how you can possibly think.

3. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats You can use Six Thinking Hats for anything you deal with in life. Use it in your business, use it at school or use it at home. And as a side affect you'll find the overall quality of your creative thinking improve tremendously.

4. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats So, why wear six different thinking hats? Traditional arguing involves two or more parties opposing each other. Whatever one party offers as an input to the discussion, the opponents will come forth with critique. There are several reasons for this: discovering the truth, investigating certain subjects, defending viewpoints, just winning an argument or coming to a synthesis of the various standpoints. 

5. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats So, why wear six different thinking hats? Even if we agree mostly with our discussion partners, we are still inclined to focus on the details we disagree on. "Yes, BUT..." This habit doesn't do justice to the input as a whole. We will overlook valuable points of consideration and lose a lot of time bickering over rights and wrongs. Arguing isn't constructive nor creative. It may result in some improvements but it won't lead to innovation. Arguing is simply not going to build you new roads...

6. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats So, why wear six different thinking hats? De Bono's Six Thinking Hats offer us a simple yet powerful alternative to discussion. With this method we investigate together the facts, the feelings, the pro's and cons, and the creative solutions we can come up with. De Bono calls this parallel thinking. The result of this is a sincere dialogue in which personal gains are set aside in favor of working together to reach clarity. 

7. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats So, why wear six different thinking hats? Use the Six Thinking Hats to assess existing problems, innovative ideas, work processes, study topics, possible decisions, solve disputes and much, much more. The method is simple, but extraordinarily effective. This has lead to the situation that many prominent organizations have implemented this technique in their daily businesses today.

8. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats So, why wear six different thinking hats? Learning the methods and techniques of De Bono's Six Thinking Hats is easy. Yet it will strongly affect your thinking. It is concrete, tangible, simple to use and changes all thinking behaviors instantly.

9. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Six Colored Hats - Six Types of Thinking The colors of the hats are: white, red, black, yellow, green and blue. These colors were chosen for a reason. They're associated with certain situations which will help you remember the objective of each separate hat. Six hats with six different colors, all representing a different aspect of your thinking. When you wear a specific hat, the rule is you stick to the kind of thinking it represents. When you want to switch to a different style of thinking, you need to switch hats as well.

10. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Blue Hat Managing of the thinking itself. Defining the topic, giving the summaries, making decisions and drawing conclusions.

11. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Managing the Thinking Process • A cool blue sky allowing you the overview over the thinking processes which take place. • Here's the manager's blue hat. • You take a little distance from your thinking and watch the process unfold. • Guide it and control it. • And draw the conclusions in the end.

12. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Managing the Thinking Process • Sets the agenda. • Sets the timing. • Decides on the next step. • Keeps everyone on the focus. • Handles requests. • Keeps the discipline when using the hats. • Handles the summary and conclusions. • Asks for decisions.

13. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats White Hat Focus your thoughts on information - the facts and figures. What info is available? How do we get it?

14. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Information Available & Needed • Imagine white paper and computer print-outs. • Most of the time paper is white. • The white hat, just like most paper, refers to information and facts. • So when you wear it, stick to the fact and figures. • Only objective information is what you want right now.

15. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Information Available & Needed • What information is available? • What information would we like to have? • What information do we need? • What information is missing? • Include both sided of disputed information.

16. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Red Hat Unlimited use of feelings, intuition and emotions which don't have to be justified.

17. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Intuition and Feelings • Imagine the red glow of a soaring fire. • You're sitting close. Feel the warmth coming from the flames. • The red hat refers to your feelings and emotions. • Those can be based on complex experiences and aren't always easily analyzed. • Usually they're left out of the discussion since they're neither based on facts nor logic. • Yet feelings which are heard stop nagging in the back of your head. • Thus sharing them helps to clear your thinking. 

18. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Intuition and Feelings • Take no more than 20 to 30 seconds • This is to signal intuition, feelings and emotions. • Remind yourself that no explanation is needed! • Give feelings and intuition validity.

19. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Black Hat Warning! Difficulties, dangers and problems. What can go wrong? And does this comply with our knowledge and experience?

20. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Caution, Difficulties, and Problems • Have you ever experienced the feeling your future seemed to look pitch black? • Only troubles, mistakes, problems and all sorts of dangers awaiting... • You were wearing a black hat. • Very useful at times. • Now wear this hat to alert you to where you could go wrong.

21. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Caution, Difficulties, and Problems • What could be the possible problems? • What could some of the difficulties be? • What are points for caution? • Right now we are using the black hat, so you must make a real effort to come up with the negatives.

22. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Yellow Hat Focus the thinking on benefits, values and attainability. What are the positives?

23. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Benefits and Feasibility • Remember a bright and sunny day. Walking outside in a gentle breeze, how easy it gets to feel optimistic about life. • Your yellow hat represents the positive and logical aspects of your thinking. • So it's not about your hopes! • Your statements have to be backed up by reason as well. • Looking for benefits, added value and observing how realistic your expectations will be. 

24. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Benefits and Feasibility • What are the benefits? • What are the positives? • What are the values? • Are there savings? • Is there a competitive advantage? • Is there potential value? • Is there a concept in this idea that looks attractive?

25. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Green Hat Conscious creative effort. Generating ideas and looking for alternatives. Solving problems.

26. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Alternatives and Creative Ideas • Leaves growing on the trees and bushes, the first flowers unfold in the young and lush meadows and all is vibrant with the creative energy of life. • Your green hat represents your conscious creative efforts. • New ideas arise, innovative solutions pop up. • No logic required this time. • Just let your imagination run wild.

27. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Alternatives and Creative Ideas • We need further alternatives. • We need to make a creative effort. • Are there other ways to do this? • What else could we do here? • How else might we carry through this concept? • What are the possibilities? • What will overcome our difficulties?

28. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Preparing a Session First of all you need a concept. An idea, a problem to solve, a product to create, a service to promote, etc….. What is your thinking going to focus on? What are we thinking about? What are we working towards? What results do we expect of this thinking session?

29. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Preparing a Session Thinking in itself is the most effective is we have clarity about what we want to think about. In general your thinking can be focused in two ways:

30. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Preparing a Session • determine a general subject in which a specific area is made the focus of our thinking - to generate new ideas. • determine a specific subject that has a clearly described focus for our thinking - to solve a problem, improve a process, accomplish a task, overcome a difficulty, add a new feature.

31. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Practical examples: "I would like to think in general about how people at home brush their teeth". "I need some better designs for a toothbrush". "I need stronger material for the brush of a toothbrush".

32. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Some typical thinking pitfalls • When describing your concept, be specific about where you want your thinking to go. • If you want to think about designing an umbrella, a broad description for you focus - like "Preventing people from getting wet" - will not suffice. • You could end up with the conclusion that all bus stops need shelters. • Add to your concept description. • Use several descriptions. 

33. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Some typical thinking pitfalls • Resist the temptation of looking for deeper meanings though. • The general purpose of using the Six Thinking Hats is to come to constructive and creative thinking. • Utilize your thinking for practical solutions.

34. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Example: • "People don't want a drill, they want holes". • Not completely true: people want the holes for a reason, they serve a purpose. • Thinking along these lines can easily distract you from the original objective: designing a better drill.

35. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Some typical thinking pitfalls • To help the focus stick to our subject, it's useful to summarize the results of each separate hat session. • This will also help the group to feel we're actually accomplishing something. • Which in turn helps to keep all participants motivated and actively involved.

36. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Applying the Six Different Hats How do I use these Six Thinking Hats then? Incidental • A particular hat is used in itself to emphasize a certain way of thinking or switch to a different style. • Before and after using the hat the conversation is a traditional argument or discussion. • Utilizing the hat this way can for example serve as a time-out which helps to clear the thinking.

37. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Applying the Six Different Hats How do I use these Six Thinking Hats then? Systematical • Decide on a topic you want to think about. • Determine a sequence for using the hats: your thinking agenda. • Then use the different hats in turn. 

38. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Applying the Six Different Hats How do I use these Six Thinking Hats then? Systematical • The systematical approach is particularly useful when: • The thinkers have different opinions and dig in their heels leading to a dispute. • The discussion is becoming incoherent and leading nowhere. • There is little time available while a subject does deserve a thorough investigation.

39. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Applying the Six Different Hats How do I use these Six Thinking Hats then? Different sequences for different focus points • First of all: there's no such thing a THE right sequence for using the Six Thinking Hats. • Sequences differ according to subject and participating thinkers. • Also remember that in reality every hat can be used as many times as is desirable. 

40. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Applying the Six Different Hats How do I use these Six Thinking Hats then? Different sequences for different focus points • Let the facilitator of a meeting - the one wearing the blue hat - propose a sequence or if time allows, decide on this as a group. • But even with a set sequence: if applicable - be flexible!

41. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Applying the Six Different Hats How do I use these Six Thinking Hats then? How much time do you spend per hat? • You can do an incredible amount of thinking in a relatively short period of time. • Especially when it is known their is little time and you have a clear idea of what you're wanting to achieve with your thinking. • Your thoughts will be sharper and the time limit prevents your thoughts from abbreviations.

42. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Applying the Six Different Hats How do I use these Six Thinking Hats then? How much time do you spend per hat? • With very practical topics 90 seconds per hat can produce an impressive amount of output. • Also it appears to be wise to limit the time even more for people who are used to endless discussions.

43. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Applying the Six Different Hats How do I use these Six Thinking Hats then? How much time do you spend per hat? • Of course the timing also depends on the number of people participating. • But in general 3 to 4 minutes per hat suffices - as a group!

44. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Applying the Six Different Hats How do I use these Six Thinking Hats then? Rules of thumb for timing: • Allow limitless time for white hat when much information needs to be digested. But keep the thinking focused on subject!

45. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Applying the Six Different Hats How do I use these Six Thinking Hats then? Rules of thumb for timing: • Don't limit black hat thinking as long as new viewpoints are brought forward. • Breaking off prematurely will always result in strong resistance.

46. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Applying the Six Different Hats How do I use these Six Thinking Hats then? Rules of thumb for timing: • For the same reasons also don't limit yellow hat thinking.

47. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Applying the Six Different Hats How do I use these Six Thinking Hats then? Rules of thumb for timing: • Be flexible with green hat thinking: switch to a different hat once the flow of ideas has stopped. • You can always come back to the green hat later on. • Only when using specific creative thinking methods allow for enough time to utilize them.

48. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Applying the Six Different Hats How do I use these Six Thinking Hats then? Rules of thumb for timing: • Restrict red hat thinking to 30 seconds to prevent people from wanting to explain or justify their feelings. • Only allow more time when intuition and feelings form a major part of our subject. • (For instance when acceptability of a new idea is an issue.)   

49. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats Applying the Six Different Hats How do I use these Six Thinking Hats then? Rules of thumb for timing: • Always limit the thinking session for each hat at forehand. • If it turns out to be appropriate, allow for extra time. • The timing is the task of the facilitator wearing the blue hat.

50. Edward De Bono'sSix Thinking Hats When do I apply this thinking method? Meetings - more than 2 people • Both the incidental as the systematical application of the hats is useful during meetings. • Important is that all participants are always wearing the same hat!  • The facilitator usually has the blue hat on and structures the dialogue. • But everyone can make blue hat