Six Thinking Hats

Learning Objective

Participants will learn to separate different modes of thinking, explore problems comprehensively from multiple perspectives, and make better group decisions by ensuring all viewpoints are systematically considered.

How It Works

The Six Thinking Hats:

🔵 BLUE HAT (Process)
   Facilitator hat—sets agenda, manages time, summarizes conclusions

⚪ WHITE HAT (Facts)
   Information focus—what data do we have? What do we need?

🟡 YELLOW HAT (Benefits)
   Optimistic view—what are the advantages? Why could this work?

⚫ BLACK HAT (Caution)
   Critical view—what are the risks? What could go wrong?

🔴 RED HAT (Emotions)
   Feelings and intuition—gut reactions, no justification needed (30 seconds only!)

🟢 GREEN HAT (Creativity)
   New ideas—alternatives, possibilities, innovations

Typical Sequence:
1. 🔵 Blue: Define problem and process (5 min)
2. ⚪ White: Gather facts (10 min)
3. 🟡 Yellow: Explore benefits (8 min)
4. ⚫ Black: Identify risks (8 min)
5. 🔴 Red: Quick gut check (30 sec)
6. 🟢 Green: Generate solutions (10 min)
7. 🔵 Blue: Summarize and next steps (5 min)

Rules:
- Everyone wears the SAME hat at the same time
- No mixing hats—stay in one mode
- Respect each hat's purpose
- Keep red hat brief and instinctive

Example Scenarios

AI will generate scenarios like these, customized for your context:

• Strategy: Should we expand into a new geographic market?
• Technology: Evaluating whether to build vs. buy a critical system
• HR: Deciding on a new hybrid work policy for the organization
• Product: Whether to sunset a legacy product line
• Operations: Choosing between two major vendor partnerships