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Six Thinking Hats

3.79 of 5 stars 3.79 · rating details · 2,894 ratings · 157 reviews

YOUR SUCCESS IN BUSINESS DEPENDS ON HOW WELL YOU THINK Six Thinking Hats can help you think better-with its practical and uniquely positive approach to making decisions and exploring new ideas. It is an approach that thousands of business managers, educators, and government leaders around the world have already adopted with great success. "The main difficulty of thinking i...more

Paperback, 192 pages

Published September 13th 1999 by Back Bay Books (first published 1981)

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Jun 16, 2012 فجر rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: تطوير-الذات

مرحبا أعتذر عن تأخري في إبداء رأي عن الكتاب
وللأسف كنت قد لخصه وأنا في أثناء عملي ،بين قلم الرصاصي ودفتري

والأمر الصعب في الموضوع أنني في الفترة الأخيرة بدأت أقراء الكتب إلكترونياً
وهذا يأخذ مني مجهود كبير اشتقت لحمل الكتاب أينما ذهبت
بما أنني امرأه عملية جدا لدي أعمال كثير وارتباطات عائلية وخارجية
ضمن برنامج الصيف كمتطوعة أو مواعيد في العيادة

فالكتاب أحمله معي وأول ما تحصل فرصة اقراءة صدقوني أحيانا حتى عند إشارة الحمراء اقراءة حتى لو خمس دقائق

نعم عاشقة للقراءة متهورة في شراء الكتب مجنونة بعفوتي الت...more

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Jan 25, 2009 Syed Misbahuddin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

FOOD FOR THOUGHTS
Six Thinking Hats by Edward De Bono
www.edwdebono.com

Thinking is a skill and can be improved, this is what our book under review teaches us and says,

these are not idle words, but they are said by a consultant to many international corporations like IBM, EXXON, DUPONT, PROCTOR AND GAMBLE, SHELL, BP, FORD. ETC.,

Enough of bombarding you with Billion Dollar earning company names, let me climb down to common man, that is me, I wont sell my title of common man for a Billion Dollar, I...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Untouchable Soul . is currently reading it · review of another edition

ترتكز العملية الإبداعية على أمر هام جداً وهو نمط التفكير عند الإنسان وأسلوب تعامله العقلي والفكري مع مجريات الأحداث وشؤونه المختلفة .
ولقد حاول بعض العلماء أن يتعمقوا في دراسة وتحليل العملية التفكيرية عند الإنسان وسعوا إلى تنميطها وتقسيمها حتى يسهل التعامل معها , ومن أشهر العلماء الذين قاموا بهذه الدراسات الطبيب البريطاني (( إدوارد دي بونو )) والذي استفاد من معلوماته الطبية عن المخ في تحليل أنماط التفكير عند الإنسان حتى ابتكر طريقة (( القبعات الست ))

وخلاصته الدراسة أن التفكير عند الإنسان مقسم إل...more

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Dec 13, 2010 Arwa Helmi rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

الكتاب يتحدث عن طرق للتفكير اوجدها المؤلف ونسبها إلى ألوان لسهولة تذكرها وربط مدلول اللون مع طريقة التفكير

أسهب المؤلف في ذكر شروحات وأمثلة لكل قبعة بحيث يتأكد من فهمنا لكل واحدة منهن وعدم خلطنا في الأفكار الواقعة تحت أحدها ونسبها للأخرى

القبعات:
اللون الأبيض = يدل على الحيادية (حقائق خالصة)
اللون الأحمر = لون المشاعر ويعبر عن الأفكار العاطفية بدون ذكر التبريرات
اللون الأسود = الأفكار السلبية والانتقادات
اللون الأصفر = لون الإشراق ويعني الأفكار الإيجابية
اللون الأخضر = لون النمو والتجديد ويرمز للتفكير...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Alan Lattanner rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: business, self-improvement

Six Thinking Hats is an expansion of Edward deBono's original approach to solving problems through creative thinking using a method he devised in 1967 called Lateral Thinking. The Hats represent six facets of the thinking process as applied to decision-making: information, feelings, risk, benefits, alternatives and process. The concept is useful for individuals as well as groups, but is most powerful as a tool to encourage "parallel thinking" in a team setting.

Parallel Thinking encourages all pr...more Six Thinking Hats is an expansion of Edward deBono's original approach to solving problems through creative thinking using a method he devised in 1967 called Lateral Thinking. The Hats represent six facets of the thinking process as applied to decision-making: information, feelings, risk, benefits, alternatives and process. The concept is useful for individuals as well as groups, but is most powerful as a tool to encourage "parallel thinking" in a team setting.

Parallel Thinking encourages all present in a meeting to consider the topic under discussion from one "Hats" perspective at a time, without judgement, until all views have been expressed and all perspectives considered. The process honors individual personality differences while defusing confrontational exchanges. It reduces cultural barriers to self-expression, such as the reluctance to express deeply-held feelings, by authorizing each person present to express himself or herself under authority of the Hat-of-the-moment (e.g. the Red or "Emotional" Hat encourages people to express their feelings about a given alternative). DeBono says that often the best decision quickly rises to the top when participants are able to see all facets of everyone's thinking side-by-side. He cites numerous testamonials of dramatic productivity improvements by business and government organizations that have incorporated the six hats methodology into their decision processes.

The Six Hats process requires training and leadership. It may be used in at least two different manners. One would be a formal process of addressing an issue in a structured Six Hats meeting. The other and more common implementation, according to deBono, is to use the Hats metaphor when expressing opinions during a traditional business meeting for the purpose of clearly identifying "where you are coming from." In the typical business meeting participants do not communicate in parallel, meaning they do not address a subject from one vantage point at a time. Listeners are free to misinterpret a speaker's intentions and misunderstand his or her full assessment of a topic, leading to protracted discussions even when everyone basically agrees on most points. The Six Hats method helps to organize thinking into a more manageable process that has the added benefits of sparking creativity and improving productivity.

The one area of this book that I find wanting is implementation. There is minimal discussion of how to use the method and what is given is somewhat contradictory, as early in the book he advocates the formal method where only the discussion leader may change the group's Hat, while later in the book he discusses using the Six Hats method as an accessory for people to use at will in traditional meetings. This is a bit confusing. Understanding the alternatives for implementation and use is vital information for anyone planning to introduce the Six Hats into an existing organization.

The Six Hats methodology is a significant contribution to the decision sciences. I have studied and used many quantitative decision tools in my career (decision trees, uncertainty analysis, Analytic Hierarachy and so on). All lack a strategic organizing structure. Late in the book deBono notes that the Six Hats does not replace such methods, but often reduces the necessity of using these time-consuming and often costly techniques. I rate this book 5 stars for excellent concept, content and execution.(less)

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Jul 11, 2012 Shane rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: self-help

I slogged my way through this book with much effort despite its abbreviated length. The core concept is an interesting one, and it involves a process to make meetings, brainstorming, and all sorts of collaborative efforts more organized and productive by helping the participants better organize the way they think so as not to get bogged down with unrelated minutia while trying to focus on another specific segment of the issue at hand.

Instead of anyone bringing up any sort of argument (logical, e...more I slogged my way through this book with much effort despite its abbreviated length. The core concept is an interesting one, and it involves a process to make meetings, brainstorming, and all sorts of collaborative efforts more organized and productive by helping the participants better organize the way they think so as not to get bogged down with unrelated minutia while trying to focus on another specific segment of the issue at hand.

Instead of anyone bringing up any sort of argument (logical, emotional, factual, cautious, etc.) at any time, the Six Hats method allows all participants the opportunity to don a metaphorical “hat” of a certain color in order to purposefully focus on a specific type of thinking while temporarily putting up a blockade to any other sort of reasoning.

White hat thinking focuses on facts and figures, red hat thinking is purely emotional with no need for justification, the black hat represents caution, the yellow hat accentuates the positive, green is the hat of creativity and moving forward, and the final hat is blue, representing organization and order.

As I said, it’s not a bad idea. This book just really repeatedly clubs you over the head with it, explaining how it works so many times (“It’s time we did some [pick a color] hat thinking on this problem…”) as to make a dead horse whinny for mercy.

At its best, this method of thinking and collaborating can be a very effective tool for organizing options, weighing considerations, making decisions and conducting meetings with order and little conflict. At its worst it can be used just to shut someone up and confound them so that by the appropriate time for airing grievances they’ve completely had the wind taken out of their sails: “Gary, I appreciate what you’re saying, but what we really need now are your green hat ideas. We will get to the red and black arguments at a later time (like when you’re in the bathroom).”

In my opinion, despite how short the book is, it could have been much shorter. This is a handout or PowerPoint presentation’s worth of material inflated with the author’s ego (If I had to read about one more term he coined or is now in the dictionary…) and overly reiterated simply to fill a 173-page book and slap a $14.99 list price on it.

Don’t get me wrong—I disliked reading it but I’m glad I did. I actually came across references to white- and black-hat thinking in a journalistic piece I read two or three days ago, and I knew what those terms meant without having to Google them. It wasn’t a total waste. I’m sure there will inevitably come a day when I will be asked to don my green hat to help arrive at a solution. And now I’ll know better what’s expected of me in that situation.

Did I mention I’m a skeptic and a bit of a tough sell on adopting new ideas? Oh well. Maybe these hats will grow on me in time…
(less)

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Aug 14, 2011 K. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

Edward De Bono offers an interesting manual on the process of thinking. He suggests and persuasively argues that keeping our thoughts ordered and divided between the "Six Thinking Hats" allows us to be more effective with our decision making.

Each hat has a time and a place during the decision making process, the white hat is neutral, red is for our passionate and sometimes irrational emotions, etc etc.

Quotes:

"The difference between a good thinker and a poor thinker often lies int he ability to f...more Edward De Bono offers an interesting manual on the process of thinking. He suggests and persuasively argues that keeping our thoughts ordered and divided between the "Six Thinking Hats" allows us to be more effective with our decision making.

Each hat has a time and a place during the decision making process, the white hat is neutral, red is for our passionate and sometimes irrational emotions, etc etc.

Quotes:

"The difference between a good thinker and a poor thinker often lies int he ability to focus."

"There may be very powerful positive points that are not at all obvious... that is how entreprenuers work. They see the value that those around them have not yet spotted. Value and benefite are by no means always obvious."

"The good thinker is supposed to be cool and detached and not influenced by emotion. The good thinker is supposed to be objective and to consider the facts in their own right and not for their relevance to his or her emotional needs... yet any good decision must be emotional in the end. ... Emotions give relevance to our thinking and fit that thinking to our needs and the context of the moment."

"Thinking can change emotions. It is not the logical part of thinking that changes emotions but the perceptual part. If we see something differently, our emotions may alter with the altered perception."

"Truth and facts are not as closely related as most people seem to imagine. Truth is related to a word-game system known as philosophy. Facts are related to checkable experience. ... If every swan we happen to see is white, can we make the bold statement that "all swans are white"? We can and we do. ... The first black swan we see makes the statement untrue... Unless we choose to call the black swan something else. Now it becomes a matter of words and definitions. IF we choose to keep whiteness as an essential part of the definition of a swan, then the black swan is something else. If we drop whiteness as an essential part of the definition, then we can include the black swan... It is the design and manipulation of such definitions that is the essence of philosophy."

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Jun 03, 2013 Gharam rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love the very organized way these "hats" guide your thoughts into, their thinking system is very simple and helpful, but like the author said, the effectiveness of this way of thinking is directly proportional to the amount of people around you who know about it.
It would somewhat be more difficult to use these hats when I think to myself, as their real value surfaces with different convictions at whichever matter is at hand, and after all, you can't paint a "map" all on your own.
Some pages cou...more

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Jun 17, 2013 Albert M. rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pop-psych

De Bono suggests the differing modes of thought that can be adopted in approaching any particular idea. He argues that critical thinking, a mostly "black hat" affair, has been the forte of Greek philosophers but ultimately, is only one way of interpreting data. The diametric opposition of this sceptical train of thought is optimism, or "yellow hat" thinking, which focuses primarily on the good of what could be. "Red hat" thinking deals primarily with gut level intuition, and the concept protects...more De Bono suggests the differing modes of thought that can be adopted in approaching any particular idea. He argues that critical thinking, a mostly "black hat" affair, has been the forte of Greek philosophers but ultimately, is only one way of interpreting data. The diametric opposition of this sceptical train of thought is optimism, or "yellow hat" thinking, which focuses primarily on the good of what could be. "Red hat" thinking deals primarily with gut level intuition, and the concept protects its users from having to justify their own emotions; something that could be particularly very handy when trying express oneself in the workplace, an environment where one might otherwise be opposed to sharing their true opinion. (Provided everybody plays along: I think the real value is in personal use.) The "white hat" is the mode of thinking that deals with just the facts; the "green hat" is concerned with creativity and coming up with alternative solutions; the "blue hat", with the top down approach of thinking and how it is all tied together.

Ultimately, I would recommend this book to anyone, particularly for its legibility, accessible register and relatively easy to grasp concept that can encourage readers to break away from modes of thought that may have become habitual, and with the implied diametric opposition of particular hats, we may learn to balance our leanings towards criticism, for instance, with optimism (black versus yellow) or presenting insufficient evidence for an idea one may be rather opinionated or biased on (white versus red). This indeed is a rather facile approach, and implies false dichotomies, but is still fun, and might even be convenient to think about.

Some more "white/red hat" observations: De Bono boasts his method to have been effective in numerous group situations, and claims to have consulted for a number of large corporations, as well as having studied in a rather exclusive school, implying credibility. He has released other books of a similar nature, something one might find a bit of a turn off. The core concept here is "lateral thinking". Other titles by De Bono include Opportunities, or Po: Beyond Yes and No, both of which were written in the 70s.

Is probably in bookstores in the business or psychology section, next to the self-help section and a copy of Harville Hendrix's Men Are From Mars, Women Are from Venus.

Just another note, De Bono's clear writing style makes this a very digestible read, albeit overly simplistic and incomplete at times.(less)

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Jun 13, 2013 Michael "Doc" Norton rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a simple process that works quite well. I've run a number of parallel thinking sessions using the Six Thinking Hats. It has worked quite well in almost all instances.

If the participants are not familiar with the process, it can be difficult to facilitate. I recommend sharing the process with people prior to the meeting and then reviewing the process again before you get started.

If the participants are not genuinely committed, it can be a challenge. In one case, a "participant" declared t...more

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Sep 13, 2011 Lila rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Six Thinking Hats is a creative idiom of a system that serves to help one to use a singular Think mode at a time. An example of a color printer describes how although a print job uses each color at a time, you still come out with all the colors on the print job.

Our mind carries such large volumes of knowledge, emotions, creativity, negativity and optimism. Six Thinking Hats allows us to use color codes to separate those differences and discusses how we can use many at a time.

Hats include:
White...more

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May 21, 2012 Mohammed Agbawi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-on-shelve

Greetings,

I applied this technique in a workshop with managerial level to evaluate new strategic approach In project implementation. Workshop agenda as follow:

1slide for definition and get opinion and fist impression from management about applying new strategy. Red hat
2-8 slide: present how to implement
1 slide : explain one senior of implementation and ask management for more idea to improve idea. Green hat.
1 slide: advantages/added values and disadvantages and ask management for more. Yellow...more

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Nov 24, 2011 Simon Gianoutsos rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: business, psychology

This is a very easy read and provides a good simple approach for exploring ideas and problems through thinking from different perspectives in a structured manner. There are six hats, each of which have different characteristics:
- White Hat: facts, figures, information
- Red Hat: emotions and feelings, hunch and intuition
- Black Hat: devil's advocate, negative judgement
- Yellow Hat: optimism, positivity
- Green Hat: creativity
- Blue Hat: controlling of the hats and thinking, orchestration

The idea...more

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Feb 10, 2012 Wendy White rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My PEAC teacher first introduced the Six Thinking Hats Theory to me, and I've been meaning to read up on it ever since.

Clear, instructional and methodical - I can see why adopting the six thinking hat methodology would halve some organisation's meeting times and greatly increase their decision making processes! I'm not sure, however, that I can picture myself saying "Okay, that's enough white hat Bob, can I get your red hat thinking on this?"

As De Bono explains, it's a contrived way of asking f...more

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Nov 13, 2012 Lou Prosperi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An interesting (I know I use that word too much) look at breaking down the way we think about things into specific ways, each defined by colored "thinking hats".

This book is useful in that it provides a breakdown of different approaches to thinking and guidance in terms of when each is most useful. While the different "thinking hats" don't represent anything especially ground-breaking (we all know that sometimes you need to focus on facts, and other times it's helpful to focus on being positive...more

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Jul 27, 2012 amy silver rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teaching

As a teacher, I found this model of thinking to be very helpful for organizing classroom meetings. Kids have difficulty planning and problem-solving, just as do adults. The six hats method is something that can be explicitly taught. It's simple, concrete, and the kids enjoy the role-playing aspect of it.

I personally like the way it helps people to step back from their own thoughts and ego -- and to reflect on the process of thinking. In a way, it's a bit Buddhist.

I also appreciate the acknowle...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Ciprian Rarau rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book helps adding structure in meetings and discussions in general. The conversation is splited up in different thinking paths represented by hats: emotions - red hat, logic - black hat, hope - yellow hat, information - white hat and creativity - green hat.
By making the participants wear the same hat and think on the same direction, the domain is covered more effectively and the decision process is faster.
The blue hat is the chairman - the orchestrator that reads the discussion from the o...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Frank Spencer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: t-t-recommmended-reading, school-psychology

The main emphasis in this book is use of De Bono's thinking hat idea in meetings. There are many examples of how this metaphor could be used to steer a meeting in a helpful direction (e.g. "...Mr. Fitzler, I have asked you to put on your white hat. The fact is the twenty-five percent increase. The rest is your interpretation.") "White hat" is in italics in the book, and who doesn't know plenty of Mr. Fitzlers. At any rate, I have ordered De Bono's book on teaching children how to think, and we w...more

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May 26, 2012 Omar Halabieh rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The main premise of the book as summarized by the author is: "Thinking is the ultimate human resource...The main difficulty of thinking is confusion. We try to do too much at once...What I am putting forward in this book is a very simple concept which allows a thinker to do one thing at a time...The six thinking hats allows us to conduct our thinking as a conductor might lead an orchestra. We can call forth what we will...It is the sheer convenience of the six thinking hats that is the main valu...more The main premise of the book as summarized by the author is: "Thinking is the ultimate human resource...The main difficulty of thinking is confusion. We try to do too much at once...What I am putting forward in this book is a very simple concept which allows a thinker to do one thing at a time...The six thinking hats allows us to conduct our thinking as a conductor might lead an orchestra. We can call forth what we will...It is the sheer convenience of the six thinking hats that is the main value of the concept." Another core concept associated with the thinking hats is that of deliberate thinking which the switching of the hat signals. This type of thinking becomes clear with the following example from Edward: "When you are driving a car, you have to choose roads and follow roads and keep out of the way of other traffic...you are looking for signals and reacting to them. This is reactive thinking...You read signposts and make decisions. But you do not make the map. The other type of thinking has to do with mapmaking. You explore the subject and make the map. You make the map in an objective and neutral fashion. To do this you must look broadly." The book then goes on to details the mechanism of using the six hats: "You choose which of the six hats to put on at any one moment. You put on that hat and then play the role defined by that hat...When you change thinking hats you have to change roles. Each role should be distinct...Thinking now begins to flow from the acted parts and not from your ego. That is how maps are made. Then, in the end, the ego can choose a preferred route." These hats have the following purposes: " The first value of the six thinking hats is that of defined role-playing...The second value is that of attention directing...The third value is that of convenience...The forth value is the possible basis in brain chemistry...The fifth value arises from establishing the rules of the game." The hat colors have been chosen in a way that makes their corresponding function easier to recall. They are defined as follows: " 1- White Hat: White is neutral and objective. The white hat is concerned with objective facts and figures...virgin white, pure facts, figures and information. 2- Red Hat: Red suggests anger (seeing red), rage and emotions. The red fives the emotional view....seeing red, emotions and feelings, also hunch and intuition. 3- Black Hat: Black is gloomy and negative. The black hat covers the negative aspects - why it cannot be done...devil's advocate, negative judgement, why it will not work. 4- Yellow Hat: Yellow is sunny and positive. The yellow hat is optimistic and covers hope and positive thinking...sunshine, brightness and optimism, positive, constructive, opportunity. 5- Green Hat: Green is grass, vegetation and abundant, fertile growth. The green hat indicates creativity and new ideas...fertile, creative, plants springing from seeds, movement, provocation. 6- Blue Hat: Blue is cool, and it is also the color of the sky, which is above everything else. The blue hat is concerned with control and the organization of the thinking process. Also the use of the other hats...cool and control, orchestra conductor, thinking about thinking."

This book offer a very creative, practical and applicable method of tackling any problem - and through its use achieve more effective outcomes and solutions. A recommended read!(less)

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Aug 08, 2012 JoAnn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Offers a fresh look at the skill of “thinking.” In this book, DeBono describes six different hats, which serve as metaphors for how we think about something. The White Hat provides us with facts and figures, the Red Hat allows us to tap into our emotions and feelings, the Black Hat urges us to use caution, the Yellow Hat permits us to think with unbridled optimism, the Green Hat encourages the blossoming of our creativity, and finally the Blue Hat gives us focus and control of our thinking proce...more

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May 31, 2013 Kristy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

This is the best technique I know about for collaborative decision making and problem solving. It is very effective in a group setting, allowing the group to focus in a particular way without generating conflict. It is also probably the most generative process I've come across... it sparks a great deal of creativity and thinking out of the box.

I think it is also very useful when considering a challenge from an individual point of view. It forces you to think about things from points of view you...more

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May 27, 2013 Selmoore Codfish rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is a little hard to read. There are segments where the author includes hypothetical conversations that are a little hard to follow.
Otherwise, I would give this book the top rating. It is an important book on creative thinking. It shows detailed examples for how groups can interact to come up with unique ideas. It helps people break free from the constant negative comments that typically distract from meetings.
It is a short book and easy to read. Someone could easily skip the confusing...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Michael Gibbs rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The "six hats" method is not quite the Copernican revolution that the author claims it might be. That said, the method of "parallel thinking" -- consciously approaching a problem from multiple, mostly non-competing views -- is a very useful way of looking at problem-solving in groups and/or on your own. (I say this as a lifetime over-user of the "Black Hat" who often needs an excuse to look for another hat.) His advice that we should acknowledge emotions when we make decisions and not confuse th...more

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Jan 05, 2013 M_moatassem rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great book, presenting a new way of thinking, considering all aspects of an issue: Facts, Emotions, Risks, Opportunities, Innovation, and Control.

Language and writing style is very simple, and allowed me to finish the book in a very short time.

Regarding the contents, there is Some chapters that i needed to read more than once to make sure i really understand , although there still some specific sections that i skipped after totally failing to grasp.

I am sure i will come back to it again, maybe...more

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May 01, 2012 Emilie22 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm on a big nerd kick and reading books about business/management. I like the idea of parallel discussion and am curious to put it into practice. I shared with my team the principles presented and they kinda gave me the "smile and nod and act like Emilie isn't a loser" thing. I definitely sway towards wearing a black hat and white hat, and could do more green hat thinking. But again, it's not about being constrained to one hat thinking but utilizing any and all that are applicable, in sync with...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Lina Lee rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Good framework for more organized thinking, implementation would require an entire group or organization to adopt the proposed idioms.

Some concerns: some sections a bit tedious and repetitive in nature. At one point, detour in 'lateral thinking' seemed out of context and a plug for Mr. De Bono's other works.

As a takeaway, I will definitely be more conscious of the 'different hats' to wear when approaching a topic - objective/factual, emotional, pragmatic, optimistic, creative and disciplined/org...more

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Feb 18, 2008 Ryan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: business-economics, psychology, non-fiction, own

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. My notes and quotes:

Book about designating one's frame of reference when thinking in order to achieve specific goals. Especially recommended for meetings where solutions/ideas are needed.

The six frames of reference, or "hats" are: white = just the facts of the situation; red = emotion or intuition concerning the situation; black = critical thinking; yellow = positive thinking and constructive methods of achieving goal; green = creativity and idea generation; blue = master hat for directing over...more My notes and quotes:

Book about designating one's frame of reference when thinking in order to achieve specific goals. Especially recommended for meetings where solutions/ideas are needed.

The six frames of reference, or "hats" are: white = just the facts of the situation; red = emotion or intuition concerning the situation; black = critical thinking; yellow = positive thinking and constructive methods of achieving goal; green = creativity and idea generation; blue = master hat for directing overarching goals/purpose of meeting.

Further summaries of hats:
White hat - neutral and objective facts without interpretation.
Red hat - Feelings about the matter. Can ask a person to switch in or out of red hat thinking so they only give their emotional or intuition concerning the issue. Should never attempt to justify or logically explain feeling, just report it.
Black hat - Concerned with caution. Used to consider risks, dangers, and potential problems with solution. Should be used when assessing suggestions, but should not be used to fuel arguments or overused.
Yellow hat - Positive and constructive thinking. Covers all positive thoughts and suggestions from logical and practical advantages to hipes and visions. Concrete proposals and suggestions that seek to take advantage of opportunities.
Green hat - Creative thinking that generates new ideas. Both thinker and listener need to wear green hat. Used to search for all available alternatives to a problem. Provocation is how to think of green, try to provoke new domains/thoughts to escape typical patterns of thinking.
Blue hat - control hat. Organizes the thinking that goes into an issue. Outlines goals and purpose of all discussion. Think of a conductor in an orchestra. Responsible for summaries, conclusions, and overviews. Also responsible for stopping arguments and keeping everyone on track concerning overall goals. Shouldn't assign each person a particular hat, but rather should get everyone to take turns thinking with the mindset of each hat during that portion of the meeting.(less)

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Sep 28, 2011 Seema rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

عجبني المبدأ الذي ينشأ منه هذا الكتاب كفكرة خيالية بوجود 6 قبعات ملوّنة والسبب أنها قبعات وليست أحذية مثلًا هو أن صورة المفكر الأوروبي القديمة تتمثل بهذا الشكل أما عن سبب اختيار الألوان وليست الأسماء فهو لسهولة استحضار الصورة عن الاسم. وعلى أي حال فإن قبعات التفكير تلك تحمل صفات خاصة بكل لون كلما غيّر صاحب القبعات لون قبعته غيّر بذلك نمط تفكيره على الطريقة المطلوبة منه أو التي يبحث فيها عن نفسه. ومادام قادرًا على تخيّل نفسه بعدة أدوار منفصلة "تقمص دور المفكر فسيكون واحدًا" ويصبح أكثر إتزانًا وتن...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Kristen rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved learning about the 6 Thinking Hats as a method of thinking through all sorts of problems or decisions and I think it would be beneficial for just about any topic needing discussion. It's a way to organize thoughts and look at things thoroughly from every angle. I also liked the way that using this method might give each person in a discussion the freedom to break from their typical thought patterns or "roles" in the group and give unexpected input. Lots of good stuff.

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Jan 31, 2009 Serri rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: business, nonfiction

Six Thinking Hats is a method/model on how to think through ideas and make educated decisions whether to pursue, modify, expand, or abandon an idea. I think it is an interesting concept but would certainly require an organization to adopt it as part of their internal culture for it to work successfully with maximum impact. However, a business leader could certainly adopt the concept and lead a group through it with positive results.

From a reading perspective it is a bit like reading a text book...more

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About Edward De Bono

Edward de Bono is a British physician, author, inventor, and consultant. He is best known as the originator of the term lateral thinking (structured creativity) and the leading proponent of the deliberate teaching of thinking in schools.

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“We may have a perfectly adequate way of doing something, but that does not mean there cannot be a better way. So we set out to find an alternative way. This is the basis of any improvement that is not fault correction or problem solving.” — 10 people liked it

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