1. How to Use Six Thinking Hats
for Group Brainstorming
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2. Different Patterns of Thinking
Intuitive Negative
Objective
Creative
Process
Positive
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3. Neutral/ Detached/ Independent. What are the facts?
What does the data say? Objective.
Negative judgement. Critical analysis. What’s not working?
What is wrong?
Emotional. How do you actually feel? What is your first gut
reaction
Positive judgement. Hope. Optimism. What is working?
What do we like/ want to keep?
Creativity. Provocation. Investigation. Lots and lots of ideas,
anything goes, quantity not quality.
Thinking about thinking. Process control. Agenda setting,
next steps, summarising, facilitating, time keeping.
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All are valid
styles of
thinking.
Interestingly
some people
seem to have a
natural
preference for
particular hats.
Ever met a black
hat person?
In brainstorming
discussions the
whole group
adopt one hat
at the same
time and
capture their
discussion on
that hat.

4. Hat Sequence
Helps keep the discussion focussed and the timing
tight. You can run any meeting like this.
Nominate one person as facilitator to be blue hat all the time to keep time and record the discussion
3 MIN 5 MIN 30 SEC
Per Person 5 MIN 3 MIN 5 MIN 3 MIN
Every Discussion Starts and Ends with a Blue Hat. Usually Agenda/ Process at start and
next steps/ actions items at end. May also have a blue hat midway to check discussion is
on track.
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5. Example Sequences
Solving Problems Blue: Agree Problem, White: what are the facts? Green what ideas do we have? Red:
how do we feel about those? Yellow: what works? Black: What doesn’t work? Green: What ideas do we now
have? Blue: Next steps
Performance Review Blue: Explain why are we talking? Red: How are you feeling? White: Facts, data,
behaviours. Yellow: What ‘s working, what are you doing well. Black: What’s not working. Green: What ideas
will help you do even better? Red: how are you feeling now? Blue: Next steps, actions, next review date.
Strategy ReviewBlue: Agenda. Yellow: what is working, the positives. Black: what is not working, the
negatives; White: what data do we have and what does it tell us. Blue: Summary. Green: ideas for how to
now move forward. Blue: Decisions and action planning.
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6. Hat Sequence For
Brainstorming:
30 Sec per
Person
30 Sec per
Person
3 MIN 5 MIN 5 MIN 5 MIN 10 MIN 3 MIN
What do we most
need to focus on?
What are we
solving for?
Agree the
problem
statement or
opportunity.
How do we each
feel about this at
the moment?
What is the first
gut reaction to
our situation?
What do we agree
are all the facts?
What data do we
have?
What information
is available?
What information
do we need?
What is positive
about the
situation today?
What is working?
Looking forward
what can we be
optimistic about?
What is negative
about the
situation today?
What is not
working?
Looking forward
what are we
pessimistic
about?
Let’s get creative.
How many ideas
can we generate
about solutions?
Any thing goes.
Lets get down as
many ideas as
possible.
How do we each
now feel about all
this – be honest?
What gut
reactions do we
now have about
our situation?
What do we need
to do now?
What are our next
steps?
How should we
move forward?
What do we need
to first?
What help do we
need?
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7. Now the 6 hats has clarified the present state,
what is the desired state?
• Agree and state your overall outcomes in positive
terms
• Break the outcome down into all the major
components, ensure each element is expressed in
positive terms.
• Use the road map template on the following page
to work back from the outcome – flip charts on
the wall for each element work well and post-it
notes for all the detailed elements.
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8. Identify all the
things that will
have to be in place
prior to achieving
your outcome.
These are all the
“pre-conditions”.
There will be
several areas.
Each pre-condition
will have big things
that need to be
achieved – these
milestones have
dates
Identify the individual
actions that need to
happen for each
milestone
From all the identified actions
pick 1-3 that need to happen
first. Give each one a due date
and identify WHO will do
them. As actions are achieved
return to your template to
select the next actions.
Work in this direction
Outcome
Pre - conditions
Immediate next steps Specific actions Milestones
What
specifically do
you want.
What is the
win-win.
What is the
Goal or
Vision.
Describe in
positive
terms.
What results
does this
outcome get?
Describe the
benefits. This is
the motivation
Benefits
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