6hats model- De Bono

ELSIN Seminar 1st September 2004 Durham

Using the de Bono 6-Hats Technique
AS A TEAM WORK

Nathan Ronen , MBA
Ceo – SynTask- Edumart
Creative Marketing Consultants
Partners of GENESIS GROUP
http://www.genesisconsulting-gr.com/home/doc.aspx?mCatID=58477

Edward de Bono
Edward de Bono has written 56 books with translations in
34 languages. He has been invited to work in 52
countries.He was born in Malta and graduated from the
University of Malta. He proceeded as a Rhodes Scholar to
Oxford and has held appointments at the Universities of
Oxford, Cambridge, London and Harvard.

Dr de Bono is the originator of the term 'lateral thinking'
which now has an official entry in the Oxford English
Dictionary. He is regarded as the leading international
authority in conceptual and creative thinking, and also the
direct teaching of thinking as a skill.

Six-Hats Technique

• Many major international organisations use this technique for problem solving
• Each „hat‟ represents a perspective or way of thinking
• They are metaphorical hats that a thinker can put on or take off to indicate the
type of thinking they are using
• In a group we can ask members to „put on‟ different hats in a sequence to aide
the problem solving process
• This can help overcome the problem of each group member adopting random
positions at random times
• It also permits us to control people who insist of sticking to one perspective (ie.
negative) - we can ask them to assume a different hat

White Hat

White Hat (Logical)
Separates fact from speculation
Specifies action needed to fill gaps
Assesses the relevance and accuracy of information

Yellow Hat

Yellow Hat (Positive)
Explores the benefits of an idea
Must give reasons why an idea is valuable or might work
Reinforces creative ideas and new directions

Black Hat
“the most valuable of all the hats” - de Bono

Black Hat (Negative)
Explores why an idea may not work
Must give logical reasons for concerns
Points out difficulties

Green Hat

Green Hat (Creative)
Encourages a search for new ideas
Seeks to modify and removes faults from existing ideas
Makes time for creative effort

Red Hat

Red Hat (Emotional)
Gives permission to express feelings, hunches and intuitions
Does not require justification or explanation
Can be used to help make a decision

Blue Hat

Blue Hat (Facilitator)
The role of the facilitator
Focuses and refocuses thinking
Makes calls for the group to make decisions

Using 6-Hats as a Learning
Styles Model
• de Bono says often and clearly that the 6-Hats is
not a learning styles model
• Previous attempts have been made to make it so,
which have concentrated on classifying learners as
either „wearers‟ of one single hat or as having a
primary and a secondary hat
• This gross approach to cataloguing learners is
antithetical to the central premise of the 6-Hats
• Our approach has his approval

White Hat

White Hat (Logical)
The „White Hat‟ is the logical approach to learning, which is similar to the
logical dimension of any number of learning styles models. For example, the
Thinking dimension of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the Quadrant A
dimension of the Herrmann Brain Dominance Indicator, the Assimilators of
the Kolb Model, and the Logical-Mathematical intelligence of Howard
Gardner‟s Multiple Intelligences.

White Hat learners are therefore logical and analytical, they like the facts,
figures and theories, and tend to be objective about ideas. Ideally they like to
do independent research, read books, and compile facts and figures. They
usually work best alone and are generally very strong at academic subjects.

Yellow Hat

Yellow Hat (Positive)
The „Yellow Hat‟ is the optimistic approach, this dimension describes
learners who are upbeat and positive, like the Participant dimension of the
Grasha- Riechmann Model.

Yellow Hat learners are upbeat and optimistic, and try to find the positive
side to all situations. They enjoy learning real-world examples, are group-
orientated and very supportive of other members of the group. They like
practical subjects and demonstrations.

Black Hat

Black Hat (Negative)
The „Black Hat‟ is the so-called negative approach, but is better described
as the cautious or practical approach. It is equivalent the practical
dimension in a number of models, for example, the Quadrant B dimension
of the Herrmann Brain Dominance Indicator, Pragmatists in the Honey-
Mumford Model, but most particularly it is like the Concrete Sequential
learners of the Gregorc Model.

Black Hat learners are cautious and practical, and they worry that the costs
will outweigh the benefits of their decisions. They enjoy learning from real-
world examples and like to work in groups to help them explore ideas. They
like practical subjects and demonstrations.

Green Hat

Green Hat (Creative)
The „Green Hat‟ is the creative approach, this dimension describes learners
who are creative and think laterally. It is equivalent to the creative dimension
in a number of models, for example, the Quadrant D dimension of the
Herrmann Brain Dominance Indicator, Divergers in the Kolb Model, and
Type 4 (Dynamic Learners) in the 4MAT Model.

Green Hat learners are creative and innovative in their approach to learning,
they enjoy puzzles and problem-solving exercises. They like to think
“outside the box” and will keep seeking alternative solutions to problems
and should therefore be challenged with practical exercises that require
many points-of-view to fully solve.

Red Hat

Red Hat (Emotional)
The „Red Hat‟ is the emotional approach, this dimension describes people who
are in touch with their feelings and with themselves, like the Intrapersonal
intelligence of Howard Gardner‟s Multiple Intelligences.

Red Hat learners are emotional and instinctive, they love to debate and discuss
ideas. They are in touch with their feelings and care a lot about their own
environments. They like to participate in lectures, love working in groups and are
very strong at practical subjects.

Blue Hat

Blue Hat (Facilitator)
The „Blue Hat‟ is the facilitating approach, this dimension describes the
learners who are holists and natural leaders. It is like the Interpersonal
intelligence of Howard Gardner‟s Multiple Intelligences.

The Blue hat learners are holistic in their approach, can be very effective
leaders, but need lots of thinking time to help them ensure they have
thought things out fully. They prefer lectures or exercises where a clear
overview is given, can have a strong visual preference, and tend to be very
rule-orientated.

Questionnaire
• Particularly for the non-verbal students in
this study, two key decisions were taken,

– the questions were kept relatively
straightforward
– the number of questions was kept to a
minimum.

Some Heuristics for forming
teams
• Only one learner with strength in the blue hat to avoid
conflict between multiple leaders.
• As many learners with strengths in green hat as possible, to
ensure high creatively.
• An equal number of yellow hat as black hat learners, to
balance the positive with the negative.
• An equal number of white hat as red hat learners, to
balance the logical with the emotional.

• Considering that black hat thinking is heavily emphasised by Western thinkers
(de Bono 00, p. xii) and comes most naturally to us, as an alternative to point
(c) it may be worth considering having a few more yellow hats than black hats.
Clearly it may not always be possible to have all of these criteria

Logical & Structured
Analytical & Practical

Intrapersonal Imaginative
& Discussion & Holistic

Structured
& Practical


6hats model- De Bono

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