The document discusses Debono's six thinking hats method for structured thinking and discussion. The six hats represent different types of thinking: blue for control and organization, white for objective facts, red for emotions, yellow for optimism, green for creativity, and black for caution. Key aspects include using blue hat thinking to open and close discussions by defining objectives and conclusions, and using the different colored hats to parallel think through various perspectives on a topic being discussed.

1. Use of Debono’s six
thinking hats
The Debono’s six thinking hats can be
used as a guide to discussing the
findings

2. Uses of the hats
• Problem solving
• Strategic planning
• Running meetings

3. Six colours of hats for six types of thinking
•Each hat identifies a type of thinking
•Hats are directions of thinking
•Hats help a group use parallel thinking
•You can “put on” and “take off” a hat

4. The role of the blue hat
• Control of thinking & the process
• Begin & end session with blue hat
• Facilitator, session leader’s role
• Choreography
• open, sequence, close
• Focus: what should we be thinking about
• Asking the right questions
• Defining & clarifying the problem
• Setting the thinking tasks

5. Open with the blue hat. Use the blue hat when
discussing their findings
• Why we are here
• what we are thinking about
• definition of the situation or problem
• alternative definitions
• what we want to achieve
• where we want to end up
• the background to the thinking
• a plan for the sequence of hats

6. …and close with the blue hat
• What we have achieved
• Outcome
• Conclusion
• Design
• Solution
• Next steps

7. White HatThinking
• Neutral, objective information
• Facts & figures
• Questions: what do we know, what don’t we know, what do we need to know
• Excludes opinions, hunches, judgements
• Removes feelings & impressions
• Two tiers of facts
• Believed Facts
• Checked Facts

8. Black HatThinking
• Cautious and careful
• Logical negative – why it won’t work
• Critical judgement, pessimistic view
• Separates logical negative from emotional
• Focus on errors, evidence, conclusions
• Logical & truthful, but not necessarily fair

9. Green HatThinking
• New ideas, concepts, perceptions
• Deliberate creation of new ideas
• Alternatives and more alternatives
• New approaches to problems
• Creative & lateral thinking

10. Summary of the six thinking hats
Blue: control & organization of thinking
White: objective facts & figures
Red: emotions & feelings
Yellow: hope, positive & speculative
Green: creativity, ideas & lateral thinking
Black: cautious & careful