The Six Hats are the most effective method for organizing your thinking. Edward de Bono's "6 thinking hats" method: basic principles, examples

In the six hats method, thinking is divided into six different modes, each represented by a hat of a different color.

	Red Hat. Emotions. Intuition, feelings and premonitions. There is no need to give reasons for feelings. How do I feel about this?
	Yellow Hat. Advantages. Why is this worth doing? What are the benefits? Why can this be done? Why will this work?
	Black hat. Caution. Judgment. Grade. Is it true? Will it work? What are the disadvantages? What's wrong here?
	Green Hat. Creation. Various ideas. New ideas. Offers. What are some of the possible solutions and actions? What are the alternatives?
	White Hat. Information. Questions. What information do we have? What information do we need?
	Blue Hat. Organization of thinking. Thinking about thinking. What have we achieved? What needs to be done next?

Six Thinking Hats is probably one of the most popular thinking methods developed by Edward de Bono. The six hats method allows you to structure and make any mental work, both personal and collective, much more effective. This note is intended to help compose general idea about the principles of operation and essence of this method. It is based on a course I took at Oxford in October 2005.

When there are many opinions, and those arguing are in different weight categories (for children, the one who is stronger is usually right, and for adults, the one with a higher rank is usually right), it is difficult to find a way of discussion in which all proposals will be heard, and decision will satisfy everyone. Edward de Bono began searching for such a universal algorithm. When he grew up, he came up with an original method to increase the efficiency of the thought process.

What usually happens in a person's head when he thinks? Thoughts swarm, get together, one idea contradicts another, and so on. De Bono decided to divide all these processes into six types. In his opinion, any problem necessarily causes a surge of emotions in a person, forces him to collect facts, look for solutions, and also analyze the positive and negative consequences of each of these decisions. Another type of thinking involves organizing ideas. If the chaos reigning in the head is brought into order, thoughts are sorted into shelves and forced to flow in strict sequence, then the search for a solution will become faster and more productive. De Bono’s technique allows you to consistently “turn on” different types of thinking, which means it puts an end to arguments until you’re blue in the face.

To make the technique better remembered, you need bright image. Edward de Bono decided to associate types of thinking with colored hats. The point is that in English language the hat is usually associated with the type of activity - the hat of a conductor, a policeman, etc. The phrase "wearing someone's hat" means to engage in a specific activity. A person, mentally putting on a hat of a certain color, chooses at the moment the type of thinking that is associated with it.

The Six Hats technique is universal - for example, it is used at meetings to structure group work and save time. It also applies individually, because heated debates take place in each person’s head. In fact, it can be used to structure any creative process where it is important to separate logic from emotion and come up with new original ideas.

How it works, or full-color thinking in six colors

The Six Hats is based on the idea of parallel thinking. Traditional thinking is based on controversy, discussion and clash of opinions. However, with this approach the winner is often not The best decision, but the one that advanced more successfully in the discussion. Parallel thinking is constructive thinking, in which different points of view and approaches do not collide, but coexist.

Usually, when we try to think about solving a practical problem, we encounter several difficulties.

First, we are often not inclined to think about a decision at all, instead limiting ourselves to an emotional reaction that determines our further behavior.
Secondly, we experience uncertainty, not knowing where to start and what to do.
Third, we try to simultaneously hold all the information relevant to a task in our minds, be logical, make sure our interlocutors are logical, be creative, be constructive, and so on, and all this usually causes nothing but confusion and confusion.

The six hats method is simple and practical way overcome such difficulties by dividing the thinking process into six different modes, each represented by a different colored hat.

In full-color printing, color dies are rolled one by one, overlapping each other, and the output is a color image. The Six Hats Method suggests doing the same for our thinking. Instead of thinking about everything at once, we can learn to handle different aspects of our thinking one at a time. At the end of the work, all these aspects will be brought together and we will get “full-color thinking.”

White hat: information

The white hat is used to direct attention to information. In this mode of thinking, we are only interested in facts. We ask questions about what we already know, what other information we need, and how we can get it.

If a manager invites his subordinates to put on his white hat, this means that he expects complete impartiality and objectivity from them, calls on them to lay out only bare facts and figures, as a computer or a witness does in court. At first, it is difficult to get used to this way of thinking, since you need to clear your statements of any emotions and frivolous judgments.

Black Hat: Criticism

The black hat allows you to give free rein to critical assessments, fears and caution. She protects us from the reckless and ill-considered actions, indicates possible risks and pitfalls. The benefits of such thinking are undeniable, if, of course, they are not abused. Black hat thinking is designed to present everything in a black light. Here you need to see shortcomings in everything, question words and numbers, look for weak spots and find fault with everything.

Yellow hat: logical positive

The yellow hat requires us to shift our attention to looking for the merits, advantages and positive aspects of the idea under consideration.

The yellow hat is the antagonist of the black hat, it allows you to see benefits and advantages. Mentally putting on a yellow hat, a person turns into an optimist, looking for positive prospects, but must justify his vision (by the way, as in the case of a black hat).

But at the same time, the thought process in the yellow hat is not directly related to creativity. All changes, innovations, consideration of alternatives occur in a green hat.

Green hat: creativity

Under the green hat, we come up with new ideas, modify existing ones, look for alternatives, explore possibilities, in general, we give creativity the green light.

The green hat is a creative search hat. If we have analyzed the advantages and disadvantages, we can put on this hat and think about what possible new approaches are possible in the current situation. With a green hat, it makes sense to use lateral thinking techniques. Lateral thinking tools allow you to avoid stereotyped approaches, take a fresh look at the situation, and offer many unexpected ideas.

Red hat: feelings and intuition

In red hat mode, session participants have the opportunity to express their feelings and intuitions about the issue at hand, without going into explanations about why this is so, who is to blame, or what to do.

The red hat is worn rarely and for a short enough period of time (30 seconds maximum) to allow the group to express their emotions. The presenter periodically provides the audience with the opportunity to let off steam: “Put on your red hat and tell me what you think about my proposal.” Unlike, say, the black and yellow hats, you don’t need to justify your emotions in any way.

Blue Hat: Process Control

The blue hat differs from other hats in that it is not designed to work with the content of the task, but to manage the work process itself. In particular, it is used at the beginning of the session to determine what is to be done, and at the end to summarize what has been achieved and identify new goals.

The blue hat controls the thinking process, thanks to it all the actions of meeting participants strive towards a single goal. There is a presenter for this; he wears a blue hat all the time. Like a conductor, he controls the orchestra and gives commands to wear one hat or another. “I don’t like your approach to business. Put away your black hat for a while and put on your green one.”

How does this happen

In group work, the most common pattern is to determine a sequence of hats at the beginning of the session. There are no clear recommendations regarding the order in which to change hats during a meeting - everything is determined by the specific situation based on the problem being solved. Then a session begins, during which all participants simultaneously “put on hats” of the same color, according to a certain sequence, and work in the appropriate mode. The moderator remains under the blue hat and monitors the process. The results of the session are summarized under a blue hat.

The main rule during a discussion is not to wear two hats at the same time and control yourself at all times. For example, at the moment of putting on a green hat, one must clearly understand that a search is underway concrete solutions. You cannot delve into their shortcomings - for this it will be time for a black hat. In addition, some managers who have not fully mastered this technology force one participant to wear the same hat all the time during the meeting. This is wrong, hats different colors should be put on in turns, except that the leader may prefer his blue hat to everyone else.

Rules for changing hats

The most commonly used option is the following. The leader briefly introduces the concept of hats to the audience and identifies the problem. It is advisable to start a discussion wearing a white hat, that is, you need to collect and consider all the available facts. The raw data is then viewed from a negative perspective - with a black hat, of course. After this, it is the turn of the yellow hat, and positive aspects are found in the discovered facts.

Once the problem has been examined from all sides and material for analysis has been collected, it is time to put on the green hat to generate ideas that can enhance the positive aspects and neutralize the negative ones. The leader, mentally sitting in a blue hat, carefully monitors the process - whether the group has deviated from the given topic, whether the participants are wearing two hats at the same time, and also periodically allows them to let off steam in a red hat. New ideas are again analyzed with a black and yellow hat. And at the end the discussion is summarized. Thus, thought streams do not intersect and become entangled like a ball of wool.

The allegory with hats has another very important advantage: the technique allows you to avoid getting too personal. Instead of the usual “Why are you yelling and criticizing everything?” the participant will hear a neutral, but no less effective, phrase: “Take off your red hat and put on your green one.”

This will relieve tension and avoid unnecessary negative emotions. In addition, at meetings, usually someone remains silent, but the technology, when everyone puts on a hat of the same color at the same time, forces everyone to express their thoughts.”

The Six Thinking Hats technique helps make meetings several times more effective. Unlike other concepts group work de Bono's method is so figurative that it is well remembered, and its main ideas can be outlined in half an hour. All other systems require a trained moderator, and during the meeting he alone knows what he is doing, and those whom he manages actually turn into blind performers and do not understand what is happening. True, the “Six Hats” technique still requires skill development and control from the blue hat - the leader.

Advantages

Here are some of the benefits of the method that Edward de Bono discovered while under the yellow hat.

Usually mental work seems boring and abstract. Six Hats makes it a colorful and fun way to manage your thinking.
Colored hats are a memorable metaphor that is easy to teach and apply.
The Six Hats Method can be used at any level of complexity, from kindergartens to boardrooms.
By structuring work and eliminating fruitless discussions, thinking becomes more focused, constructive and productive.
The metaphor of hats is a kind of role-playing language in which it is easy to discuss and switch thinking, distracting from personal preferences and without offending anyone.
The method avoids confusion since only one type of thinking is used by the entire group at a certain time.
The method recognizes the importance of all components of work on a project - emotions, facts, criticism, new ideas, and includes them in the work at the right time, avoiding destructive factors.

There is reason to believe that in different modes of brain functioning (criticism, emotions, creativity) its biochemical balance differs. If this is so, then some kind of system like the six hats is simply necessary, since there cannot be one “biochemical recipe” for optimal thinking.

Why hats?

Firstly, each of the six hats has its own, individual color, making it easily distinguishable from all the others and endowing it with characteristic features and qualities unique to it alone - the color difference makes each hat special, unique. Each colored hat indicates a role, a certain type of thinking and activity.

White hat. White color is impartial and objective, like a blank sheet of paper. Facts, information, questions - that’s what will fall in even lines on White list. What information do we have? What facts exist that support or refute a certain opinion? What information do we need?

Red hat. Red color symbolizes emotions and internal tension. In a red hat, a person surrenders himself to the power of intuition and feelings. How do I feel about this?

Yellow hat. Yellow is a sunny, life-affirming color. The man in the yellow hat is full of optimism, he is looking for advantages. Why is this worth doing? What are the benefits?

Black hat. Black is a gloomy color, in a word – unkind. A man wearing a black hat shows caution. Will it work? What's wrong here? What are the disadvantages?

Green hat. Green color– this is the color of fresh foliage, abundance, fertility. The green hat symbolizes creativity and the flowering of new ideas.

Blue hat. Blue color- this is the color of the sky. The blue hat is associated with organization and management. What have we achieved? What should you do next?

Secondly, the hat is very easy to put on and take off. This is always important, in all situations, when a person must be able to use all the resources of his thinking, be able to change the type of thinking and activity depending on the task at hand. Putting on a “thinking” hat is intended to help a person gain desired condition consciousness, concentrate on performing certain operations.

Third, Thinking Hats provide a structure for using parallel thinking and avoiding arguments that, in most situations, waste time without any benefit. As a rule, each person has his own view on the subject, and the higher the person’s intellectual abilities, the more strongly he will defend his position, his idea of the subject. The use of “thinking” hats opens up the opportunity to negotiate with the interlocutor and come to an agreement. The symbolism contained in hats is convenient for asking someone to “turn” the flow of their thoughts in the right direction. You can ask a person to put on a black hat and think about the negatives that are contained in his own idea, or, under the brim of a yellow hat, think about the positives that, just as obviously, are contained in other people's ideas.

An important advantage of the method is that solving specific task, can build his sequence of activities under the brims of six hats, combining them in the desired sequence. For example, an idea was born. Next stage its development - a test of viability using yellow hat thinking, constructively developing the idea, evaluating it positively and identifying all the benefits. After this, black hat thinking comes into play. White hat thinking takes over at the moment when there is a need to provide facts that reflect the essence of a given idea. On final stage the word is transferred to thinking in a red hat, called upon to answer the question at the emotional level: do we like this idea?

And finally, the most important advantage of the method is that it makes it possible to determine the rules of the game. People are good at recognizing by what rules a particular game is played. Learning the rules is one of the most promising forms of knowledge accumulation in childhood. With six hats installed certain rules games: “a person who is currently thinking and acting this way.”

Scenario description of the “Option” technology

Within the framework of the “Option” technology, four creative groups are created. Each of the groups takes turns working in a certain role position:

Innovators - “green hat” (present their project, their idea to the rest of the working group);
Optimists - “yellow hat” (highlight all the positive, beneficial, positive aspects of the presented idea);
Experts - “blue hat” (summarize and analyze the information received, evaluate the work of each creative group from the point of view of the activity goal set for this group on a 10-point scale, justify their opinion). An important point is the need to think through clear evaluation criteria for groups of optimists, pessimists, and innovators.

It should be especially noted that all participants are invited to work in advance under the brim of the “white hat” - think about the topic of future discussion, collect all necessary information, all the necessary data, facts.

The technology itself provides for four stages - four rounds (according to the number of creative groups created). At each stage, a separate creative group is asked to work in different role positions: first as innovators, then as pessimists, then as optimists, then as experts. Thus, all participants try themselves in different roles and at the same time have the opportunity to “look” at their own idea from different points of view.

Each stage-round lasts 16 minutes:

3 minutes - presentation of innovators;
2 minutes - clarifying questions to innovators from participants from other creative groups;
3 minutes - work in groups of optimists, pessimists and experts to identify positive and negative aspects the presented idea, generalization and analysis of the information received;
4 minutes for the performance of optimists and pessimists (2 minutes for each of the two creative groups);
2 minutes - work of a group of experts to determine the effectiveness of each group from the point of view of the activity goal set for this group;
2 minutes - presentation by experts (the work of each group is assessed by experts on a 10-point scale; the assessment is justified).

Compliance with the protocol is the responsibility of the leader of the lesson within the framework of this technology. Thus, the most difficult role - the role of the blue hat - is performed simultaneously by experts who are responsible for analyzing and summarizing information, on the basis of which the effectiveness of each group is assessed, and by the leader of the lesson, who is responsible for strict adherence to the protocol.

An important point is the opportunity to express your emotions and feelings (i.e. to be under the brim of the “red hat”) only during breaks between rounds. If any of the creative team members during work allows themselves emotional assessments, discussion with colleagues, then this group receives a penalty point.

The experts' assessment, as well as all penalty points, are entered in pivot table of the following form:

Description of a lesson conducted using the “Option” technology for developing and evaluating innovative ideas

As a problem under consideration, it is proposed to discuss the effectiveness of some of the students' business ideas. To implement a constructive learning process, four creative groups are created:

Innovators - “green hat” (present their project to the rest of the working group);
Pessimists are a “black hat” (they highlight all the negative, ill-conceived, unaccounted for aspects of the presented idea);
Optimists - “yellow hat” (highlight all the positive, economically and socially beneficial aspects of the presented idea);
Experts - “blue hat” (evaluate the work of each creative group from the point of view of the activity goal set for each group on a 10-point scale, justify their opinion).

It should be noted that before conducting this lesson, lyceum students already knew about the “Six Thinking Hats” method, the purpose of each thinking hat and the rules of work within the framework of the “Option” technology. The guys were asked to work at home under the brim of a white hat and come up with their own business ideas, think about various aspects of implementing the idea: the relevance of the idea for residents of the city and region, the novelty of the idea for the market, the amount needed initial capital, human resources, necessary raw materials for the production of the product, necessary production and technological resources, etc.

Within the framework of the “Option” technology, this implementation involves four stages. Each stage-round lasts 16-18 minutes. This lesson lasts 2 hours (90 minutes). Hourly planning for the entire block is as follows:

10 minutes - organizational stage; the teacher reminds the task and rules of work within the framework of the “Perspective” technology; then, in each creative group, a discussion is held of all the original ideas of the participants and one idea is selected, which, from the point of view of the group, is most relevant for the region and has the greatest element of novelty, and it is this idea that is further put forward by the group at the stage of work as innovators.
70 minutes – time for four rounds;
10 minutes - summing up the lesson (at this stage, everyone can express their emotional attitude to the issues under consideration, i.e., be under the brim of a red hat).

At the time of completion of work, each group gains a certain number of points for work in each of the role positions, the points are summed up and the winner is determined by the group that worked most effectively, purposefully in the mode of mutual support. Such activities help you look at yourself, your classmates differently, and think about efficiency. joint activities, see others interesting ideas, enrich yourself with new knowledge.

Other names of the method: "Six Hats Method", "Six Hats de Bono"

Purpose of the method

Can be used in any discussion convenient way control thinking and switch it. One of the tools for developing creative thinking.

Purpose of the method

To teach people to better understand the peculiarities of their thinking, control their way of thinking and more accurately correlate it with the tasks at hand in order to more effectively use the thinking process when solving problems.

The essence of the method

The Six Thinking Hats are a simple and practical way to overcome the three fundamental difficulties associated with practical thinking: emotion, helplessness, confusion. The method allows you to divide thinking into six types, or modes, each of which has a metaphorical colored “hat”. This division allows you to use each mode much more effectively, and the entire thinking process becomes more focused and stable.

Action plan

Be trained in the principles and application of the method, which allows you to remember the rules, learn to use and consciously apply them in practice.
After this, use certain “modes of thinking” to recognize, control and adapt the way of thinking when solving specific problems.
By putting on, taking off, changing a thinking hat, or just calling a “hat” to simply designate our thinking, we take on the specific role that this hat indicates.

Features of the method

In color printing, the primary colors are applied separately to the paper. But in the end, they all mix and produce a color print. The six hats method is the application of the same principle to thinking: trying to learn to pay attention various aspects thinking one thing at a time. As a result, the combination of these different aspects produces thinking in its entirety.

Six metaphorical hats of different colors represent each of the main types of thinking. More hats would be cumbersome and confusing. Anything less is not adequate.

The six thinking hats are designed for creative and constructive thinking that complement evaluative and analytical thinking.

Rules for using hats

When we put on our thinking hat, we assume the role that the hat indicates.
By taking off a specific color hat, we move away from this type of thinking.
When changing one hat to another, there is an instant switch in thinking. This method allows you to encourage a change in the train of thought without offending the person. We do not attack the thoughts expressed, but ask for change.
To indicate your opinion, you can simply name the hat and thereby show what type of thinking is intended to be used. For example, simply saying that you are wearing a black hat allows you to discuss an idea without attacking the person who proposed it.

Six thinking hats

Red hat. The color red brings to mind fire. The red hat is associated with emotions, intuition, feelings and premonitions. There is no need to justify anything here. Your feelings exist, and the red hat provides an opportunity to express them.

Yellow hat. The color yellow evokes sunshine and optimism. Under the yellow hat, we try to find the advantages and benefits of the proposal, prospects and possible gains, and identify hidden resources.

Black hat. The color black is reminiscent of a judge's robe and signifies caution. Black hat is a mode of criticism and evaluation, it points out flaws and risks and tells why something might not work out.

Green hat. The color green is reminiscent of plants, growth, energy, life. The green hat is a mode of creativity, idea generation, non-standard approaches and alternative points of view.

White hat. The white color makes you think of paper. In this mode, we focus on the information that we have or that is necessary to make a decision: only facts and figures.

Blue hat. Used at the beginning of discussions to pose a thinking problem and decide what we want to achieve as a result. This is a mode of observing and managing the thinking process itself (formulating goals, summing up results, etc.).

Additional Information:

Why hats? The hat is easy to put on and take off. This also applies to our situation, since we must be able to change Various types thinking with the same ease as wearing colored hats.
Up to 90% of errors in thinking (in non-technical areas) are errors of perception. Logical errors are very rare.
The Six Hats Method enriches our thinking and makes it more comprehensive. If we simply ask others to think about something, they often become confused. however, if they are invited to explore a subject using the six-hats framework, their breadth of perception quickly increases.

Advantages of the method

Visual, easy to learn and use.
The ability to see a situation and a solution from several points of view.
Allows you to remove your ego from thinking.

Disadvantages of the method

For effective application requires a developed imagination and careful training.

Expected Result

Use your thinking process more effectively to solve problems.

The six hats method is one of the most effective techniques for organizing thinking, developed by the English writer, psychologist and specialist in the field of creative thinking Edward de Bono. In his book Six Thinking Hats, de Bono describes techniques that help structure both collective and personal mental activity, making it more productive and understandable.

The six thinking hats method allows you to develop flexibility of mind, creativity, perfectly helps to overcome a creative crisis, helps you make the right decisions and more accurately correlate your way of thinking with your goals and tasks. It is especially well suited for evaluating unusual and innovative ideas, when it is important to take into account any opinion and consider the situation from different planes.

The essence of the six hats method

Edward de Bono's method is based on the concept of parallel thinking. As a rule, this or that decision is born in a clash of opinions, in discussion and polemics. With this approach, preference is often given not to the best of the options, but to the one that was more successfully promoted in the debate. With parallel thinking (constructive in essence) different approaches, opinions and ideas coexist, rather than being opposed or butting heads.

Six thinking hats, in the process of solving practical problems, help to cope with three main difficulties:

Emotions. Instead of thinking about a solution, we often limit ourselves to an emotional reaction that predetermines our further actions.

Confusion. Not knowing what to do or where to start, we experience uncertainty (this is especially evident either at moments when we are faced with a complex multi-level task, or when we encounter something for the first time).

Confusion. When we try to keep in our heads a large amount of information related to a task, we try to be logical, consistent and creative thinkers, to be constructive, and we also make sure that the people around us (interlocutors, colleagues, partners) are like that, usually all this leads to nothing but confusion and confusion.

The 6 Thinking Hats method helps overcome these difficulties by dividing the thinking process into six different modes, each of which is represented by a metaphorical hat of a different color. Such division makes thinking more focused and stable and teaches us to operate with its various aspects in turn.

Six thinking hats

White hat thinking is a mode of focusing attention on all information that we have: facts and figures. Also, in addition to the data that we have, “putting on a white hat”, it is important to focus on possibly missing, additional information, and think about where to get it.

The red hat is the hat of emotions, feelings and intuition. Without going into details and reasoning, at this stage all intuitive guesses are expressed. People share emotions (fear, indignation, admiration, joy, etc.) that arise when thinking about a particular decision or proposal. It is also important here to be honest, both with yourself and with others (if there is an open discussion).

The yellow hat is positive. When we put it on, we think about the supposed benefits that a solution or proposal brings, we reflect on the benefits and prospects of a certain idea. And even if this idea or decision at first glance does not promise anything good, it is important to work through this optimistic side and try to identify hidden positive resources.

Black hat the exact opposite of yellow. In this hat, the only thing that comes to mind is critical assessments of the situation(ideas, solutions, etc.): be careful, look at possible risks and secret threats, significant and imaginary shortcomings, turn on the mode of searching for pitfalls and be a little pessimistic.

Green hat – hat of creativity and creativity, searching for alternatives and making changes. Consider all kinds of variations, generate new ideas, modify existing ones and take a closer look at other people’s developments, do not disdain non-standard and provocative approaches, look for any alternative.

Blue Hat - The Sixth Thinking Hat unlike the other five, it is intended to manage the process of implementing an idea and working on solving problems, and not to evaluate a proposal and work out its content. In particular, using the blue hat before trying on all the others is a definition of what is to be done, i.e. formulation of goals, and at the end - summing up and discussing the benefits and effectiveness of the 6 hats method.

Who uses the 6 thinking hats method and when?

Using six thinking hats makes sense in any situation. mental work, in all areas and at the most various levels. For example, on a personal level, this could be writing business letter, planning important things, evaluating something, solving a problem of getting out of a difficult life situation etc. When working in a group, the 6 Thinking Hats method can be seen as a form of brainstorming, it can also be used in dispute and conflict resolution, again in planning and evaluation, or used as part of a training program.

By the way, many international corporations, such as British Airways, IBM, Pepsico, DuPont and many others, have long adopted this method.

Pros and cons of the six thinking hats method

Mental activity for most people is abstract, tedious and boring work. The six-hat method can captivate and make mental activity colorful and interesting. In addition, six colored hats is a pretty memorable expression and an easily digestible and applicable technique that can be used both on boards of directors and in kindergartens.

The 6 Hats Method recognizes significance and pays attention to all aspects of working on a solution - facts, emotions, pros and cons, generating fresh ideas.

Kozma Prutkov’s statement, “A narrow specialist is like flux: his completeness is one-sided,” well illustrates this advantage of the 6 thinking hats method. The disadvantage of subject matter experts is that they wear the same hat all the time, and in search the right decision these “fluxes” interfere with each other. And the six hats method guides the discussion in the right direction. For example, it helps to neutralize a participant prone to excessive criticism. Having understood the principle of the six hats technique, the critic will no longer arbitrarily kill ideas with his comments and will save his ardor, since he will know that soon it will be his turn to put on the black hat.

The human mind, protecting its integrity and self-sufficiency, often mistakes everything new for something unnatural and false. Using the de Bono method, we are able to consider opinions about things that we previously did not take seriously. This increases the chances of finding the right or appropriate solution to the situation.

Using this technique, we get the opportunity to come to an agreement with the interlocutor, ask the participant to be more compliant and distract from personal preferences, recommend that he not follow everyone’s lead, turn the flow of his thoughts 180 degrees, or you can simply give the person a chance to express everything, that he was “boiling.” This way, you don’t just give the person the opportunity to speak, but make it easier to find a joint solution.

The 6 hats method allows you to attract people who are usually shy and reticent to discuss topics. At the same time, any of the participants, expressing their point of view, does not feel discomfort, despite the fact that his opinion may contradict the opinion of the majority, because he, as it were, speaks on behalf of one of the colored hats, and not on his own behalf.

Thanks to a clearly defined work structure that eliminates empty talk, thinking becomes more concentrated, intelligent and fruitful.

As a result of the fact that when using the six hats technique, polar points of view do not conflict with each other, but peacefully coexist and complement each other, new extraordinary and innovative thoughts and ideas are born.

Another advantage of the six thinking hats is that with the help of this method we learn to manage our attention. After all, if our mind is able not only to react to events happening to us, but is ready to switch from one thing to another, and at the same time can examine an object from six sides, this develops our attention and makes it much sharper.

According to the deep conviction of Edward de Bono, which he described in detail in his book, the six thinking hats are designed to serve as conditioned reflex signals that can affect the balance chemical elements(neurotransmitter ratios) in the brain.

The main disadvantage of the 6 thinking hats, although probably not even a disadvantage, but the complexity, is the technology of the six hats itself, i.e. In order to master this technique and learn how to use it profitably, it takes some time. It’s easier to solve problems using the six hats technique individually, but doing it in a team is much more difficult.

If you are not a direct manager, initiating this method at the enterprise and explaining all its advantages is not an easy task. Most domestic enterprises are not ready to introduce any innovations into the company’s work, in particular collective methods, and especially those requiring personal involvement.

In addition to the need to convince management of the need for this method, there is also a moment of seriousness in its perception by the team itself. Someone may consider him “childish” and refuse to try on colored hats (although you don’t actually need to wear any hats), explaining this by saying that he is not a clown. However, here again the matter is in the professionalism of the presenter (moderator, i.e. blue hat).

In order to neutralize the few disadvantages of the six hat technology and wisely use all the advantages, before starting a collective fitting of hats, it is important to thoroughly study all the rules for carrying out this thinking technique.

Rules of the Six Thinking Hats Method

With collective participation, the de Bono method implies the mandatory presence of a moderator who leads the process and ensures that it does not turn into a farce. All the time, under a blue hat, the moderator writes down everything said on paper and finally summarizes the results obtained (to summarize and visually display it, it is better to use mind maps; you can learn how to compile them by reading the article - “Rules for compiling mental maps”).

First, the facilitator briefly introduces the team to the general concept of the six thinking hats, then identifies the problem or task. Well, for example: “A competing company has proposed cooperation in the field... What should I do?”

The session begins with everyone taking part in it putting on a hat of the same color together and looking at the situation with an appraising glance, one by one, from the angle corresponding to this hat. The order in which hats are tried on, in principle, does not play a huge role, however, some order is still necessary. Try the following option:

Start a white hat discussion on the topic, that is, collect and consider all available facts, figures, statistics, proposed conditions, etc. Afterwards, discuss all available data in a negative way, i.e. in a black hat, and even if the offer is profitable, as a rule, there is always a fly in the ointment. That's what you need to see. Next, look for all the positive aspects of the collaboration by wearing a positive yellow hat.

Once you've looked at the issue from all angles and gathered enough information for further analysis, put on your green, creative hat. Try to find something new in it, going beyond the existing proposals. Strengthen the positive aspects, smooth out the negative ones. Let each participant suggest an alternative path. The ideas that emerge are analyzed again with the yellow and black hats. Yes, and don’t forget to periodically let the participants blow off steam in a red hat (it is worn rarely and for a fairly short period of time, about thirty seconds, no more). So, by trying out the six thinking hats in different orders, over time you will be able to determine the order that works best for you.

At the end of the collective parallel thinking, the moderator sums up the work done. It is also important that the moderator ensures that participants do not wear several hats at the same time. This way, thoughts and ideas are not intertwined or confused.

You can use this method a little differently - have each participant put on a hat of a certain color and play their role. In this case, it is better to distribute the hats in such a way that they do not match the type of person. For example, let an optimist wear black, let someone who constantly criticizes everything wear yellow, let everyone who is not used to showing emotions and always behaves restrainedly wear red, don’t let the main creative person wear green, etc. This will enable those participating to reach their potential.

Edward De Bono's "6 thinking hats" method allows you to consider the problem from different planes, from different points of view. Also, due to the practice of switching between different types perception, trains flexibility of thinking, the ability to organize your mental activity and overcome a creative crisis in the described non-standard way!

Action plan

Option 1. One or more people
1. Formulate a task, a problem.
2. Consistently consider the problem from different positions. Each position is indicated by the color of the hat. Descriptions of the hats are given below in the text. Try different sequences of using hats. If several people are participating in a discussion, have each person try on different hats.
3. Summarize the work done.

Option 2. Several people participate
In this case, each participant gets their own hat or set of hats. It is advisable that the type of hat does not match the person’s character.

This method was suggested by Dr. Edward De Bono, a renowned researcher in the field of human thinking. Edward De Bono made a significant contribution to the development and systematization of creative thinking techniques. Six Hats Method is essentially a modified brainstorming technique. At the same time, a very successful and productive modification.

What is the 6 Thinking Hats Method?

The method contains a description six ways (or characteristics) of thinking. Each way of thinking is characterized by its own perception.

A person tries on hats one by one and tries to think in the way described for this hat. Of course, you don't have to have real hats on hand. different color- enough use 6 small circles of paper colored in matching colors . Let these circles symbolize 6 hats, and, accordingly, six ways of thinking.

So what are these hats (ways of thinking)?
White hat is a rational way of thinking. You focus on the information you have regarding your task. If you have this hat on your head, ask yourself: “What other information do we need to solve the problem?”

Red hat

is a hat of emotions and feelings. When putting on this hat, you need to feel the emotions that arise when you come into contact with the task. What awakens inside you when you hear about a task: fear, anger, anxiety, laziness, laughter, excitement, shame? If you can be completely sincere at this stage, then you will be able to include the intuitive component of your thinking.

Yellow hat

– a hat of a good, positive mood. In order to solve a problem, and most importantly find an effective and useful solution, you need an energy charge. You need to be positive. Even if the task gives you negative, pessimistic feelings, try to find the positive side of what is happening. So, we solve the problem with this hat cheerfully, cheerfully and with enthusiasm.

Green hat

– the most fun of all hats!. This is the hat of a jester, a person who knows how to amuse the whole company. Also, this hat gives out the most original, ridiculous, funny and creative ideas. Here you can completely free your imagination!

Black hat

- critic's hat. Being in the black hat position, you put on the mask of a pessimist. Such a person is able to critically evaluate proposed solutions. Only he can sift out the mountain of garbage and discover a gold bar in this mountain! The black hat is helped to critically evaluate decisions by intelligence, extensive knowledge, scrupulousness in assessment and, of course, an appropriate critical attitude. Please note that one black hat (if several people take part in the discussion) is enough. It is also advisable to “release the black hat into battle” closer to the end of the discussion, so that enough options for solving the problem have accumulated, among which she will have to look for the most valuable.

Blue hat

– this is the person who organizes the process of discussing the task. That is, he is the organizer (coordinator) of the brainstorming session. He distributes hats to the participants, choosing which hat to wear. Selects the order in which hats “appear” on stage. Starts and summarizes at the end of the discussion.

How to use creativity techniques

You can use the method in any situation where you need to think carefully to find a solution. The areas of application can be absolutely any - science, education, creativity, business, programming. We assure you that considering the situation from different angles will in any case improve your chances that you will be able to solve the problem as efficiently as possible.

"(English: "SixThinkingHats") was first published in 1985, introducing the public to a technique for organizing thinking and a way to solve creative problems and disputes. Today, this technique has become popular enough to gain both its fans and opponents. Perhaps philosophers would consider it necessary in this situation to joke about the hermeneutic circle, saying that the methodology that defends different views on things, itself is assessed differently. But without irony, we will try to understand the essence of the 6 hats technique, its pros and cons, as well as its possible applications.

Six Hats Method

Edward de Bono is a British psychologist, consultant in the field of creative thinking, and writer. As a student, he studied medicine, physiology and psychology. This determines his broad approach to problems of interest, his desire to understand the subject at the intersection of disciplines. Thus, in essence, the theory of six thinking hats was born, which today is one of the most popular types of brainstorming method.

The prerequisite for the emergence of the method was the belief that human thinking in the process of life gradually becomes one-sided and acquires stereotypes. This is due to many factors: cultural and social environment, religion, education, instilled ideas about logic, morality, etc. In addition, thought processes are also associated with the mood of the person himself, his emotions, and intuition.

Based on all of the above, E. de Bono proposed 6 ways that can disrupt the brain’s usual state of thinking and decision-making. They are based on examining any problem from different angles. It would seem, what could be simpler? But this is where the first fly in the ointment lies - these ways of organizing thinking, “hat”, are not natural. You first need to learn the technique and only after gaining the necessary experience, “try it on” for yourself.

The 6 hats method is psychological role-playing game. Hat a certain color means a separate mode of thinking, and by putting it on, a person turns on this mode. This is necessary to form a holistic opinion about the problem, since, as mentioned above, we most often think about it rationally, which does not contribute to the completeness of the picture. De Bono's technique also allows managers to resolve work confrontations and disputes. Skill under different angles looking at the subject of discussion is the key to a successful speaker. The technique itself requires focusing on various aspects, and, therefore, develops attentiveness. As a conclusion, we emphasize that, globally, the six hats can be applied in any area related to mental work.

How to use the tool?

E. de Bono, speaking about the practice of applying his method, notes the following. Decisions are born from debate, and in it the opinion that is more successfully defended often wins, and not the one that takes into account the interests of the entire team or possible advantages as much as possible. Based on this observation, the author of the technique proposed a significantly different approach - parallel thinking, where six hats are the tool for achieving it. The point is that the problem should be considered not in the struggle of arguments and ideas, but in their unity. In other words, the technique implies choosing the best not through a collision of ideas in order to select the strongest and most viable, but their parallel peaceful coexistence, in which they are evaluated sequentially, independently of each other.

The use of the six hats technique can be figuratively represented as a drawing with multi-colored pencils. A colorful picture is obtained only when you use the whole gamut of colors. So in the case of de Bono’s method, a complete vision of the situation occurs after all six hats have been put on in turn:

White hat. When we try on this headgear, we focus on the data at our disposal. We are trying to understand what information is missing, where to find it, how to use it known facts and conclusions for solving the problem.
The white hat is, in fact, retrospective method knowledge, which is used to identify cause-and-effect relationships and patterns in the development of phenomena.

Red hat. By putting it on, we turn on our intuition and feelings. What does your inner voice tell you? Intuitive guesses and sensations at this stage are very important, since they allow one to judge the emotional background and attitude to the problem through the prism of human feelings. If the discussion is collective, it is important to try to understand other people's answers, the driving forces and the background of the solutions they propose. To do this, everyone needs to be truthful and sincere, not hide their real feelings and experiences.

Black hat. In it you have to be a pessimist, but with a healthy dose of criticism. Proposed solutions to the problem are assessed for possible risks in the future, further development of difficult and unforeseen situations. Try to find weak points in every idea and pay attention to them. The black hat should be used primarily by those who have already achieved success and are accustomed to thinking positively, because often these are the people who tend to underestimate perceived difficulties.

Yellow hat. It is the opposite of black and implies an optimistic, positive view of the problem. Highlight strengths and the benefits of each solution. This is especially important if all the options seem rather gloomy.

Green hat is responsible for creativity, the search for unusual ideas and extraordinary views. No assessments of previously proposed solutions, only their further development by any accessible ways(mental maps, focal objects, associations and other tools for activating creative thinking).

Blue hat is not directly related to the development of a solution. It is worn by the leader - the one who sets goals at the beginning and sums up the work at the end. He manages the entire process - gives everyone the floor, monitors compliance with the topic.
More details about each hat and the actions and rules associated with it.

Examples of using the six hats method

How does the technique work? Let's look at an example with a simulated situation taken from one English-language forum.

Some construction company planned to build a new one office building, but was not sure of its ultimate success. They decided to hold a meeting on this matter using the six thinking hats method. While trying on the white hat, participants analyzed the state of the market, studied reports and economic forecasts, as a result of which they established a downward trend in the number of vacant positions. office premises and an increase in the number of companies interested in renting.
At the same time, some of the participants, wearing a red hat, expressed concerns about the proposed building design, considering it ugly and questioning bold forecasts about the relevance of demand. When working with a black hat, company representatives considered the likely risks in case forecasts about economic growth will not materialize, and a cyclical decline will set in. Possible losses from the situation were calculated if part of the premises remained unrented.
However, after wearing the yellow hat, the participants came to the conclusion that the opportunity negative consequences is minimal, since forecasts are confirmed by real macroeconomic indicators, and the design of the building can be changed, making it more attractive to potential clients. While working with the green hat, suggestions and ideas regarding architectural details were collected, and it was decided to make several floors with increased comfort and service for VIP companies. Throughout the discussion, the chair with the blue hat ensured that ideas were not criticized and that he did not switch between hats.

This is what the algorithm for working with this technique looks like. There are more specific examples: In particular, the six hat method was successfully used by the Australian swimwear and sports accessories brand Speedo to solve the problem of protruding parts of swimsuits that reduced the speed of the swimmer.

To illustrate the method, we suggest you use the Parable of the Old Hatter

Once upon a time, or perhaps not long ago, there lived an old wise Hatter. Of all the earthly riches, he only had colored felt. But he had golden hands and a beautiful, wise soul. The master gave people something more than headdresses - hats, caps, Panama hats and bonnets. Enlightened and spiritualized, determined and inspired, people left the old Hatter’s workshop, taking away their order. Needless to say, how famous the master was for his skill, how grateful people were to him for the hats that carried the great secret of the great master.

Years passed. And the time came when the old Hatter left this world, leaving to his six sons the glory of a great master, a workshop, scraps of colored felt and... six multi-colored hats - white, black, yellow, red, green and blue. The hats were so exquisite that they clearly must have belonged to a very rich and successful person.

“Probably, the main father’s inheritance is the money that the customer of multi-colored hats will pay us,” the master’s sons decided. “They must be very expensive, and we will be rich!” “We will divide the money equally and go to travel around the world to find our destiny,” the sons planned.

But time passed, and the rich customer never appeared.

“It’s strange,” the sons thought, “the master’s last order should have cost a lot.” But since no one comes for him, maybe we can keep these hats for ourselves? And the sons decided to divide their father's inheritance among themselves.

— I'm taking my hat white, said the first son. “It’s so elegant and delightful that by wearing it, I can enter high society and show off at balls and receptions.” I will no longer feel like the son of a simple hatter.

“And I choose a black hat,” said the second son. — Black color goes with any suit. In this hat I will be strict, personable, elegant in any situation. I'm sure it will bring me good luck!

“I think I’ll choose yellow,” said the third son. “There are so few sunny days in our area, I miss them so much.” The yellow hat, although it requires a special costume, will give me the joy of the sun and a smile! And the one who smiles is happy.

-Let my hat be red! - exclaimed the fourth son. — I always dreamed of standing out from the crowd, I always liked it when people paid attention to me. With a red hat I will be noticed by everyone! Women will love me!

— The green hat is so original! - remarked the fifth son. “I’ve never seen anyone on the street wearing a green hat, even at a masquerade.” It seems to me that a green hat will make me a trendsetter. I like unexpected decisions, I'll take the green hat!

“You have sorted all the hats,” said the sixth son. “I just have to take the blue one.” It's strange, but you freed me from the problem of choice. I trusted fate and got what I would have chosen in the first place! The problem of choice... - the sixth son thought, - perhaps we need to think about this.

And so the old master's inheritance was divided between his sons. They carefully packed the scraps of colored felt, closed the workshop and at dawn each set off in their own direction.

A lot of time passed before, obeying some special inner feeling, the sons of the old master again gathered together under the roof of their father’s workshop. Sitting by the fire, each of them told their story, and everyone was amazed at how the Hatter's legacy affected them.

The son, who took the white hat, became an important person; he held a high position of adviser in one powerful country. He was clear and impartial. Explaining the story of his life, he listed facts and events, omitting his experiences. The brothers were amazed at such changes, but listened with great respect.

The owner of the black hat became witty and sarcastic. Talking about the people with whom fate brought him together, he aptly and colorfully described their weaknesses and vices, creating grotesque portraits. It seemed that he lived in a country of petty and stupid people, although it was known that the inhabitants of the city where the second son of the master settled were worthy citizens. Meanwhile, this son of the Hatter made a good career, as he knew how to prevent the wrong decisions of the local burgomaster.

The yellow hat made the third son of the Hatter an incorrigible optimist. It turns out that he lives in the best city in the world, whose residents are wonderful people. He enjoys sunrises and sunsets, jogs, plants flowers and does charity work.

While the brothers told their stories, only one of them constantly jumped up impatiently, sometimes cheerfully applauding, sometimes wringing his hands in despair, sometimes throwing away his red hat in irritation. The brothers watched him with interest - after all, not everyone reacts so emotionally to life's adventures. It turned out that the Hatter's fourth son became an actor, whose stage name was well known to all five! The owner of the red hat was an actor without a role. Thanks to his emotionality and sensitivity, he brilliantly played dramatic, comic, and tragic roles. The owner of the red hat became very famous. But here's the problem, ordinary life he never managed to learn to restrain his feelings...

When it was the Hatter’s fifth son’s turn to tell the story, he silently laid out the photographs on the table. The brothers looked and saw their brother in the company of famous people. Here he is shaking hands with the president of the strongest state, here he is giving an interview to a famous journalist, here he is participating in the opening of his exhibition... The owner of the green hat was famous, but modest. He was educated in various fields, painted beautifully, composed poetry and music. He approached everything he undertook unexpectedly and unconventionally. He was responsible for many inventions in various fields. The largest companies invited him as a consultant, and his ideas brought success to many people.

And so the last of the Hatter's sons took off his blue hat. And all the brothers saw how much knowledge, wisdom and love radiated from his eyes. He became a Teacher, many came to him for advice, and the king entrusted him with raising the heir...

And the sons of the old master realized what an amazing legacy their father had left them. And everyone wanted to take off their hat, because she had already taught them a lot, and try on each other’s hats. So they developed new qualities in themselves, which allowed them to become happy.

A lot of time has passed since then, or maybe a little, but colorful hats pass from hand to hand, and allow themselves to be worn by those who want to learn something new...