1. Creative Problem Solving with
Six Thinking Hats
How to use Edward deBono’s
parallel thinking in problem solving
Gary Dichtenberg
CyberSkills, Inc.
2. Goals of this program
Define parallel thinking
Identify each of the six hats
Learn how to ask a good question
Apply six hats method to problem solving
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
3. What is parallel thinking?
At any moment
everyone is looking in the same direction.
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
4. So the six hats are…?
Six colors 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
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
5. Uses for Six Hats
Problem solving
Strategic planning
Running meetings
Much more
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
7. …and six hats
White: objective facts & figures
Red: emotions & feelings
Black: cautious & careful
Yellow: hope, positive & speculative
Green: creativity, ideas & lateral thinking
Blue: control & organization of thinking
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
8. General hat issues
Direction, not description
• Set out to think in a certain direction
• “Let’s have some black hat thinking…”
Not categories of people
• Not: “He’s a black hat thinker.”
• Everyone can and should use all the hats
A constructive form of showing off
• Show off by being a better thinker
• Not destructive right vs. wrong argument
Use in whole or in part
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
9. Benefits of Six Thinking Hats
Provides a common language
Experience & intelligence of each person
(Diversity of thought)
Use more of our brains
Helps people work against type, preference
Removal of ego (reduce confrontation)
Save time
Focus (one thing at a time)
Create, evaluate & implement action plans
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
10. Using the hats
Use any hat, as often as needed
Sequence can be preset or evolving
Not necessary to use every hat
Time under each hat: generally, short
Requires discipline from each person
• While using it, stay in the idiom
Adds an element of play, play along
Can be used by individuals and groups
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
11. The blue hat
Thinking about thinking
Instructions for thinking
The organization of thinking
Control of the other hats
Discipline and focus
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
12. The blue hat role
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
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
13. Open with the blue hat…
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
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
14. …and close with the blue hat
What we have achieved
Outcome
Conclusion
Design
Solution
Next steps
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
15. White Hat Thinking
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
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
16. Red Hat Thinking
Emotions & feelings
Hunches, intuitions, impressions
Doesn’t have to be logical or consistent
No justifications, reasons or basis
All decisions are emotional in the end
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
17. Yellow Hat Thinking
Positive & speculative
Positive thinking, optimism, opportunity
Benefits
Best-case scenarios
Exploration
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
18. Green Hat Thinking
New ideas, concepts, perceptions
Deliberate creation of new ideas
Alternatives and more alternatives
New approaches to problems
Creative & lateral thinking
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
19. Black Hat Thinking
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
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
20. Six hats summary
Blue: control & organization of thinking
White: objective facts & figures
Red: emotions & feelings
Yellow: hope, positive & speculative
Green: creativity, ideas & lateral thinking
Black: cautious & careful
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
21. Asking the right question
We can’t get the right answer
if we ask the wrong question
Crucial blue hat skill
One technique: five whys
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
23. “Traditional” CPS
Mess-finding
Data-finding
Problem-finding
Idea-finding
Solution-finding
Acceptance-finding
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
24. Common idea-finding methods
Brainstorming
Mind Maps
Free association
Freewriting
Incubation
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
25. Six hats & problem solving
A more deliberate process than CPS
Like CPS, uses creativity (green hat)
Unlike CPS, provides a mechanism for
evaluating ideas & making decisions
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
26. Hypothetical problem solving
program using the hats - 1
Blue hat
• Organize the process
Red hat
• Emotional issues & feelings
White hat
• What do we know, need to know
Yellow hat
• Proposals & suggestions; what ifs, why nots
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
27. Hypothetical problem solving
program using the hats - 2
Blue hat
• Focus on the areas that need new ideas
Green hat
• Generate new ideas & concepts
Blue hat
• Organize ideas & process for evaluation
White, yellow & green hats
• Constructive thinking
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
28. Hypothetical problem solving
program using the hats - 3
Yellow hat
• Positive assessment of viable alternatives
Black hat
• Screening for impossible, unusable
• Challenge the alternatives
Yellow & green hats
• Overcome objections, correct faults, remove
weaknesses, solve problems
Black hat
• Further scrutiny; point out risks, dangers
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
29. Hypothetical problem solving
program using the hats - 4
Blue hat
• Overview of achievements so far
• Organize choice of route
Red hat
• Express feelings about the choices
Yellow & black hats
• Looking for the best alternative
Blue hat
• Strategy for implementation
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.
30. Want to learn more?
Workshops by Paul Reali
• CyberSkills, Inc.
• 336.774.1411
• www.cyberskills.com or www.omniskills.com
• preali@cyberskills.com
Lateral Thinking, deBono’s Thinking Course,
and other books by Edward deBono
Paul Reali • CyberSkills, Inc.