6 THINKING HATSDecision-Making Tool from decision-making-howto.com

Introduction

Author EdwaAuthor Edward de Bono introduces a great technique to view a given situation through different perspectives.

White Hat

With this thinking hat you lay down the data available. You can write down what you know about the situation (time line, figures, who would be concerned, and so on).

With this hat, you extrapolate from past trends.

For example, if you are considering buying a house you will write down the expected cost (monthly payments, maintenance, electricity, etc..) based on your experience and your research.

Red Hat

With the red hat on, you look at problems using your gut reaction and emotions. Also try to consider how other will react emotionally. Try to imagine what would be the reaction of a relative who doesn’t have all the facts.

Red Hat

If we stay with the same example, something like “I hate the idea to commit to a 20 years mortgage” or “I’ll never find a home I like within my budget” would be some of the answers. Just by becoming aware of these initial points of resistance (which often remain un-formulated) will be helpful.

Black Hat

Wearing the black hat, you also look at problems but this time from an analytical point of view. It will help to make your plan tighter.

“What if I loose my job and can’t afford the monthly payments?”

Yellow Hat

The yellow hat is the optimistic point of view that allows you to see all the benefits of the decision you are considering making.

“Buying an apartment is an investment for the future”; “I’ll feel I’m at home”; “I’ll be able to work the space to my taste.”

Green Hat

It is the hat of creative thinking. It consists of a freewheeling way of thinking. It is about generating solutions and ideas without, at this point, scrutinizing their feasibility. Coming up with many ideas, even exotic ones, is a great mental work that will help adding perspectives to a given situation.

Blue Hat

The blue hat deals with managing the discussion. You use it in between every other hat to see what’s needed. If for example, you start to worry about the situation and become too pessimistic, the blue hat thinking will invite you the wear the Yellow Hat to balance out the negativity.

Conclusion

You can use the 6 Hats technique on your own alternating the different roles, or you can do this exercise with the help of others (people involves by the decision, friends, relatives) where each person would be attributed a hat. You will be surprised by the many insights that can come out of such a group exercise.

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