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Early in the 1980s Dr. de Bono invented the Six Thinking Hats method, a framework for thinking and incorporate lateral thinking. Valuable judgmental thinking has its place in the system but is not allowed to dominate as in normal thinking.
The six hats represent six modes of thinking and are directions to think rather than labels for thinking. That is, the hats are used proactively rather than reactively.
The six hats system encourages performance rather than ego defense. People can contribute under any hat even though they initially support the opposite view. The key point is that a hat is a direction to think rather than a label for thinking. The key theoretical reasons to use the Six Thinking Hats are to:
• encourage Parallel Thinking
• encourage full-spectrum thinking
• separate ego from performance
Argument versus Parallel Thinking in a Changing World
The basic idea behind Western thinking was designed by the Greek "Gang of Three" and is based on argument. Socrates put a high emphasis on dialectic and argument. He wanted to clarify the correct use of concepts like justice and love by pointing out incorrect usage. Plato believed that the "ultimate" truth was hidden below appearances. Aristotle systematized inclusion / exclusion logic.
As a result, Western thinking is concerned with "what is," which is determined by analysis, judgement and argument. That is a fine and useful system, but there is another whole aspect of thinking that is concerned with "what can be," which involves constructive thinking, creative thinking, and "designing a way forward."
From the past we create standard situations and we judge into which "standard situation box" a new situation falls. Once we have made this judgement, our course of action is clear. Such a system works very well in a stable world in which the standard situations of the past still apply. But in a changing world the standard situations may no longer apply. We need to be thinking about "what can be," not just about "what is."
Unlike traditional thinking in which each tries to prove the other party wrong, in parallel thinking, both views, no matter how contradictory, are put down in parallel. If, later on, it is essential to choose between the differing positions, then an attempt to choose is made at that point. If a choice cannot be made, then the design has to cover both possibilities. At all times the emphasis is on designing a way forward.
Directions (Not Descriptions) and Hats
The essence of parallel thinking is that at any moment everyone is looking in the same direction — but the direction can be changed..The hats used to indicates some direction labels for thinking and a role symbol. People are said to be wearing a certain hat, it can be put on or taken off with ease, it is also visible to everyone around. There are six colored hats corresponding to the six directions of thinking: white, red, black, yellow, green, blue.
The hats are directions and not descriptions of what has happened. It is not a matter of everyone saying what they like and then the hats being used to describe what has been said. It is a matter of setting out to think in that direction. A description is concerned with what has happened. A direction is concerned with what is about to happen.
White hat thinking means a deliberate focus on information that is available and needed, questions to be asked, other ways of getting information, and so on. This covers facts, figures, information needs and gaps.
Red hat is a specific request for feelings, intuition and emotions on a particular issue. The red hat allows the thinker to put forward an intuition without any need to justify it. Usually feelings and intuition can only be introduced into a discussion if they are supported by logic. The red hat gives full permission to a thinker to put forward his or her feelings on the subject at the moment.
Black hat describes thinking that seems to be cautious, danger and seems to point out possible difficulties. The black hat is used to point out why a suggestion does not fit the facts, the available experience, the system in use, or the policy that is being followed. The black hat must always be logical.
This is the logical positive. Why something will work and why it will offer possible benefits and values. It can be used in looking forward to the results of some proposed action, but can also be used to find something of value in what has already happened.
This is the hat of creativity; new ideas, alternatives, proposals, what is interesting, provocations and changes.
This is the overview or process control hat. It looks not at the subject itself but at the 'thinking' about the subject. "Putting on my blue hat, I feel we should do some more green hat thinking at this point." In technical terms, the blue hat is concerned with meta-cognition.
Not Categories of People
It is possible to create tests to determine whether a person is type A or type B, or any similar descriptive discriminations. The difficulty is that once people have been put into "boxes" they tend to stay there. Again, that is an example of "what is" instead of "what can be."
There is a huge temptation to use the hats to describe and categorize people. The hats are not descriptions of people but modes of behavior. People may prefer one mode to another and might be better at one mode than another. Nevertheless, the hats are not categories of people. Every person must be able and skilled, to look in all the directions. The whole point of parallel thinking is that the experience and intelligence of everyone should be used in each direction.
Playing the Game
Ever since Freud, the emphasis has been on analysis: find out the deep truths and motivations for action. Instead of focusing on personality he chose to focus directly on behavior, the Six Hats method follows the Confucian approach that urged you to use the right behavior with your colleagues, your subordinates, your superiors and your family. Getting people to "play the game" is a very powerful form of changing behavior.
Power and Time Saving
With the Six Hats method, the intelligence, experience and knowledge of all the members of the group are fully used. Everyone is looking and working in the same direction. The focusing of the mental ability of many people on a problem can more easily solve that problem.
With parallel thinking, every thinker at every moment is looking in the same direction. The thoughts are laid out in parallel. You do not respond to what the last person has said. You simply add another idea in parallel. In the end, the subject is fully explored quickly.
Removal of Ego
Confrontational and adversarial thinking exacerbate the ego problem. Six Hats thinking removes it, you exert your ego by performing well as a thinker under each of the hats.
One Thing at a Time
With the Six Hats method, we try to do only one thing at a time. Underneath all this is the absolute physiological need to separate out the types of thinking. You cannot be sensitized in different directions at the same time, so when we set out to do all aspects of thinking at the same moment, we are going to be suboptimal on all of them.