Thinking Hats

One of the main purposes of schools is to help develop children’s skills in thinking. Edward de Bono’s six coloured hats represent six different ways of thinking. By using the ‘Six Ways of Thinking’, people are encouraged to open their thinking to consider a wider range of options, thus enabling the exploration of multiple possibilities and approaches.

White Hat Thinking: White is neutral. When we wear the white hat we examine facts, figures and the information we have and we identify what information we do not have. We ignore arguments and proposals.

Red Hat Thinking: Red is for feelings, intuitions and hunches. It allows people to put forward their feelings without the need for apology, explanation or justification.

Black Hat Thinking: Black is for logical negative thinking. When we wear the black hat we exercise caution and critical thinking. This is a valuable way of thinking if we wish to avoid mistakes but if we overuse it we can stifle our creativity.

Yellow Hat Thinking: Yellow is for optimism and a positive outlook. When we wear the yellow hat we focus our thinking on all the possible good points or benefits of any situation or idea but we must be logical and reasonable, asking for example, ‘What alternatives do we have?’ ‘What benefits can be gained?’

Green Hat Thinking: Green is for creativity, new ideas and further alternatives, emphasising the need for creative effort and lateral thinking, asking for example, ‘What other ideas can we consider?’

Blue Hat Thinking: Blue Hat thinking guides the thinking processes and suggests the next steps to be taken. It asks for decisions, summaries and conclusions, asking for example, ‘What conclusions can we now come to?’ ‘What are some other ways of thinking on this issue?’ ‘What steps should we now take