Contents
1. Introduction
2. ‘Six Thinking Hats’ technique
3. The ways to use the technique
A. White Hat
B. Red Hat
C. Black Hat
D. Yellow Hat
E. Green Hat
F. Blue Hat
4. Practical application of the technique
5. Conclusion
6. Bibliography
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Nowadays, there is a variety of decision-making techniques and tools and many of them are considered to be very effective. At the same time it is hardly possible to speak about an ideal decision-making tool or technique which would be applicable in all practical situations that leads to the limited use of this or that technique or tool. Nonetheless, there are some techniques which effectiveness is quite high while restrictions as for their use are few and one of such techniques is ‘Six Thinking Hats’ technique developed by Edward de Bono.
‘Six Thinking Hats’ technique
Traditionally, it is believed that ‘Six Thinking Hats’ is a very important and powerful technique. It is used in different situations to look at decisions from a number of important perspectives. Basically it forces one to move outside one’s habitual thinking style and helps to get a wider view on the situation in general. It is a well-known fact that many successful people think from a very rational, positive viewpoint. Actually this is part of the reason why they are successful. However, often they fail to look at the problem from an emotional, intuitive, creative or negative viewpoint that prevents them to have an objective view on the situation. It means that often they underestimate the resistance to plans, fail to make creative leaps and not do make essential contingency plans.
On the other hand, in the similar situation pessimists may be excessively defensive, and more emotional people may fail to look at decisions calmly and rationally. Actually ‘Six Thinking Hats’ technique is supposed to solve this problem in the decision making process for it has to mix ambition, skill in execution, public sensitivity, creativity and good contingency planning.
The ways to use the technique
Speaking about the ways to use ‘Six Thinking Hats’ technique, it should be pointed out that the technique may be used in meetings as well as on the individual level. In meetings it has the benefit of blocking the confrontations that happen when people when people with different thinking styles discuss the same problem. The developers of the technique suggest several ‘hats’ to overcome the problems that one may face during the decision-making process and each ‘hat’ is a different style of thinking.
A. White hat
With this thinking an individual focuses on the data available. It suggests that a person look at the information he/she has, and see what he/she can learn from it. It is necessary to look for gaps in person’s knowledge, and either try to fill them or take account of them respectively to individual knowledge. This hat implies that one analyse past trends and try to extrapolate from historical data.
B. Red Hat
‘Wearing’ the red hat, an individual looks at the problem using intuition, personal reactions, and emotions. Also it is recommended to try to think how other people will react emotionally and try to understand the possible responses of people who do not fully know reasoning of one’s decision-making.
C. Black Hat
Using black hat thinking, it is recommended to look at all the bad points of the decision. In such a situation, an individual should look at it very cautiously and defensively. It is necessary to understand why the decision taking might not work. In fact black hat is very important because it highlights the weak points of the plan. On the other hand, it allows to eliminate them through viewing the situations from different points, and it can allow to alter the weak points or prepare contingency plans to counter them.
Black hat thinking helps to make individual’s plans more resilient. It can also help to spot fatal flaws and risks before embarking on a course of action. Black hat thinking is one of the greatest benefits of this technique, as many successful people get so used to thinking positively that often they simply cannot see problems in advance. This leaves them under-prepared for difficulties.
D. Yellow Hat
Yellow hat helps to think positively. In fact it is an optimistic viewpoint that helps to see all the benefits of the decision and the value in it that is very important, especially in the situation when everything seems to be gloomy and difficult.
E. Green Hat
Green hat implies creativity. This thinking is where an individual may develop creative solutions to the problem. It is a freewheeling way of thinking, in which there is little criticism of ideas.
D. Blue Hat
Blue hat stands for process control. It means that this hat is ‘worn’ by people chairing meetings. When running into difficulties because ideas are running dry, they may direct activity into green hat thinking. When contingency plans are needed, they will ask for black hat thinking, etc.
In such a way the technique seems to be very effective and applicable in different situations, especially when a wide view on the decision-making is necessary. However, it is not always possible to objectively have such a wide view on a decision because on the one hand, not every individual can achieve such a degree of objectivity, on the other hand, some decisions can be naturally rejected by some people that makes the use of this technique to a certain extent useless.
Practical application of the technique
Obviously, in order to better understand the technique and its effectiveness it is necessary to briefly discuss some examples of its application. For instance, the directors of a property company are looking at whether they should construct a new office building. The economy is doing well, and the amount of vacant office space is reducing sharply. As part of their decision they decide to use the Six Thinking Hats technique during a planning meeting.
Looking at the problem with the white hat, they analyse the data they have. They examine the trend in vacant office space, which shows a sharp reduction. They anticipate that by the time the office block would be completed, that there would be a severe shortage of office space. Current government projections show steady economic growth for at least the construction period.
With red hat thinking, some of the directors think that the proposed building looks quite ugly. While it would be highly cost-effective, they worry that people would not like to work in it.
When they think with the black hat, they worry that the government projections may be wrong. The economy may be around to enter a ‘cyclical downturn’, in which the office building may be empty for a long time. If the building is not attractive, than companies will choose to work in another better-looking building at the same rent.
However, with the yellow hat, if the economy holds up and their projections are correct, the company stands to make a great deal of money. If they are lucky, maybe they could sell the building before the next downturn, or rent to tenants on long-term leases that will last through any recessions.
With green hat thinking they consider whether they should change the design to make the building more pleasant. Perhaps they could build prestige offices that people would want to rent in any economic climate. Alternatively, maybe they should invest the money in the short term to buy up property at a low cost when a recession comes.
The blue hat has been used by the meeting’s Chair to move between the different thinking styles. He or she may have needed to keep other members of the team from switching styles, or criticising other people’s points.
Conclusion
Thus, it is obvious that among the variety of tools and techniques that may be applied in the decision-making process the Six Thinking Hats technique seems to be quite effective though it is not always to use it, or at least its effectiveness is not always very high. Nonetheless, the technique possesses a number of advantages that make it possible to take objective, well-grounded decisions that will lead to positive results.
Bibliography:
1. Bono, E. de. Six Thinking Hats. New York: Routledge, 2002.
2. Edwards, G. The Decision-Making: Tools and Techniques. LA: New Publishers, 2001.
3. Williamson, L. Strategies of Decision-Making. New York: McGra