The “6 Thinking Hats” is a tool that helps teams and individuals separate their thinking into six clear functions and roles.
Each hat represents a archetype of thinking, and when “wearing” the respective hat, you play the role of said thinker.
Here is what each hat represents:
- The White Hat looks for evidence. They want to know. They want the facts…and only the facts.
- The Yellow Hat is eternally optimistic and views it throughout a glass half-full. The yellow explores for opportunities, and probes for value and willingness to pay.
- The Black Hat looks for risk and what can go wrong.
- The Red Hat is all about emotions and feelings, hunches and intuition.
- The Green Hat is creative; The green hat looks to uncover new possibilities and new ideas. It’s an opportunity to express new concepts and new perceptions.
- The Blue Hat facilitates/manages the 5 other hats and the thinking process.
As an innovation practitioner, the tool is very useful to have in your toolbox. I’ve previously used it primarily in the solution-creation phase of workshops, but it’s useful across the full spectrum of the early innovation process.
It’s arguably a useful tool to carry with you through life to help you make more nuanced decisions.
Over the next few weeks, I’m going to be using it with customers as we dive into the Build-Measure-Learn loops.
Have you used the 6-hats concept? What did you find to be useful about it?
