Group parallel thinking input using 1 of 6 hats at a time. See section 2 for 8 suggested Hat sequences.
Record results on either the Textarea below or the linked PDF.
6 Thinking Hats
Blue Thinking Hat
- Big picture, High level, process, priorities, consider all factors, management of 6 Hats.
- 6 Hat sequencing agenda.
- Ask for summary, findings, conclusion, decision. Use Textarea below or PDF page 3.
White Thinking Hat
- Information known, unknown.
- Information needs.
- Facts, facts needed.
- Where to get the information.
Red Thinking Hat
- Emotional responses, feelings, intuition, hunches.
- No justification needed.
- Feeling about a topic in the open.
Yellow Thinking Hat
- Positive values and benefits, optimism.
- Proposal preference outline.
- Benefits of a design.
- How to make a creative design idea work.
Green Thinking Hat
- New ideas, emerging technologies.
- Potential alternatives.
- Lateral thinking.
- Creative thinking and effort.
- Forward possibilities.
- Any other ideas here?
- Do things in a different way?
- Other explanations.
Black Thinking Hat
- Risks, roadblocks, potential failure points.
- Cautious approach.
- Potential mistakes.
- Evaluation.
- Costs, Regulations, not practical, high maintenance, safety.
- Allow new ideas to use other hats first.
6 Hat Application Sample Sequences
| Activity | Hat Sequence |
|---|---|
| Initial Ideas | Blue, White, Green, Blue |
| Choosing between alternatives | Blue, White, (Green), Yellow, Black, Red, Blue |
| Identifying Solutions | Blue, White, Black, Green, Blue |
| Quick Feedback | Blue, Black, Green, Blue |
| Strategic Planning | Blue, Yellow, Black, White, Blue, Green, Blue |
| Process Improvement | Blue, White, White (Other People's Views), Yellow, Black, Green, Red, Blue |
| Solving Problems | Blue, White, Green, Red, Yellow, Black, Green, Blue |
| Performance Review | Blue, Red, White, Yellow, Black, Green, Blue |
Your 6 Hat Decision Results Textarea
Write your notes in the Textarea above. Select All Ctrl A, Copy Ctrl C and Paste Ctrl V. Export to your document as text.
This PDF form can be printed or filled in online and saved.
Six Thinking Hats Book Reference
Decision Making Next Steps
