SIX THINKING HATS
FACILITATOR GUIDE
ITEM 621A
Six Thinking Hats
Introduction
The purpose of this session is to enhance participants’ peer relationships
by encouraging them to focus on the importance of different perspectives.
Overview
In this training module, participants identify six ways to think about a
situation. Then, participants take on various perspectives and examine a
situation through the lens of that perspective. Finally, participants discover
the value of different perspectives.
Objectives
After completing this session, participants will be able to do the following:
▪
▪
Identify the Six Thinking Hats
Recognize the value of different perspectives by learning from
others
By meeting these objectives, participants lay the foundation for a
successful, efficient, and agreeable team.
Materials
▪ PowerPoint
▪ One Six Thinking Hats envelope per team
▪ One manila envelope
▪ Print one copy of each colored hat handout (see Appendix),
fold and place in the manila envelope
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Flipchart
Markers
Setting
▪ Large room with ability to display the PowerPoint and the capacity
to accommodate tables for teams of six.
Group size
Teams of six
Six Thinking Hats
1
Facilitator Guide
Time
▪
2
Approximately 60 minutes
Six Thinking Hats
Facilitator Guide
Introduction
1. SHOW the Introduction slide as participants enter the room.
2. SHOW the Session Objectives slide.
3. PRESENT the session objectives:
▪
After completing this session, you will be able to do the following:
▪
▪
Identify the Six Thinking Hats
Recognize the value of different perspectives by learning from
others
Six Thinking Hats
3
Facilitator Guide
Six Thinking Hats
(50 minutes)
NOTE TO FACILITATOR
This activity is based on Edward de Bono’s design. Once participants select their
thinking hat, they will prepare for their discussion. The participant assigned to
the blue hat leads the discussion at the table. Walk around the room to ensure
teams are staying on time.
1. SHOW the Six Thinking Hats slide.
2. PRESENT
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Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats is an excellent model to help
you identify different perspectives and approaches to a situation.
As Toastmasters, we all can learn to appreciate the different
perspectives of our fellow toastmasters and begin to approach
situations from these vantage points.
You each will role play from a different perspective, represented
by hats of varying colors.
This encourages you and your team members to explore diverse
opinions and recognize the benefits of different perspectives.
You each will randomly select one handout from the envelope in
the center of your table to determine your assigned thinking hat.
3. INSTRUCT participants to arrange themselves in teams of six by table.
4. DISTRIBUTE one Six Thinking Hats envelope per table.
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Six Thinking Hats
Facilitator Guide
5. INSTRUCT participants to pass the envelope clockwise around the
table to ensure everyone selects one colored hat handout.
6. PRESENT
▪
Hats have different characteristics.
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▪
▪
▪
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Blue = Process
Green = Creativity
White= Objectivity
Red = Intuition
Black = Negativity
Yellow = Positivity
NOTE TO FACILITATOR
You may choose to read each hat description or have different participants read
them aloud from their handout for more group engagement.
Blue Hat- Process: You are the conductor of the conversation. Your job is to
make sure all hats are represented and that the conversation keeps moving
forward.
Green Hat- Creativity: You come up with creative solutions and think outside
the box. Your job is to avoid the most obvious solutions and to express more
creative ideas, even if they are completely irrational.
White Hat- Objectivity: You think about the topic objectively and do not mix
emotions with your thinking. Your job is to focus only on information and facts.
You are neutral in your emotions.
Red Hat- Intuition: You focus on your gut reaction and initial impressions. Your
job is to say what comes to your mind and to avoid overanalyzing the topic.
Black Hat- Negativity: You focus on the negative aspects of the topic, such as
why a suggestion doesn’t work or why it’s a bad idea. You focus on adopting a
pessimistic attitude of the topic.
Yellow Hat- Positivity: You focus only on the positive aspects of the topic.
Your job is not to criticize your own ideas, but to simply voice them and
listen as others give their points of view.
Six Thinking Hats
5
Facilitator Guide
7. SHOW the Scenario slide.
8. PRESENT
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The member assigned to the blue hat will announce the speaking
order at your table.
You each have two minutes to share the perspective of your
assigned hat.
When it is your turn, announce your thinking hat color and
meaning, and the answers to the questions for your hat.
Rotate through all participants at your table to ensure all hats are
represented.
It is important to listen to each perspective carefully.
9. INSTRUCT the participants to spend five minutes individually
answering the questions for their assigned hat.
5 minutes
10. TIME five minutes.
11. INSTRUCT teams to spend 15 minutes sharing each perspective in the
order determined by the blue hat.
15 minutes
6
12. TIME fifteen minutes.
Six Thinking Hats
Facilitator Guide
13. SHOW the Team Decision slide
14. INSTRUCT teams to spend 5 minutes discussing possible solutions
using all perspectives voiced at the table.
15. TIME 5 minutes.
5 minutes
16. ASK
▪
What are the benefits of each hat?
17. WRITE responses on the flip chart.
18. ASK
▪
What is the value of having different perspectives?
19. WRITE responses on the flip chart.
Review: Six Thinking Hats
1. PRESENT
▪
We talked about the Six Thinking Hats and the perspectives each
represents:
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▪
▪
▪
Blue = Process
White= Objectivity
Red = Intuition
Black = Negativity
Six Thinking Hats
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Facilitator Guide
▪
▪
8
Yellow = Positivity
Green = Creativity
Six Thinking Hats
Facilitator Guide
Conclusion
1. SHOW the Conclusion slide.
2. PRESENT
▪
▪
In this section, you heard different viewpoints in response to a
situation.
You explored diverse opinions and recognized the benefits of
different perspectives.
Six Thinking Hats
9
Blue Hat
D esc ription
Process: You are the conductor of the conversation. Your job is to make sure all hats are
represented and that the conversation keeps moving forward.
Q u e s t i on s
After selecting your thinking hat, examine the scenario and answer the following questions
based on your assigned hat.
Scenario: Our home club has low membership. Consequently, we do not have
enough variety or people for meetings to run well. The same people are filling the
same roles over and over.
Blue Hat: You are the moderator at your table. First, you set the order in which team members
will share perspectives. Then, you guide the team to consider possible solutions in the Team
Decisions section when instructed by the facilitator.
1. In what order should team members share their perspectives?
2. What decisions have we reached?
T e a m D e ci s i on s
As a team, discuss possible solutions using all of the perspectives voiced at the table.
Blue Hat
Six Thinking Hats Training Activity
Green Hat
D esc ription
Creativity: You come up with creative solutions and think outside the box. Your job is to avoid
the most obvious solutions and to express more creative ideas, even if they are completely
irrational.
Q u e s t i on s
After selecting your thinking hat, examine the scenario and answer the following questions
based on your assigned hat.
Scenario: Our home club has low membership. Consequently, we do not have
enough variety or people for meetings to run well. The same people are filling the
same roles over and over.
Green Hat:
1. What are some ways to work this out?
2. What are other ways to solve the problem?
Green Hat
Six Thinking Hats Training Activity
White Hat
D esc ription
Objectivity: You think about the topic objectively and do not mix emotions with your
thinking. Your job is to focus only on information and facts. You are neutral in your emotions.
Q u e s t i on s
After selecting your thinking hat, examine the scenario and answer the following questions
based on your assigned hat.
Scenario: Our home club has low membership. Consequently, we do not have
enough variety or people for meetings to run well. The same people are filling the
same roles over and over.
White Hat:
1. What information do we know?
2. What information do we need?
3. How are we going to get this information?
4. What is relevant?
5. What is most important?
White Hat
Six Thinking Hats Training Activity
Red Hat
D esc ription
Intuition: You focus on your gut reaction and initial impressions. Your job is to say what
comes to your mind and to avoid overanalyzing the topic.
Q u e s t i on s
After selecting your thinking hat, examine the scenario and answer the following questions
based on your assigned hat.
Scenario: Our home club has low membership. Consequently, we do not have
enough variety or people for meetings to run well. The same people are filling the
same roles over and over.
Red Hat:
1. What is your first impression of the scenario?
2. How do you feel about the scenario?
3. What are your initial thoughts on how to resolve it?
Red Hat
Six Thinking Hats Training Activity
Black Hat
D esc ription
Negativity: You focus on the negative aspects of the topic, such as why a suggestion does not
work or why it is a bad idea. You focus on adopting a pessimistic attitude of the topic.
Q u e s t i on s
After selecting your thinking hat, examine the scenario and answer the following questions
based on your assigned hat.
Scenario: Our home club has low membership. Consequently, we do not have
enough variety or people for meetings to run well. The same people are filling the
same roles over and over.
Black Hat:
1. What are the challenges the home club faces?
2. What are the weaknesses/negative points?
3. What is wrong with the home club?
4. Why will this not work?
Black Hat
Six Thinking Hats Training Activity
Yellow Hat
D esc ription
Positivity: You focus only on the positive aspects of the topic. Your job is not to criticize your
own ideas, but to simply voice them and listen as others give their points of view.
Q u e s t i on s
After selecting your thinking hat, examine the scenario and answer the following questions
based on your assigned hat.
Scenario: Our home club has low membership. Consequently, we do not have
enough variety or people for meetings to run well. The same people are filling the
same roles over and over.
Yellow Hat:
1. What are the benefits/opportunities the home club faces?
2. What are the strengths/positive points?
3. What is working well with the home club?
4. How will it help?
Yellow Hat
Six Thinking Hats Training Activity