Edward de Bono's system of thinking. Edward de Bono. Six thinking hats Edward de Bono's thinking technique

Edward de Bono's book The Six Thinking Hats is a unique work by one of the brightest experts in the field of creativity. She talks about an effective method that both adults and children can use. The six hats mean different ways thinking: critical, optimistic and others. The essence of the method outlined in the book is to “try on” each of the hats and learn to think from different positions. In addition, there are practical recommendations on the topic of when which thinking is effective and where it can be applied in order to emerge victorious from any intellectual battle.

This book quickly won an army of fans and was able to help millions of people learn to think in a new way: correctly, effectively and creatively.

About Edward de Bono

Edward de Bono is a well-known specialist in philosophy and has several doctoral degrees in medicine. He worked at the universities of Harvard, London, Cambridge and Oxford.

Edward de Bono gained the greatest fame after he was able to prove that creativity is one of the necessary characteristics in self-organizing information systems. In his 1969 work, The Working Principle of the Mind, he showed that the brain's neural networks have a shaping effect on the asymmetrical patterns that are the basis of perception. According to physics professor Murray Gell-Mann, this book has become decisive for decades in those areas of mathematics that are associated with the theory of chaos, nonlinear and self-organizing systems. De Bono's research provided the basis for the concept and tools.

Summary of the book “Six Thinking Hats”

The book consists of several introductory chapters, twenty-four chapters revealing the main theme, a final part and a block of notes. Next we will look at several basic provisions of the Edward de Bono method.

Introduction

Blue hat

The sixth hat differs from the others in its purpose - it is needed not to work on content, but to manage the entire process of work and implementation of the plan. It is usually used at the very beginning of the method to determine upcoming actions, and then at the end to summarize and outline new goals.

Four Types of Hats Uses

The use of six hats is effective, as already mentioned, in the process of any mental work, in any area and at a variety of stages. For example, in the personal sphere, the method can help, evaluate something, find a way out of a difficult situation, and so on.

When used in groups, the technique can be considered as a variation. It can also be used for conflict resolution and, again, in planning or evaluation. Can also be used as part of a training program.

It would not be amiss to note that the Six Thinking Hats method is used in their work by such companies as DuPont, Pepsico, IBM, British Airways and others.

Four uses of the six hats:

Put on your hat
Take off your hat
Change hat
Denote thinking

Method rules

When used collectively, the Six Thinking Hats method is based on the presence of a moderator who manages the process and enforces discipline. The moderator is always present under a blue hat, taking notes and summarizing the findings.

The facilitator, starting the process, introduces all participants to general principles method and indicates the problem required to be solved, for example: “Our competitors have offered us a partnership in the field... What should we do?”

The process begins with all participants putting on the same hat together and looking at the situation appraisingly in turn, based on the angle that corresponds to a particular hat. The order in which the hats will be put on does not really matter, but you still need to follow some order.

You can, for example, try to do this:

Discussion of the topic begins with a white hat, because... all available information, numbers, conditions, data, etc. are collected. This information is then discussed in a negative way (black hat), and even if the situation has many advantages, disadvantages may still exist - they need to be found. After this, you need to find all the positive features (yellow hat).

Once the problem has been examined from every angle and the maximum amount of data has been collected for subsequent analysis, you need to put on the green hat. This will allow you to see new features beyond the existing proposals. It is important to enhance the positive aspects and weaken the negative ones. Each participant can put forward their own proposal.

Next, new ideas are subjected to another analysis - the black and yellow hats are put on again. But it is very important to provide participants with the opportunity to relax (red hat) from time to time. However, this should happen infrequently and not for long. Thus, by trying on all six hats, using different sequences, over time you will have a chance to find the most optimal sequence, which you will follow further.

At the conclusion of the parallel thinking group, the moderator should summarize and present the results to the participants. It is important that he keeps control of all the work and does not allow participants to wear several hats at the same time - this is the only way to ensure that ideas and thoughts do not get confused.

The Six Thinking Hats method can be applied in a slightly different way: each participant can wear a different hat during the process. But in such a situation, the hats should be distributed so that they do not fit the type of participants. For example, an optimist can wear a black hat, an avid critic can wear a yellow hat, an unemotional person can wear a red hat, an idea generator can wear a green hat, etc. This allows participants to reach their maximum potential.

Naturally, the “Six Thinking Hats” method can be used by one person to solve various problems and find answers to certain questions. Then the person himself changes hats, each time thinking from a new position.

Finally

You can learn more about how Edward de Bono’s technique is used, as well as study all its features without exception, by reading the wonderful book “Six Thinking Hats.” Be sure that after reading it, your personal productivity will increase as much as possible.

Everything in a person should be harmonious: body, inner world, thinking. Unfortunately, sometimes one of these components fails, and then fatigue appears, and the surrounding world makes it impossible to concentrate on one activity for a long time and complete the task.

Outstanding psychologist of the 20th century Edward de Bono and his method

People in creative professions often face a similar problem. The solution to this problem was once taken seriously by the writer and psychologist, an Englishman by birth, Edward de Bono.

The future expert in the field of creative thinking was born in 1933. Studied at Oxford, Trinity College, Cambridge and the University of Dundee. He has a master's degree in psychology, a doctorate in medicine and a doctorate in law.

In the 80s, the book “Six Thinking Hats” was published. It very clearly describes the principles of thinking reflected in the human brain.

The 6 Hats method is one of the most productive ways to help organize your thinking. The book talks about auxiliary techniques that allow you to structure collective, personal mental activity and make it as productive as possible.

And in Lately, this method is very popular because with its help you can find new, original answers to problems.

The principle of the six hats method

The basis of the book’s author’s method is the principle of parallel thinking. As you know, this or that judgment arises from disputes and discussions. This approach does not guarantee the truthfulness and reliability of the statement that prevailed in the process of controversy. Usually the winner is the one who proves his opinion more eloquently.

With parallel (critical) thinking, methods of opposition are not used: ideas, judgments, and different approaches exist and are accepted, but do not collide or mutually exclude each other.

Critical judgment is a type of person that allows you to consider an existing problem under different angles to find the right solution. Characterized by a high degree of perception and an objective approach to the information at its disposal.

What influences decision making

Many factors influence a person in the process of making a decision. The “6 hats” method allows you to cope with the main factors that influence a person at the moment of choice.

Emotions. Strong emotions can temporarily turn off sober thinking and determine all further actions of a person, following the emotional component.
Confusion- an indispensable companion in solving any new problem that a person has not encountered before. It is also present when finding answers to multi-level problems.
Confusion. Many conflicting opinions, a large amount of information, the desire to be logical and consistent, combining all this with a high degree of creativity causes nothing but confusion and confusion.

The Six Thinking Hats method allows you to overcome the above difficulties by dividing the thinking process into 6 different modes, each of which corresponds in this method to a hat of a certain color. This kind of thinking allows you to develop concentration and the ability to analyze a problem from different sides in turn.

Hats that think

Who is this method suitable for?

In a group, the method has a lot in common with brainstorming. It is also effective in resolving controversial and conflict situations.

The “6 hats” method has long been used by leading international companies.

The book "Six Thinking Hats" by Edward de Bono provides recommendations for turning the system into reality. When using the method collectively, it is necessary to have a moderator who will guide the entire process.

The presenter writes down the “readings” of each hat on paper, summing up all the results at the end.

Let's take a closer look at what the "6 thinking hats" method looks like.

Example situations:

The presenter briefly introduces all participants to the task of each hat, then the problem for the sake of which everything was started is voiced. For example: “A competing company has proposed cooperation in the field... What proposals?”
Next, all participants try on a white hat, and take turns sharing their reasoning, according to the concept of the hat.
It is not necessary to follow a precise sequence of hats, but some consistency is necessary.
You can use this order: the white hat collects all the data about the subject of discussion (numbers, statistics, conditions).
Next, you should try on the colors, and look at the situation from the pessimistic side, you should try to see the fly in the ointment, even if it seems that everything is fine.
Put on a yellow hat and adopt a positive mindset.
Wearing a green hat, each session participant puts forward new, alternative ideas. Creative thinking must work to its maximum. New ideas are again analyzed from positive and negative sides.
Don't forget to periodically let off steam with a red hat. This hat is worn rarely and for a short period of time, no more than 30 seconds.
At the end of the general work, the moderator sums up the results. It is also the responsibility of the moderator to ensure that during the discussion everyone wears the same hat and does not get confused in their judgments.

You can work according to a different scheme. Let each participant wear hats of different colors, but it is important that the color contradicts the person’s personal qualities. For example, a pessimist puts on a black hat, and vice versa, a silent person tries on a green one; a red hat will decorate the head of a balanced project participant. This way, everyone involved can reach their potential.

Advantage is given to the first method, as it avoids confusion among session participants.

Mind map as an addition to the six hats method

When working using the six hats method, it is advisable to use What is it? This is a presentation of any event or idea in a systematic, graphic form. It allows you to trace and identify all semantic and cause-and-effect relationships between the objects and concepts under consideration.

Such a map allows you to sort out all the information without wasting time on unnecessary, absolutely unnecessary information, as is often the case when presenting the essence of a task verbally.

Essentially, a mind map is a visual representation of the workings of the human brain. It consists of neurons and their processes, which are interconnected by neural processes. Each image and thought stimulates one or another neural segment. Maps are represented as images of complex mental connections that help the brain organize phenomena and objects.

The main goal of creating such maps is to put things in order in your head, structuring all the information known about this matter. This will allow you to create a complete picture and look at it from different angles. Mind maps allow you to better manage data and promote greater freedom of thought.

Edward de Bono's six hats method, complete with mind maps, is widely used by entrepreneurs, designers, scientists, teachers, and representatives of other professions. Many successful people in the West admit that they often resort to this method.

Application of the method in the school curriculum

The de Bon method is used in schools, in particular in Europe, America, and some Asian countries, starting in primary school.

The 6 Thinking Hats Method primary school gives excellent results in the future. This technology is of interest to teaching staff due to the following results.

Children quickly learn to think critically, which helps them become more self-sufficient and independent. There will be no unsolvable problems for them in the future.
Information serves only as a starting point, but not as an end point. This is an auxiliary tool on the way to the emergence of a unique solution for both simple and difficult problems.
Thanks to the method, a rather boring educational process turns into a real intellectual activity for the student, which produces real results and allows one to find alternative solutions to even very non-standard issues. By studying data, analyzing information, considering different points of view, participating in collective discussion, students learn to find answers to questions that concern them.
Students learn to argue their arguments persuasively using reasonable evidence (informational text, personal experience, statistical data).

Students use critical thinking in many learning activities, including written work. In this case, the teacher can read the student’s train of thought, his thinking process, and evaluate the correctness of his conclusions.

Children love to work using the 6 hats method, because it allows them not only to find answers to the questions posed, but also to have an interesting time.

Critical thinking is available to students in both high school and junior high. For young students, mastering it will be, in a sense, even easier. Parallel thinking involves a certain amount of skepticism and doubt in generally accepted truths. It also allows you to develop your own point of view and be able to defend it.

The technology of parallel (critical) thinking has many methods that are used in the sequential implementation of each stage of the educational process. The six hats method is one of the most effective ways to learn to think critically.

Books by Edward de Bono, one of the most famous researchers of the mechanisms of creativity, are quite widely represented on Russian market. The author has developed a method that teaches you to think effectively. De Bono proposes to formalize and structure the thinking process, which, according to the author, will contribute to a better discussion of problems and subsequent decision-making. Six hats - six different ways of thinking. By “wearing” a hat of a certain color, we focus our attention on only one of the ways of thinking.

Edward de Bono. Six thinking hats. – Minsk: Potpourri, 2006. – 208 p.

Download a short summary in the format or

The ability to think is the basis of human activity. Regardless of whether this ability is well or poorly developed in each of us, we all regularly experience dissatisfaction with the results we have achieved in this area.

The main difficulty associated with the process of thinking is overcoming the disorderly, spontaneous flow of our thoughts. We try to embrace a lot, if not everything, with our thoughts at the same time - we try to “embrace the immensity.” At every moment our consciousness is crowded with doubts and worries, logical constructions and creative ideas, plans for the future and memories of the past. In this whirlwind of racing thoughts, it is as difficult for us to navigate as it is for a circus performer to juggle the multi-colored balls and hoops flashing before his eyes. But it is possible to learn both.

Mastering the simple idea that I bring to your attention will allow you to put things in order in the “storehouse of your thoughts”, help you “sort them out on the shelves” and provide the opportunity to do everything measuredly, in a timely manner and in strict order. This is the only way to separate logic from emotions, what is desired from reality, fantasy." pure water”from “naked” facts and real plans for the future. The ability to choose the right approach to a matter is the idea I propose of the six thinking hats.

1. The magic of transformation. In the pose of a thinker and it’s easier to think

Imagine the figure of Rodin’s “The Thinker,” known to all of us. Take this pose, physically or mentally, and you will become a thinker. Why? Because when you play the thinker, you become one. At the right time, your inner experiences will “catch up” with your actions. In other words: “tuning the body” will entail “tuning the spirit.” This book outlines the different roles you can play.

2. Trying on a Hat: A Very Intentional Action

I want to focus your attention on intentional thinking. This is the main purpose of the thinking hat. It should be worn intentionally. We do not need to be specifically aware of the sequence in which we move our feet while walking or regulate the rhythm of our breathing. This is background, automatic thinking. But there is another type of thinking that is much more intentional and focused. Background thinking is required to cope with the daily routine by copying normal thought patterns. Intentional thinking allows you to do much better and more than just copying patterns.

It is not so easy to send a signal to ourselves that we want to get out of the routine and move from a template, copying type of thinking to an intentional one. The Thinking Hat idiom can be such a clear signal to yourself and others.

When you drive, you have to choose a road, stay in a given direction, and watch out for other traffic. This is reactive thinking. So, everyday thinking is very similar to driving a car: you read road signs and make decisions. But you don't make maps.

Mapping type of thinking requires a certain detachment. Ordinary - no. The reactive type of thinking only works if there is something to react to. That's why the concept is very dangerous critical thinking as its most perfect form. There is a stupid superstition, based on a misunderstanding of the ideas of the great Greek philosophers, that thinking is based on dialogue and dialectical struggle. This mistake brought a lot of harm to the West. The Western habit of argument and dialectic is vicious, since it leaves aside everything innovative and creative. Critical thinking responds well to everything that is offered to it, but cannot offer anything on its own.

To cover the sphere of effective thinking, I came up with a special term - “effectiveness”. This is the ability to act - and the type of thinking that corresponds to it. The word “effectiveness” should remind one of the ability to write and count. I am absolutely confident that the effectiveness should become the same important element education like these two skills.

When printing a color card, color separation occurs. First, one color is applied to the paper. Then a second color is printed on top of the first, then a third, etc., until finally a full-color card appears. The six thinking hats in this book correspond to the different colors used when printing the map. This is the method I suggest using to intentionally direct your attention. Thus, it is not only a matter of putting on a hat, but also what color hat we choose.

3. Intention and its implementation

If you behave like a thinker (for example, wear a thinking hat), you will certainly become one. Your thinking will follow your action. The game will become reality. Please note: intention alone is not enough. You must act and behave accordingly.

By law, every schoolchild in Venezuela must spend two hours a week developing their thinking abilities. In schools there is a special subject - “Thinking”. It is studied by schoolchildren, teachers, and parents. The thinking skills that students acquire through learning are very important. But much more important is the idea of developing thinking skills.

Using the six thinking hats described in this book is one way to strengthen your intention to be a thinker. If you consciously frown while thinking, you won't make a decision until you stop frowning, and that decision will be much better than a spontaneous reaction. The six thinking hats are quite effective way transition from intention to its implementation.

4. Role Play: Ego Vacation

The more intentional and artificial the role, the more valued it is. This is the secret of the success of American soap operas. One general role of thinking is divided into six different characteristic roles, represented by hats of different colors. Each time you choose which of the six hats to wear. You put on a hat of a certain color and play a role that matches it. You look at yourself playing this role. You try to play it the best you can. Your ego is protected by this role. It, like a director, monitors the good performance of the role.

5. Melancholy and other vibes

Perhaps the Greeks were right when they believed in the dependence of their moods on various bodily fluids. Many people have noticed that the thoughts that come to their minds when they are depressed are significantly different from those that would have occurred to them if they were in a more joyful mood.

Perhaps, over time, the six different thinking hats will acquire the status of a conditioned signal that activates a certain chemical mechanism in the brain, which, in turn, will affect our thinking. If we consider the brain as an active information system, we will see that its functioning is significantly different from the work of passive information systems used in computing. In an active system, information is organized according to the principle of patterns, rather than lying passively on the surface, waiting for some external processor to organize it.

Let's say there is a pallet with sand. A steel ball thrown at him remains where it fell. If a ball is thrown through any grid square, it remains lying directly under that square. This is a passive information system. The ball remains where it was placed.

The other tray contains a soft rubber bag filled with viscous oil. The first ball thrown to the surface gradually sinks to the bottom, bending the surface of the rubber bag under it. Now that the ball has come to rest, the surface has a contour - something like a depression, at the bottom of which the first ball rests. The second ball rolls down the slope and stops next to the first ball. The second ball is active. It does not stay where it was placed, but follows the slope created by the first ball. All subsequent balls will roll towards the first one. A cluster is formed. Thus, we have a simple active surface that allows incoming information (balls) to organize into a cluster.

It is the activity of neural networks that allows incoming information to be organized into patterns. It is the education and use of such patterns that gives rise to perception. If the brain were not able to organize incoming information into patterns, then even such simple things as crossing the road would be almost impossible. Our brains are designed to “brilliantly” avoid all creativity. It is designed to create templates and use them without changing them in the future at any opportunity. But self-organizing systems have one huge drawback: they are limited by the sequence of past experiences (the history of events).

Receptivity and sensitivity nervous system change under the influence of substances circulating in the body. Changing the concentration and composition of these substances leads to the use of a new template. In a sense, we have a separate brain for each initial set of substances. This suggests that emotions significantly influence our ability to think, and are not something unnecessary that interferes with thinking.

People who have trouble making decisions can guess that each brain chemistry makes a decision that is appropriate for it. So both choices are correct, but for different brains. Hence the indecision.

In a state of panic or anger, people tend to behave primitively. This may be because such special chemical conditions occur so rarely in the brain that it has no opportunity to acquire complex response patterns. If this is true, then there is a very good reason in order to train people in such emotional conditions (as has always been done in the army).

6. The value of the six thinking hats

First value The six thinking hats is that they provide the opportunity to play certain roles. Most thinking is limited by the defensive ego, which is responsible for most practical thinking errors. Hats allow us to think and talk about things we might not otherwise think or say without jeopardizing our ego. The clown costume gives the man every right act like a clown.

Second value method is to control attention. When we need to move our thinking beyond just reacting, we need a way to shift attention from one aspect to another. The Six Thinking Hats are a way of focusing attention on six different aspects of the subject of thought.

Third value- convenience. The symbolism of the six different thinking hats allows you to ask someone (and yourself too) to “reverse the clock.” You can ask someone to disagree or to stop disagreeing. You can ask someone to be creative. Or retell your purely emotional reaction.

Fourth value six thinking hats - their possible connection with chemical processes in the brain.

Fifth value is to determine the rules of the game. They are easy for people to learn. Explaining the rules of the game is one of the most effective ways to teach children - that's why they master the computer so easily. The Six Thinking Hats establish specific rules for the “thinking game.” The essence of this game lies in its mapping, rather than in the usual process of proof.

7. Six hats - six colors

White color is neutral and objective. White hat is all about objective facts and figures.

The color red suggests anger (the eyes turn red), passion and emotion. The red hat gives an emotional vision.

Black color is gloomy and deniers. The black hat justifies the negative aspects - why something is not feasible.

Yellow is a sunny and positive color. The yellow hat implies optimism and is associated with hope and positive thinking.

Green is the color of growing grass. A green hat signifies creativity and new ideas.

Blue is a cold color; Moreover, it is the color of the sky, which is located above everything. The blue hat is responsible for organizing and controlling the thought process, as well as the use of the other hats.

In addition, it is convenient to group hats into three pairs:

white and red;
black and yellow;
green and blue.

8. White Hat: Facts and Figures

Computers don't yet have emotions (though we might have to make them emotional if we need to teach them to think intelligently). We expect the computer to produce only facts and figures in response to our requests. We don't expect the computer to start arguing with us, using facts and figures only to support its arguments. Facts and figures too often become part of an argument. Facts are often presented for some purpose rather than reported as is. Facts and figures presented as part of an argument can never be viewed objectively. So we really need someone who can change the conversation by saying, “Just facts, please—no arguments.”

Unfortunately, within the framework of Western thinking, based on a dispute, they prefer to first present a conclusion and only then - the facts that support it. The cartographic thinking I put forward is based on the fact that you should first draw a map and only then choose a path. This means that first we need to have facts and quantitative data. Thus, white hat thinking is a convenient way to highlight neutral and objective consideration of facts and figures.

White hat thinking becomes a practice that helps you separate facts fairly clearly from extrapolation or interpretation. It is easy to imagine that policymakers might have considerable difficulty with this kind of thinking. 🙂

9. White Hat Thinking: Whose Fact Is It?

Much of what may pass for fact is mere commentary based on strong belief or personal confidence. Life must go on. It is impossible to test everything with the rigor of a scientific experiment. So in practice we get something like a two-phase system: facts based on faith (beliefs) and verified facts.

The main rule of white hat thinking can be formulated as follows: you should not say anything with more confidence than it deserves.

Ultimately, it's all about attitude. When a person puts on a white hat, he makes neutral, “component” statements. They are laid out on the table. There is no question of using them to promote a particular point of view. As soon as a statement appears to be used for this purpose, the suspicion arises that the thinker has abused the role of white hat.

10. White Hat Thinking: The Japanese Approach

The Japanese have never adopted the Western habit of arguing. The most likely explanation is Japanese culture was not influenced by the Greek style of thinking, which was subsequently improved by medieval monks in order to prove the fallacy of heretical views. It seems unusual to us that the Japanese do not argue. The Japanese find it unusual that we entertain the idea of arguing.

Participants in Western-style meetings come with their own points of view. The Japanese come to meetings without pre-formulated ideas; the purpose of the meeting is to listen; information is presented in a white hat manner, slowly organizing into an idea; this happens in front of the participants.

The Western view is that the form of an idea must be forged through debate. The Japanese view is that ideas are born like the embryo of a crystal and then grow into a specific form.

We can't change the culture. So we need some mechanism to overcome our habit of arguing. This is precisely the purpose that the white hat serves. When this role is played by all participants in the meeting, its essence boils down to the following: “Let's all pretend to be Japanese at the Japanese meeting.”

11. White Hat Thinking: Facts, Truth and Philosophers

Truth and facts are not as closely related as most people might imagine. Truth refers to the word game system known as philosophy. Facts have to do with verifiable experience.

The idioms “in general and in general” and “in general” are quite acceptable. It is the task of statistics to give some concreteness to these rather vague idioms. It is not always possible to collect data, so we often have to use a two-phase system (judgment/verified fact).

The purpose of white hat thinking is to be practical. White hat thinking Not implies nothing absolute. This is the direction in which we are trying to become better.

12. White Hat Thinking: Who Wears the Hat?

You can ask someone to wear a white hat, you can be asked to do the same, or you can decide to wear one yourself. White hat thinking excludes important things like suspicion, intuition, experiential judgments, and opinions. Of course, the white hat exists for this purpose as a way of requesting information in its purest form.

13. White Hat Thinking: Let's Summarize

Imagine a computer that produces facts and data that are asked of it. The computer is dispassionate and objective. It offers no interpretations or opinions to the user. When a person puts on a white hat, he must become like a computer.

In practice, there is a two-stage information system. At the first level there are verified and proven facts, at the second - facts that are taken on faith, but have not yet been fully verified, that is, a fact of the second level.

There is a spectrum of probability limited by statements that are always true, on the one hand, and statements that are false in all cases, on the other. Between these two extremes there are acceptable degrees of probability, such as “generally”, “sometimes” and “occasionally”.

14. Red hat: emotions and feelings

Red hat thinking is associated with emotions and feelings, as well as the irrational aspects of thinking. The red hat represents a certain channel through which you can throw all this out and make it a legitimate part of the overall map.

A person who wants to express his feelings should reach for a red hat. This hat gives the official right to express emotions, premonitions, etc. The red hat never obliges you to justify or explain your feelings. By wearing a red hat, you can play the role of an emotional thinker who reacts and feels rather than makes rational moves.

15. Red Hat Thinking: The Role of Emotions

According to the traditional view, emotions interfere with thinking. At the same time, a good decision should end with emotions. I attach special importance to the final stage. Emotions give meaning to the thought process and adapt it to our needs and immediate context.

Emotions can influence thinking in three ways. Thinking can occur against a background of strong feelings of fear, anger, hatred, suspicion, envy or love. This background limits and distorts any perception. In the second case, emotions arise due to initial sensations. You feel insulted, and therefore all thoughts about your offender are colored by this feeling. You feel (perhaps wrongly) that someone is saying something for their own benefit, and therefore you do not believe what they say. The third moment when emotions can come into play is when the map of the situation has already been drawn. Such a card should also reflect the emotions caused by putting on the red hat. Emotions - including the desire for personal gain - are used when choosing a path on the map. Every decision has its own value. We react emotionally to value. Our reaction to the value of freedom is emotional (especially if we have previously been deprived of freedom).

It should be remembered that a person, in the depth of his mind, can decide to put on the red thinking hat. This allows you to bring your emotions to the surface in a legitimate way.

16. Red Hat Thinking: Intuition and Premonitions

The word intuition is used in two senses. The first is intuition as a sudden insight. This means that something previously understood in one way suddenly begins to be understood in another way. This may result in a creative act, scientific discovery or solution mathematical problem. Another use of the word "intuition" implies an instant grasp and understanding of a situation. It is the result of a complex judgment based on experience - a judgment that may not be categorized or even verbalized.

It is obvious that all successful scientists, successful entrepreneurs and successful generals have the ability to “feel” a situation. We say about an entrepreneur that he has a “nose for money.”

We can try to analyze the reasons behind an intuitive judgment, but we are unlikely to be completely successful. If we can't verbalize our reasons, should we trust the judgement? It will be difficult to make a large investment based on a hunch. It is best to view intuition as part of the map.

You can treat intuition the same way someone treats advisors. If an advisor has been reliable in the past, we are more likely to pay more attention to the advice offered. If our intuition has been correct in many cases, we may be more inclined to listen to it.

Intuition can also be used according to the principle “you will win in some things, but you will lose in others.” Intuition may not always be correct, but if it was right more often than not, then the overall result will be positive.

17. Red Hat Thinking: From Case to Case

Red hat sentiments can be expressed at any time during a meeting, discussion, or discussion. These feelings may be aimed at changing the course of the meeting itself or simply be the subject of discussion.

The need to “put on” the red hat reduces controversy during the discussion. No one will put on a red hat every time they feel they have been treated with some slight. Once the red hat idiom has been internalized by participants, expressing emotional points of view without this formality will seem rude to them. The red hat idiom should not be exaggerated or raised to the point of absurdity. It is not necessary to formally use the idiom every time a feeling is expressed.

18. Red Hat Thinking: Using Emotions

Thinking can change emotions. It is not the logical part of thinking that changes emotions, but the perceptual [feeling] part of it. If our perspective on an issue changes, emotions may also change.

Expressed emotions can create a constant background for thinking or discussion. There is a constant awareness of this emotional background. Decisions and plans are considered against this background. From time to time it is useful to change the emotional background and see how everything will look in a new light.

Emotions are often used to establish the subject of bargaining. The principle of variable value underlies all bargaining. For one of the parties something may have one value, and for the other - another. These values can be expressed directly through the wearing of a red hat.

19. Red Hat Thinking: The Language of Emotions

The hardest part about wearing the red thinking hat is resisting the temptation to justify the feelings expressed. Red hat thinking makes this optional.

20. Red Hat Thinking: Let's Summarize

The red hat legitimizes emotions and feelings as an important part of thinking. The red hat makes feelings visible so that they can become part of the mental map, as well as part of the value system that chooses the path on the map. The red hat allows you to explore the feelings of others: you can ask them to express their point of view by wearing a red hat. The red hat covers two broad types of feelings. Firstly, these are familiar, familiar emotions to everyone - from strong ones (fear and hostility) to almost imperceptible ones, such as suspicion. Secondly, these are complex judgments: premonition, intuition, taste, aesthetic feeling and other subtle types of feelings.

21. Black Hat: What's wrong with this?

It should be said that most people - both familiar with this technique and not - will feel most comfortable wearing a black hat. The reason lies in the Western emphasis on proof and criticism. This may seem surprising, but there is a whole body of opinion that boils down to the fact that wearing a black hat is a basic function of thinking. Unfortunately, this completely excludes the creative and constructive aspects of thinking.

Black hat thinking is always logical. It is negative, but not emotional. Emotional negativity is the prerogative of the red hat (which also includes emotional positivity). Black hat thinking reveals the dark (black) side of things, but it is always logical blackness. With a red hat, there is no need to justify negative feelings. But with a black hat, logical arguments should always be made. In fact, one of the greatest values of the Six Thinking Hats technique is its clear distinction between the emotionally negative and the logically negative.

The black hat represents logical negativity: why something won't work (logical positivity - why it will work - is represented by the yellow hat). The mind's tendency to be negative is so strong that it must have its own hat. A person must be able to be purely negative.

The specificity of the black hat frees you from the need to be fair and see both sides of the situation. When a person puts on the black hat, he can give full power to denial. By focusing on the negative, the black hat actually limits negativity. The person can be asked to remove the black hat - this will be a clear and precise signal to switch from negative to positive.

22. Black hat thinking: essence and method

Like red hat thinking, black hat thinking can concern both the subject itself (which is the subject of the next section) and the discussion of it (thinking about it).

As I wrote in Practical Reasoning, evidence is often nothing more than a lack of imagination. This applies to mathematics, law, philosophy and most other closed systems. In practice, one of the best means of identifying a logical fallacy is to raise an alternative explanation or possibility. It must always be kept in mind that black hat thinking is never a process of proof.

23. Black Hat Thinking: Future and Past Essences

We looked at the black hat thinking technique. Now let's get to the point. Are the facts true? Are they relevant? Facts are stated under a white hat and disputed under a black hat. The intention of the man in the black hat is not to create as much doubt as possible, as a lawyer does in court, but to point out weaknesses in an objective manner. There is a huge layer of experience that is not reflected in data and indicators. Black hat thinking can point out where a sentence or statement contradicts such an experience. Most negative questions can be formulated in the form of the following phrase: “I see a danger in the fact that...”

How to resist the negative flow that comes from black hat thinking? The first way is to remember that this is a mapping situation rather than an argumentative situation. The solution lies in noticing the flaw and admitting it. The second way is to acknowledge the shortcoming, but offer a parallel view that it is unlikely to happen. The third way is to recognize the danger and suggest a way to avoid it. The fourth way is to deny the value of danger, that is, to put on a black hat to evaluate the judgment of another person wearing a black hat. The fifth way is to offer an alternative point of view and place it next to the existing “black” view.

24. Black Hat Thinking: Indulging Negativity

Negative thinking is attractive: proving someone wrong provides instant gratification. Attacking an idea gives an instant feeling of superiority. Praising an idea seems to lower the person praising the creator of the idea.

25. Black Hat Thinking: Positive or Negative First?

The argument for why the black hat should always go first is that this way, unworkable ideas are rejected quickly and immediately without having to spend a lot of time thinking about them. Defining negative frames is precisely the usual way of thinking for most people. In many cases, this method works quickly and effectively. If we value competence rather than achieving goals, imposing a negative frame saves time. However, in any new proposal it is much easier to see defects than advantages. Thus, if we use black hat at the beginning, we will most likely not accept any new proposal. So, when dealing with new ideas and changes, it is better to use the yellow hat first and then the black hat.

Once an idea has been expressed, black hat thinking can go in two directions. The first task is to assess the viability of the idea. Once it has been established that an idea has a right to exist, black hat thinking seeks to improve it by pointing out errors. The black hat doesn't care about solving the problem - it just points out the problem.

26. Black Hat Thinking: Let's Summarize

The black hat is used for negative evaluations. The black hat also points out the reasons why something will not work, emphasizing risk and danger. The black hat is not a tool of argument. Black hat thinking is the evaluation of an idea based on past experience to see how well it fits with what is already known.

27. Yellow hat: based on positivity

A positive attitude is a choice. We can choose to have a positive outlook on things. We can concentrate only on the positive aspects of the situation. We can look for benefits.

Positive thinking should be a mixture of curiosity, the pleasures of greed and the desire to achieve what is planned. I called the main feature of successful people this irresistible desire to turn ideas into reality.

Any plan or action under the yellow hat is designed for the future. It is in the future that they will bear fruit. We can never be as sure about the future as we can about the past, so we can only guess. We decide to do something because the action has meaning. It is our assessment of the situation as having value that is the positive aspect.

People generally respond favorably to ideas that they see as immediate benefits for themselves. Self-interest is a strong foundation for positive thinking. But yellow hat thinking doesn't have to wait for that kind of motivation. First, they put on the yellow hat, and then follow its requirements: to be optimistic, to have a positive attitude towards the subject of reflection.

Although yellow hat thinking is positive, it requires the same discipline as white or black hat thinking. It's not just a matter of giving a positive rating to something that catches your eye. This is a careful search for the positive. Sometimes this search is in vain. 🙁

You might argue that if the positive aspect isn't obvious, it can't really be worth much. This is a wrong perception. There may be very strong positive sides, generally invisible at first glance. This is how entrepreneurs work: they see value where others have not yet seen it. The value and benefits are not always obvious.

28. Yellow Hat Thinking: Positive Spectrum

There are people whose optimism reaches the point of stupidity. They are able to see the positive sides even in the most hopeless situations. For example, some seriously expect to win a big prize in the lottery and seem to base their lives on it. At what point does optimism become folly, a foolish hope? Should yellow hat thinking be stripped of its limitations? Is it possible for the yellow hat to ignore probability? Should things of this sort be solely under the jurisdiction of black hat thinking?

The positive spectrum ranges between the two extremes of over-optimism and logical practicality. We must handle this spectrum carefully. History is full of impractical attitudes and dreams that inspired efforts that eventually made those dreams a reality. If we limit our yellow hat thinking to what sounds right and is already known, it will not promote progress.

The key is to try to evaluate the consequences of an optimistic approach. If they are nothing more than hopes (like the hope of winning a lottery prize or the hope of a miracle that will save the business), this approach may not be appropriate. If optimism leads to movement in the chosen direction, then everything becomes more complicated. Excessive optimism usually leads to failure, but not always. Those who succeed are those who expect to succeed.

As with other thinking hats, the purpose of the yellow hat is to color an imaginary mental map. For this reason, optimistic suggestions should be noticed and mapped. However, it is worth labeling such proposals with a rough probability estimate.

29. Yellow Hat Thinking: Rationale and Logical Support

Should the man in the yellow hat give reasons for optimism? If no justification is given, a “good” attitude can in the same way be placed under the red hat as a feeling, a hunch, an intuition. Yellow hat thinking must go much further. The yellow hat covers positive judgments. The Yellow Hat Thinker must do everything he can to justify his optimism as best he can. But yellow hat thinking should not be limited to just propositions that can be fully explained. In other words, every effort should be made to ensure that optimism is justified, but if such efforts are unsuccessful, the opinion may still be expressed as a guess.

30. Yellow Hat Thinking: Constructive Thinking

Constructive thinking belongs to the yellow hat because all constructive thinking is positive in its relation to the object. Suggestions are made to improve something. This may be the solution to the problem. Or improving something. Or taking advantage of an opportunity. Either way, the proposal is put forward to bring about some positive change.

One aspect of yellow hat thinking involves response thinking. This is an aspect of positive evaluation that is the opposite of black hat negative evaluation. The person in the yellow hat finds the positive aspects of a proposed idea, just as the person in the black hat chooses the negative aspects.

Thus, yellow hat thinking is the generation of sentences, as well as their positive evaluation. Between these two aspects there is a third - the development, or "construction", of proposals. This is more than just evaluating the proposal - it is further design. The proposal has been modified, improved and strengthened. The third aspect involves correcting the shortcomings that were noticed while wearing the yellow hat. As I said before, a black hat can identify defects, but is not responsible for correcting them.

31. Yellow Hat Thinking: Speculation

Yellow hat thinking goes beyond judgments and suggestions. This certain attitude is hope for a favorable outcome, ahead of the situation. In practice, there is a big difference between objective judgment and the intention to find positive value. It is precisely this desire for something that I designate with the word speculation. The speculative approach of yellow hat thinking should always start with thinking only about possibilities. Speculative thinking should always start with the best possible scenario. In this way, the maximum possible benefit of the idea can be assessed. If the benefit from the idea is small when implemented best case scenario, which means that such an idea is not worth implementing. The probability of the outcome can then be estimated. Ultimately, black hat thinking can highlight areas of doubt.

Part of the yellow hat's function is to explore the positive equivalent of risk, which we call opportunity. The speculative aspect of yellow hat thinking is also associated with insight. Any planning begins with an idea. The excitement and stimulation that a design provides goes far beyond objective judgment. Purpose sets the direction for thinking and action.

32. Yellow Hat Thinking: Relation to Creativity

Yellow hat thinking is not directly related to creativity. The creative aspect of thinking directly relates to the green hat. Creativity is about change, innovation, invention, new ideas and alternatives. A person can be a great yellow hat thinker, but still be unable to produce new ideas. Effective Application old ideas - this is the realm of thinking with the yellow hat on. Efficiency rather than novelty characterizes yellow hat thinking. Just as the scooping hat can highlight a mistake and give the yellow hat the opportunity to correct it, the yellow hat can see an opportunity in something and allow the green hat to come up with an original way to use that opportunity.

33. Yellow Hat Thinking: Let's Summarize

The yellow hat is used for positive evaluation. It covers a positive spectrum, ranging from the logical and practical on the one hand, to dreams, plans and hopes on the other. Yellow hat thinking looks for opportunities to express a reasonable optimistic view. Yellow Hat Thinking can be speculative and opportunity-seeking, and it also allows one to dream and make plans.

34. Green Hat: Creative and Lateral Thinking

Green is the color of fertility and growth. By putting on a green hat, a person goes beyond old ideas to find something better. The green hat is associated with change. The use of a green hat may be more necessary than the use of others. Creative thinking may require provocative statements with obviously irrational ideas. In this case, we need to somehow explain to others that we are deliberately playing the role of a jester or clown, trying to provoke the birth of new concepts. If we are talking not about provocations, but about new ideas, a green hat is needed to protect the tender shoots of the new from the cold emanating from the black hat.

The idiom of creative thinking is not easy for most people to understand. Most people like to feel safe. They like it when they are right. Creativity involves being provocative, exploring and taking risks. A green hat alone cannot make people more creative. However, it can give a person the time and focus to express their creativity.

We cannot demand the end result from a green hat. All we can ask from her is a contribution to our thinking. We can spend some time coming up with new ideas. Despite this, a person may not come up with anything new. The only thing that matters is the time spent searching. You can't tell yourself (or others) to come up with a new idea, but you can tell yourself (or others) to spend some time looking for a new idea. The green hat provides a formal opportunity to do this.

35. Green Hat Thinking: Lateral Thinking

I coined the term lateral thinking in 1967, and now even the Oxford Dictionary in English” indicates that the word was coined by me. The term lateral thinking should have been introduced for two reasons. The first is a very broad and somewhat vague meaning of the word creative. Lateral thinking is narrower and concerns changing concepts and perceptions; these are historically determined stereotypes of thinking and behavior patterns. The second reason is that lateral thinking is based directly on the behavior of information in self-organizing information systems. Lateral thinking is the rearrangement of patterns in an asymmetrical pattern system.

Just as logical thinking is based on the behavior of symbolic language, lateral thinking is based on the behavior of patterned systems. Lateral thinking has the same basis as humor. Both depend on the asymmetrical nature of perceptual patterns. This is the basis for a sudden leap or insight after which something becomes clear.

A huge part of our mental culture is about “processing.” To achieve this, we have developed superior systems including mathematics, statistics, data processing, language and logic. But all of them can only work on the words, symbols and relationships provided by perception. It is perception that brings complex world around us to these forms. It is in this area of perception that lateral thinking works and tries to change established patterns.

36. Green Hat Thinking: Movement Instead of Judgment

When we think in the usual way, we use judgments. How does this idea relate to what I already know? How does it relate to my patterns of experience? We reason that it is appropriate or point out why it is not appropriate. Critical thinking and black hat thinking evaluate how well a proposal fits into what we already know.

We can call this the reversed idea effect. We look back at our past experiences to evaluate an idea. Just as a description must correspond to the object itself, we expect ideas to correspond to our knowledge. How else could we say that they are correct? Green hat thinking requires us to apply another idiom: we replace judgment with “motion.” Movement is not simply a lack of judgment. Movement is the use of an idea for its effect of moving forward. We want to see where it takes us.

37. Green Hat Thinking: The Need for Provocation

Reports on scientific discoveries always look as if the opening procedure was logical and consistent. Sometimes this is true. In other cases, step-by-step logic is just a look back to evaluate mistakes made in the work. An error or accident occurred, which became a provocation that gave rise to a new idea. Antibiotics were discovered as a result of contamination of experimental glassware with penicillin mold. They say that Columbus decided to cross the Atlantic Ocean only because he made a serious mistake when calculating the distance around the world based on the data of an ancient treatise.

Nature itself creates such provocations. One can never expect that provocation will occur on its own, since thinking excludes it. Its role is to pull thinking out of the patterns that have developed by this time. We can sit and wait for provocations, or we can decide to create them intentionally. This is exactly what happens when the lateral thinking method is applied. The ability to use provocation is an essential part of lateral thinking.

Many years ago I came up with the word By as a symbol denoting an idea expressed as a provocation and for its driving value. If you want, you can decrypt By as a “provocative operation.” By acts as a white flag of truce. If someone approached the castle walls waving a white flag, it would be against the rules to shoot at him. Likewise, if an idea was expressed under protection By, shooting her with the judgment born under the black hat will turn out to be a violation of the rules of the game.

…A polluting factory must be located downstream of its outlet.

This provocation gave birth to a new idea that a factory built on the river bank should use water already polluted by its own activities for its needs. Thus, the factory would be the first to experience the effects of its own environmental pollution.

As we move forward from provocation, three things can happen. We probably won't be able to make any movement at all. We can return to the usual patterns. Or switch to using a new template.

There are also formal ways to create a provocation. For example, one of the simple ways to receive provocation is by contradictory assertion. A very simple way to provoke is to use a random word. To many people, it probably seems unheard of that a random word can help solve a problem. Randomness suggests that the word is not directly related to the problem. However, from the point of view of the logic of asymmetric pattern systems, it is not difficult to see what effect a word chosen at random has. It becomes a new starting point. Reflections for which a random word serves as a starting point can develop in a way that is impossible for thoughts directly related to the problem.

38. Green Hat Thinking: Alternatives

In math class at school, you calculate a sum and get the answer. Then move on to the next task. There's no point in spending more time on the first sum because you've already got the right answer and won't be able to find a better one. For many people, this attitude towards thinking continues into later life. They stop thinking as soon as they find a solution to a problem. They are satisfied with the first suitable answer. However real life very different from school tasks. There is usually more than one answer. Some solutions are more suitable than others: they are more reliable, more feasible, or require lower costs. There is no reason to believe that the first answer is better than other possible answers.

We consider alternatives and look for other solutions, we can choose the best one. Finding alternative solutions is actually finding the best solution. Understanding alternatives suggests that there is usually more than one way of doing something and more than one way of looking at things. Various lateral thinking techniques are aimed at finding new alternatives.

Many people believe that logical thinking allows one to uncover all possible alternatives. This is true for closed systems, but does not always work in real situations.

Every time we look for an alternative, we do so within a certain level. As a rule, we want to stay within these limits. From time to time we need to challenge the boundaries and move to a higher level.

...You asked me about alternative methods of loading onto trucks. I want to tell you that it is much more profitable to send your products by train.

By all means challenge existing boundaries and change the level from time to time. But also be prepared to find an alternative solution within a certain level. Creativity gets a bad rap when creative people come up with a solution to a different problem than the one they were given. The dilemma remains real: when to work within given limits and when to go beyond them.

39. Green Hat Thinking: Personality and Abilities

I don't like the idea of creative thinking as a special gift. I prefer to think of creativity as a normal and natural part of everyone's thinking. I don't think you can change a person's personality. But I am sure that if you explain to a person the “logic” of a creative approach, this can forever change his attitude towards creativity. Nobody likes to be considered one-sided. A thinker who looks great in a black hat would like to look at least passable in a green one. The black hat expert doesn't need to feel like he needs to reduce his negativity in order to be creative. When it is negative, it can be just as negative as before (compare this with trying to change personality). Creative thinking is usually in a weak position because it is not considered as a necessary component of thinking. Such a formality as a green hat elevates it to the rank of the same recognized part of thinking as other aspects of it.

40. Green Hat Thinking: What Happens to Ideas?

I attended many creative sessions where a lot of good ideas. However, at the final stage, many of these ideas were ignored by the participants. We tend to pay attention only to the final, reasonable solution. We ignore everything else. But all these cases must be noticed. It should be part of the creative process to shape an idea and adapt it to some purpose so that it comes closer to satisfying two needs. The first need is the need of the situation. An attempt to formalize the idea and make it workable. This is achieved by introducing limiters, which are used as shaping impulses.

The second set of needs that must be satisfied are the needs of the people who are going to act on the idea. Unfortunately, this world is imperfect. It would be nice if everyone could see in an idea the brilliance and potential that is obvious to the originator of the idea. This is not always the case. So part of the creative process is to shape the idea in a way that better suits the needs of those who will need to “buy” it.

In some of my works I proposed the role of concept manager. This is the one who is responsible for stimulating ideas, collecting them and looking after them. This is the person who would organize the idea generation sessions. He would shove problems under the noses of those who should solve them. This is a person who would monitor ideas in the same way as a financial manager monitors finances.

The next stage is the yellow hat stage. It involves the constructive development of an idea, as well as positive evaluation and the search for associated benefits and values. What follows is black hat thinking. At any stage, the white hat can be worn to provide the data needed to evaluate the idea. The final stage is red hat thinking: do you like this idea enough to continue with it? It may seem strange that the emotional judgment is made at the end. But this is precisely what gives hope that the emotional assessment will be based on the results of a careful study of the black and yellow hats. In the end, if there is no enthusiasm, the idea will most likely not succeed, no matter how good it is.

41. Green Hat Thinking: Let's Summarize

Green hat associated with creative thinking. Finding alternative solutions is a fundamental aspect of green hat thinking. There is a need to go beyond the known, the obvious, and the satisfactory. When it comes to taking a creative break, a thinker in a green hat interrupts the discussion at any point to reflect on whether there are this moment alternative solutions. Within green hat thinking, the concept of movement is used instead of the concept of judgment. Provocation is an important part of green hat thinking and is represented by the word By. It is used to take us beyond our normal thinking patterns. Lateral thinking is a complex of relationships, concepts and techniques (including movement, provocation and By), designed to interrupt patterns in self-organizing asymmetric pattern systems.

42. Blue Hat: Mind Control

When we put on the blue hat, we no longer think about the object; we begin to think about the thinking required to study this object. The blue hat does for thinking what a conductor does for an orchestra. When we wear the blue thinking hat, we tell ourselves (or others) which of the five hats to wear.

Argument time provides a person with a moment to think. This is why many people find it easier to think in a group than alone. Thinking alone requires blue hat structuring. If we are going to use cartographic thinking, we need to have structure. Offense and defense can no longer form a structure.

43. Blue Hat Thinking: Focusing

Focusing is one of the key roles of the blue hat. The focus can be wide or narrow. Wide focus can have multiple specific objects in focus. An important aspect of attention is that it must be voiced in a certain manner. Blue hat thinking should be used to determine the purpose of concentration. Time spent thinking about thinking is not wasted time. Asking a question is the easiest way to focus your thinking.

44. Blue Hat Thinking: Programming

Computers have software that guides them in each specific situation. Computers cannot work without software. One of the functions of blue hat thinking is to develop software for thinking about a particular question.

If the topic is strong emotions, it would make sense to put the red hat first on the program. This would bring feelings to the surface and make them visible. Without the red hat, each person would try to express their emotions not directly, but using additional means such as a black hat. As soon as emotions manifest themselves, a person will be freed from them. The next step might be to put on a white hat.

Now, with the help of the magic of the blue hat, all available proposals should be compiled into an official list. After this, proposals can be divided into categories: proposals requiring individual assessment; proposals requiring further development; suggestions that should simply be taken into account.

Now we could combine the three approaches by using the white, yellow and green hats to look at each proposal and take it to the next level. This is the phase of constructive thinking.

Now you need to put on a black hat, which at the moment plays the role of a sieve. The purpose of the black hat is to indicate the impossibility of implementing certain alternative options.

45. Blue Hat Thinking: Generalizations and Conclusions

The man in the blue hat looks at the thinking hat that is currently on the stage. He is a choreographer, but also a critic who monitors what is happening. The man in the blue hat does not drive the car on the road, but watches the driver. He also pays attention to the choice of route. By putting on the blue hat, we make comments about what we observe. From time to time, the blue hat thinker reviews what has happened and what has been achieved. It is he who stands at the board to make a list of the alternative solutions found.

46. Blue Hat Thinking: Control and Monitoring

At any meeting, the chairman automatically serves as the blue hat. He maintains order and ensures that the agenda is followed. You can give the role of blue hat bearer to someone other than the chairman. The person in the blue hat will then monitor thinking within the limits set by the chairman. The wearer of the blue hat ensures that everyone else adheres to the rules of the game.

In practice, different hats overlap each other very often, and there is no need to be too pedantic about this. Yellow and green hats can change very quickly. The white and red hats overlap each other because facts are mixed with opinions about them. It's also impractical to change hats every time someone makes a remark. What is important is this: once a certain mode of thinking is established, thinkers must make a conscious effort to think in that way. One of the main tasks of control on the part of the blue hat wearer will be to suppress disputes.

47. Blue Hat Thinking: Let's Summarize

The blue hat is the control hat. A man in a blue hat organizes thinking. He expresses ideas about the forms of thinking necessary to study the topic. The thinker in the blue hat is like the conductor of an orchestra: he is the one who announces when to wear a particular hat. The thinker in the blue hat determines the object to which thinking should be directed. The blue hat brings focus. It serves to identify problems and pose questions.

Conclusion

The greatest enemy of thinking is complexity, because it leads to confusion. When thoughts are clear and simple, it is enjoyable and will have greater effect. The concept of the six thinking hats is very easy to understand. It is also very easy to apply. Obviously, this idiom will work if all people in the organization are familiar with the rules of the game. For example, all those who are accustomed to meeting to discuss certain issues should learn the meaning of different hats. A concept works best when it becomes something of a common language.

In 2010, Potpourri Publishing House released this book entitled “Thinking Management.” I read exactly that...

Edward de Bono's book The Six Thinking Hats is a unique work by one of the brightest experts in the field of creativity. She talks about an effective method that both adults and children can use. The six hats refer to different ways of thinking: critical, optimistic and others. The essence of the method outlined in the book is to “try on” each of the hats and learn to think from different positions. In addition, practical recommendations are provided on the topic of when which thinking is effective and where it can be applied in order to emerge victorious from any intellectual battle.

This book quickly won an army of fans and was able to help millions of people learn to think in a new way: correctly, effectively and creatively.

About Edward de Bono

Edward de Bono is a well-known specialist in philosophy and has several doctoral degrees in medicine. He worked at the universities of Harvard, London, Cambridge and Oxford.

Summary of the book “Six Thinking Hats”

Introduction

Blue hat

Four Types of Hats Uses

When used in groups, the technique can be considered as a variation. It can also be used for conflict resolution and, again, in planning or evaluation. Can also be used as part of a training program.

It would not be amiss to note that the Six Thinking Hats method is used in their work by such companies as DuPont, Pepsico, IBM, British Airways and others.

Four uses of the six hats:

Put on your hat
Take off your hat
Change hat
Denote thinking

Method rules

The facilitator, starting the process, introduces all participants to the general principles of the method and indicates the problem required to be solved, for example: “Our competitors have offered us a partnership in the field... What to do?”

You can, for example, try to do this:

Finally

Edward Charles Francis Publius de Bono was born on May 19, 1933. He studied at the University of Malta, where he received his medical education. During the Second World War he studied at St Edward's College.

He also studied at Christ Church College, where he majored in psychology and physiology. While studying, he won two medals in canoe racing and played polo for Oxford University.

He studied and received a PhD at Trinity College and then went on to receive a Doctor of Divinity and a Doctor of Laws from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and the University of Dundee respectively.

Career

He briefly worked as a junior researcher at Oxford University and then became a lecturer. In 1961 he left Oxford University and moved to the University of London. Two years later he moved to the position of Deputy Director of Research at the University of Cambridge.

In 1967, he published his first book, “Using Lateral Thinking,” which is considered one of his best works, since in it he proposes the concept of “non-standard (lateral) thinking.” In 1968, de Bono presented the book “The Birth of a New Idea”, as well as a publication called “A Five-Day Course in Thinking.”

1971 was a very productive year for Edward de Bono - he created a good foundation for future work based on his ideology, wrote the books “Technology Today”, “Practical Thinking” and “Thinking Outside the Box for Management”.

From 1972 to 1976, he wrote numerous publications, including Children Solving Problems, Po: A Device for Successful Thinking, Learning to Think, and Great Thinkers: Thirty Minds That Shaped Our Civilization. At the same time, he founded the Foundation for Cognitive Research.

In the 1980s, he also wrote Atlas of Management Thinking, De Bono's Course on Thinking, Tactics: The Art and Science of Success, and the famous book The Six Thinking Hats. The book "Six Thinking Hats" talked about different colors of hats that reflected the thinking process in the human brain. This book became a hit in the UK. And his book “De Bono’s Course in Thinking” was used to make a TV series that was shown on the BBC.

In 1990, de Bono was invited to chair a meeting Nobel laureates around the world, which took place in Korea.

In 1995, he created a non-fiction novel about the future called 2040: Possibilities from Edward de Bono, which aimed to prepare the reader for the advent of cryogenic freezing chambers in the future.

In 1996, the Center for New Thinking was founded at the de Bono Institute. In the same year, he presented his new book entitled “Textbook of Wisdom.”

In 1997, he was invited as a speaker to an environmental conference held in Beijing.

In 1998, he presented his new book entitled “How to be more interesting.”

At the beginning of the new millennium, despite his travels around the world and reports to various leading global corporations, Edward de Bono also wrote several new books. He was convinced that the improvement of human nature would ultimately come through the improvement of language. The book he wrote, entitled “Edward de Bono's Code Book,” touched upon this very topic.

Main works

He invented and proposed the idea of "lateral thinking" in 1967. This approach allows people to solve problems by using a creative, albeit secondary, approach. Now this methodology is used in many companies around the world, because it has proven its effectiveness in problems with searching and finding a problem, solving a problem and stimulating motivation. This is why de Bono is known as the father of “outside the box thinking.”

In 1985, he wrote the book "Six Thinking Hats." This book is considered one of his most significant works, as it introduces the reader to in effective ways group discussion and individual thinking. The book also deals quite strongly with the ideas of “parallel thinking” and “critical thinking.” The book also introduces the concept of the "six thinking hats" that Speedo Researchers used to create swimwear, making de Bono's idea wildly popular.

Awards and achievements

In 1992, he was the first person to receive the European Capira Prize for outstanding achievement.

In 1994 he was awarded the Pioneer Prize in the field of Thinking at the International Conference on Thinking, held at MIT (Boston, USA).

In January 1995, Dr de Bono was awarded the National Order of Merit by the President of Malta.

In 2005 he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Economics.

Personal life and legacy

In 1971 he married Josephine Hall-White. The couple had two sons.

In 1996, the European Creativity Association surveyed its members across Europe, trying to find out who influenced them the most. Dr. de Bono's name was mentioned more than any other name.

The International Astronomical Union, for its contribution to the development of humanity, named the planet after the writer, consultant and inventor Edward de Bono.