Six Thinking Hats - A Tool for Mitigating Experience Bias

Workplaces are a breeding ground for new ideas and innovation. However, this can be stifled by experience bias. If ever you hear somebody say “that’s not how we do things around here” or “we tried that before – it didn’t work – we won’t do it again” you know that experience bias could be at play.

The human brain can process up to 11 million bits of information every second . Even when we think we are on task, our subconscious thoughts and biases can create a barrier between ourselves and others. To combat our intricate inner lives, more and more business leaders are integrating structured thought exercises into their workplace discussions.

What Is the Six Thinking Hats Tool?

Edward de Bono created the Six Thinking Hats as a tool for groups who want to better communicate. Leaders from all over the world have implemented the exercises in Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats into their day-to-day operations. This tool functions as a framework for exploring logic, emotion, reason, advantages, and disadvantages in a clearly defined arena.

The hats in this framework are symbolic, as are the colours. You might have heard the old phrase ‘put your thinking cap on’ which reflects de Bono’s push for mindful discussions. By building symbolism around a physical item, de Bono encourages people to think of themselves as possessing critical thinking skills. Just as anyone can wear a hat, anyone on your team has the ability to explore a concept in an emotive, reasonable, or critical manner.

Who Is Edward de Bono?

Edward de Bono was a famed Maltese physician, philosopher, and psychologist. He is best known for his original and unorthodox theories , some of which gained worldwide recognition. Most people will have heard of lateral thinking, a creative approach to problem-solving that de Bono first introduced in his book Lateral Thinking: A Textbook of Creativity .

He is in opposition to thinkers like Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates who explain the world around them through reason and logic. Instead, de Bono carves out a place for creative problem-solving in real-life situations.

The Six Thinking Hats

Six Thinking Hats - Blue Hat

If you are wondering how to communicate effectively at work, you can start by having a comprehensive view of any given situation. The blue hat is ideal for self-reflection, and can even be used in a group environment. In simple terms, the blue hat encourages people to think about thinking.

●?????Metacognition

●?????Self-reflection

●?????Conscious approach to thought

People who wear the blue hat ‘zoom out’ of situations, and take a bird’s eye view of all the moving parts. From this bird’s eye view, they can monitor the discussion and ensure everything stays on track. In most cases, the chair of the meeting will wear the hat. This might be the CEO or team leader in your organisation depending on the type of meeting. Employees who have procedural suggestions can also take ownership of the blue hat.

The Six Thinking Hats technique has lots of practical applications. People can wear the blue hat to discuss agendas, checklists, calendars, and project tracking charts. This hat also covers final outputs like reports and reviews and even suggestions for the next steps.

Tips to get started…

●?????Ask yourself, ‘What is the purpose of this diversity and inclusion meeting?’ Plan the agenda accordingly.

●?????Ask both targeted and probing questions. Targeted questions usually have a yes or no answer, whereas probing questions are more open-ended. A probing question might be, ‘How can we decrease our gender pay gap by 1% next year?’ whereas a targeted question might ask, ‘Has the new unconscious bias training course improved employee behaviour?’

●?????Consider which hats are going to be most important to our discussion.

●?????Conclude the meeting by brainstorming your next steps.

Six Thinking Hats - White Hat

The white hat helps foster good communication skills at work because it is neutral. When people are wearing the white hat, emotions do not factor into decision making. The white hat is a blank sheet of paper that should be filled with objective facts.

●?????Factual information

●?????Neutral view

●?????Facts and figures

●?????Emotions are not relevant

Every employee in your workplace will have to take a neutral approach to one situation or another. Workplaces are a melting pot of ideas, cultures, and beliefs. To improve communication at work, employees sometimes have to remove emotions from the equation. This is also true for supervisors and managers who need to make structural decisions that impact the future of their businesses.

White hat thinking probes information. It considers how reliable the information is and whether it can be implemented. This part of the Six Thinking Hats technique also encourages people to consider missing information. People who wear the white hat might review financial information or sales figures.

Tips to get started…

●?????Revisit your understanding of a situation by sorting the pieces of information under level 1 and level 2. Level 1 pieces of information are verified, whereas level 2 information needs further analysis.

●?????Ask for the facts surrounding an employee dispute instead of the emotions.

●?????Take an objective look at your current diversity budgets and ignore your hopes for future – more generous – budgets.

Six Thinking Hats - Red Hat

Red hat thinking facilitates honest communication at work. Unlike the white hat, the red hat encourages managers and employees to reveal their true emotions. This can take the form of self-reflection or open discussions in a controlled environment. Red symbolises passion and emotion, which is what the red hat hopes to evoke.

●?????Gut feelings

●?????Intuitions

●?????Honest emotions

People who wear the red hat do not have to consider facts or explanations. This piece of advice might seem in opposition to everything business leaders are taught about management. Emotions always surface in the workplace, whether they are veiled by a cloak of rationality or in an interpersonal dispute. It is important to recognise and validate feelings in a controlled environment.

Red hat thinking is the most frequently used tool from de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats. Anyone can wear this hat in the workplace. We recommend returning to the red hat several times over the course of a normal discussion.

Tips to get started…

●?????Gauge whether or not other staff members are enthusiastic about your newest idea by asking them to wear the red hat.

●?????Implement the red hat early on in a discussion to clear the air and pave the way for open and honest discussions.

●?????Consider how the balance of D&I tasks in the workplace makes you feel.

●?????Identify points of contention between departments and employees in a controlled environment that facilitates discussion.

●?????Ask yourself, ‘How do I feel about the new D&I plans in the company?’

Six Thinking Hats - Black Hat

The black hat offers people in your business an opportunity to critique ideas. Critiques can include analysis of logical flaws and upcoming problems. The black hat relates to our survival instincts. Whoever wears the hat is invited to tap into their danger instincts and avoid a catastrophe. This part of the Six Thinking Hat technique seeks to avoid predictable failures.

●?????Survival instincts

●?????Reasonable critiques

●?????Predicting problems

People who wear the black hat have free rein to criticise meeting agendas, structural issues, and even people within the organisation. It is no surprise that the black hat can encourage poor communication at work if it is mismanaged.

De Bono is clear: the black hat is not an opportunity to speak down to others. Another problem arises when people are unable to stop using a black hat mindset after the meeting has finished or when they are using a different hat. To combat these misuses, appoint someone to chair the meeting and move discussions along.

Tips to get started…

●?????Use the word ‘but’ to structure your sentences. A typical black hat thinker might say ‘I like the sound of that idea, but will it work in this political environment?’

●?????Identify potential design flaws before they become real-life problems that cost the company money.

●?????Put forward perspectives other than your own. A marketing manager who is wearing the black hat might say, ‘Your idea is solid, but how will the LGBTQ+ community feel about representation in this advert?

Six Thinking Hats - Yellow Hat

Yellow hat thinking is for positive, concrete solutions. You can remember the purpose of this hat by associating it with a hard builder’s hat. This symbolism is meant to steer people away from black hat thinking, which sometimes includes negative criticism. Instead, people can improve communication at work with yellow hat constructive discussions.

●?????Positive feedback

●?????Concrete thoughts or solutions

●?????Based on logic

Everyone should have an opportunity to wear the yellow hat because it evokes positive responses and team cohesion. It is the only hat out of the Six Thinking Hats that encourages people to praise past efforts.

Most teams use the yellow hat when they are discussing new proposals. They can highlight strengths and also weaknesses. It is important to gain a comprehensive view of what some people identify as a weakness. Doing so can stop projects from being quashed in the early stages.

Tips to get started…

●?????Implement the yellow hat after the black hat to combat criticism and highlight the real advantages of certain projects.

●?????Ask yourself, ‘What did the team do to make last month’s project a success?’

●?????Encourage critical thinkers to wear the yellow hat to improve their communication at work. The yellow hat is a good opportunity for critical people to see the positives.

●?????Consider how you can foster a team environment by praising different departments.

●?????Whenever a yellow hat idea is put forward, think about the next step. This thought exercise will assess whether it is a viable idea.

H4: Six Thinking Hats - Green Hat

De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats technique would be incomplete without the green hat. Whereas the other hats focus on emotions and logic around existing ideas, the green hat attempts to generate new ideas. You can remember the purpose of the green hat by thinking of a budding plant.

●?????Original, new ideas

●?????Focused on growth

●?????Moves with trends

It is difficult to encourage employees to have original ideas. De Bono came up with a better way of explaining green hat thinking. A horse-drawn carriage will quickly fall into juts left by previous carriages. Without a physical jolt, the carriage will remain there. People who implement the Six Thinking Hat’s green hat should think of it as a mental jolt to consider new ideas.

This hat closely aligns with lateral thinking. No concept is too absurd or unheard of during green hat thinking. It is easy to dismiss wacky ideas, but they could lead to successful endeavours and community engagement. The green hat is all about thinking outside of the box.

Tips to get started…

●?????Implement the green hat after the yellow hat. The green hat will not be as effective if it is used after the black hat, because criticism can close the door to creativity.

●?????Assign a set amount of time for each person to wear the green hat. Creativity is a muscle, and it takes time and patience to develop a creative mindset.

●?????Brainstorm new ways to tap into social media trends.

●?????Ask yourself, ‘How can I implement this new idea into our existing project?’

How Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats Fight Bias

As the name suggests, unconscious biases operate on a subconscious level. They are a culmination of past experiences, but they can be corrected.

Employers have a duty to combat bias and promote inclusion and diversity at work. Doing so can save millions on lawsuits and foster a positive environment that promotes organisational growth.

One of the ways that companies can fight biases head-on is to improve employee mindfulness – all practice conscious inclusion as I like to put it. Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats encourage employees to separate their emotions, be careful with their words, and challenge their perceptions. This mindfulness tool is known for its ability to unite workplaces.

By making time for this thought exercise you are sending a clear signal to your employees. The Six Thinking Hats set the stage for discussion, which will give your employees the confidence they need to identify any interpersonal issues that they face. When you integrate thought exercises into the fabric of your business, you can catch complaints before they escalate.

Learn More About Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats

When it comes to diversity and inclusion at work, there is always more to learn. Countless articles have been written about de Bono’s seminal book . Visual learners can watch 6 Thinking Hats - Creating Thinking by de Bono to better understand the tools.

The de Bono Group , which is led by lifelong friend James P. Carlisle, offers businesses all over the world a dedicated Six Thinking Hats course . It promotes an ‘explicit return on investment success in corporations worldwide’ and can be applied immediately to any business.

If you want to learn more about de Bono’s creative approach to thinking, you can browse through his other works .