The Six Thinking Hats technique is a framework for thinking and decision making. It was invented in the early 1980s by Dr. Edward de Bono and is licensed by Advanced Practical Thinking (APTT), of Des Moines, Iowa. Organizations such as Prudential Insurance, IBM, Federal Express, British Airways, Polaroid, Pepsico, DuPont, and Nippon Telephone and Telegraph use the Six Thinking Hats method. The six different hats represent six different modes of thinking. The method promotes fuller input from more people. In de Bono's words it "separates ego from performance". (De Bono, 1985) Everyone is able to contribute to the process without hurting egos as they use the different views of the hats. The six hats system encourages performance rather than ego defense. People can contribute under any hat even though they support the opposite view. It is also an alternative to traditional argument and is more constructive. It is also much faster, allowing the brain to "maximize its sensitivity in different directions at different times" (De Bono, 1985), reducing meeting times to one quarter or even one tenth. The Six Hats method gets rid of egos, which are a problem in traditional thinking. It is no longer a matter of defending or attacking an idea. If you want to show off you do so by performing well under the hats. It is based on how the brain chemicals differ when we are being cautious and when we are being positive. This chemical reaction is a key part of brain function. .
There are six metaphorical hats and the thinker can put on or take off one of these hats to indicate the type of thinking being used. This putting on and taking off is essential. The hats must never be used to categorize individuals, even though their behavior may seem to invite this. When done in group, everybody wears the same color hat at the same time. .
The first hat is the White Hat. Under this hat one will consider facts, figures, data and information.
