The inventor of this technique is Edward de Bono (the father of creative thinking). In this technique, the subject or problem in question is generally examined using six thinking styles.
The inventor of this technique is Edward de Bono (the father of creative thinking). In this technique, the subject or problem in question is generally examined using six thinking styles.
De Bono tries to teach those who gather together not to think in one dimension, but to broaden their thinking and then think in creative ways, and with a thoughtful coordination, categorize the results and use it in decision-making. By putting each of the hats on their heads, people change their thinking style based on the color of their hat.

There are two main goals in the idea of ​​the Six Thinking Hats. The first goal is to simplify the act of thinking, thereby allowing the thinker to think about only one thing at a time, instead of thinking about issues related to emotions, logic, information, hope, and creativity simultaneously.
Essentially, this means that instead of using logic to support their semi-hidden feelings, a person can easily and openly express their feelings in red hat terms, without having to justify or justify their feelings. Then, after expressing their feelings openly, a person can deal with the logical aspects of the problem using the black hat.

The second and in fact the main purpose of the Six Thinking Hats idea is a kind of change in the way of thinking. If a person in a meeting has a very negative view, that person can be asked to take off the black hat. Or he can be asked to put on the yellow hat, which is actually a direct request to think positively. In this way, the Six Thinking Hats idea uses a kind of word or phrase that, despite this , is not in any way offensive or insulting, and what is very important is that this term does not insult the personality or dignity of any person. By turning the Six Thinking Hats into a game called (ROLE-PLAY), it is possible to ask specific questions about the types of thinking. In fact, these hats are more like shorthand instructions.

The thinking style of each colored hat is as follows:

White

White is a neutral and actionable color. White hat thinking provides an easy way to ask others to present facts and figures impartially. White hat thinking takes on a legal form when it encourages the thinker to completely separate facts from interpretations and miscellaneous issues in their mind.

red

The color red expresses emotions and passion, as well as anger. What is discussed in the red hat is feelings and perceptions and non-rational aspects. This hat officially allows us to express our emotions, from a simple initial feeling to a big spark like inspiration. With the red hat, we are -never- forced to judge emotions or explain their reasons.
With this hat, you can play the role of an emotional thinker who reacts only intuitively and emotionally, instead of moving logically from one step to the next.

black

Black is a sad and negative color. It must be said that most thinkers, whether they have taken courses in correct thinking or not, feel more comfortable wearing the black hat than the other hats. This is due to the emphasis that organizations and cultures place on debate and criticism.
In other words, the black hat indicates to us that the plan or topic under discussion does not fit with existing experience or knowledge. He tells us why it is not possible and will not work out right. The black hat prevents us from making mistakes, doing things unknowingly, and doing things that may be illegal.

Yellow

Yellow is a positive and sunny color. We can focus on situations, indicators, and analyses that are positive. We can look for the merits, benefits, and scientific aspects of a plan, idea, etc. We can use the yellow hat in the creative problem-solving process to improve the plan, discover the economic benefits and advantages of the plan, develop and promote the plan, create new markets, find areas for plan acceptance, create motivation to pursue work, and make the problem or issue effective.

Green

Green means plants, abundance, and fertile land. The green hat represents new and creative ideas. Green hat thinking is specifically focused on new ideas and new solutions to problems and issues. The green hat thinks about breaking away from old ideas in order to find new ideas.
This hat believes in making changes and transformations, and thinking with it is a focused and conscious effort to make changes and transformations in things. The characteristics of thinking with the green hat are related to creativity, and the person who uses it actually intends to use methods related to creative thinking. Accordingly, searching for other diverse ways and solutions during the process of solving a problem is one of the foundations of thinking with the green hat.
Even when there is no specific problem, the green hat thinker pays attention to everything with his creative spirit and carefully to see if a better way can still be found; therefore, in the green hat, movement, vitality, and the desire to make changes take the place of judgment.

blue

Blue is a cool, pleasant color. When we wear the blue hat, we are not thinking about a topic, but about how to think about a topic. The color blue symbolizes overall supervision. Like the sky that covers and encompasses everything. The blue hat is responsible for summarizing, summarizing, and drawing conclusions, and this is done at different stages or even until the end of the brainstorming session.
The blue hat is the observer of the process of thinking and discussion and is very careful to ensure that the rules of correct thinking with strategic horizons are implemented as well as possible. This hat ends the conflicts and arguments of the other hats with guidance and determination and insists on thinking in the way of mental mapping or thinking with predetermined goals. The blue hat plays the role of an observer and establishes discipline in the meeting.

The effectiveness of the six thinking hats:

It is not claimed that these six hats cover all aspects of thinking. But they do cover the main aspects and modes of thinking, and it is not recommended that we wear one of these hats at every moment of our thinking. These six hats provide a kind of confidence and comfort for a particular type of thinking, both about ourselves and about others, and they create a set of rules for the thinking game that anyone who wants to play should be aware of.
The more these hats are used, the more they become embedded in the culture of the organization. Every person in an organization should learn the basic terminology so that it becomes part of the culture. These six hats will increase people’s focus and instead of wasting their time in discussions, they will use this rule-based method.
At first, people may feel uncomfortable using this method. However, after the effectiveness of the system is revealed, this kind of discomfort will disappear. The first application of the hats is in the form of a simple request, in which the other person is asked to use one hat or to take off his black hat and put on another hat.
The greatest value of the hats is that they create thought maps. A person can feel proud of participating in this game by playing one of the roles. Without the rules and rituals of these six hats, some people would remain permanently in one way of thinking (usually the black hat).