Six Thinking Hats Review
SIX THINKING HATS
BOOK REVIEW
The book that I chose to review is SIX THINKING HATS by EDWARD DE BONO. The prime factor that made me read this book again and again is the basic premise that the book is based upon- problems are best solved by thinking about them in an orderly fashion and looking at the problem and the solution from different angles. “Thinking is the ultimate human resource. Yet we can never be satisfied with our most important skill. No matter how good we become, we should always want to be better” says Edward de Bono.
In ordinary, unstructured thinking this process is unfocused, the thinker leaps from critical thinking to neutrality to optimism and so on without structure or strategy. The Six Thinking Hats process attempts to introduce parallel thinking.
Many individuals are used to this and develop their own habits unconsciously. Sometimes these are effective, other times not. What is certain is that when thinking in a group these individual strategies won’t tend to converge. As a result, discussion will never tend to converge.
"Thinking often proceeds as drift and waffle and reaction" writes de Bono. In Six Thinking Hats the author presents a simple but effective way to become a better thinker. He separates thinking into six distinct modes, identified with six coloured "thinking hats":
• White - facts, figures, and objective information
• Red - emotions and feelings
• Black - logical negative thoughts
• Yellow - positive constructive thoughts
• Green - creativity and new ideas
• Blue - control of the other hats and thinking steps
"Putting on" a hat focuses thinking; "switching" hats redirects thinking. With the different parts of the thinking process thus clearly defined, discussions can be better focuses and more productive.
Using real-life situations as examples, Dr de Bono creates scenarios that show how the effective use of "thinking hats"" can:
• focus thinking more clearly
• lead to more creative thinking
• improve
BOOK REVIEW
The book that I chose to review is SIX THINKING HATS by EDWARD DE BONO. The prime factor that made me read this book again and again is the basic premise that the book is based upon- problems are best solved by thinking about them in an orderly fashion and looking at the problem and the solution from different angles. “Thinking is the ultimate human resource. Yet we can never be satisfied with our most important skill. No matter how good we become, we should always want to be better” says Edward de Bono.
In ordinary, unstructured thinking this process is unfocused, the thinker leaps from critical thinking to neutrality to optimism and so on without structure or strategy. The Six Thinking Hats process attempts to introduce parallel thinking.
Many individuals are used to this and develop their own habits unconsciously. Sometimes these are effective, other times not. What is certain is that when thinking in a group these individual strategies won’t tend to converge. As a result, discussion will never tend to converge.
"Thinking often proceeds as drift and waffle and reaction" writes de Bono. In Six Thinking Hats the author presents a simple but effective way to become a better thinker. He separates thinking into six distinct modes, identified with six coloured "thinking hats":
• White - facts, figures, and objective information
• Red - emotions and feelings
• Black - logical negative thoughts
• Yellow - positive constructive thoughts
• Green - creativity and new ideas
• Blue - control of the other hats and thinking steps
"Putting on" a hat focuses thinking; "switching" hats redirects thinking. With the different parts of the thinking process thus clearly defined, discussions can be better focuses and more productive.
Using real-life situations as examples, Dr de Bono creates scenarios that show how the effective use of "thinking hats"" can:
• focus thinking more clearly
• lead to more creative thinking
• improve