Six Thinking Hats
Run Better Meetings, Make Faster Decisions
Edward De Bono
Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats remains one of the most practical and enduring frameworks for improving how individuals and teams think together. First published in 1985, the book explores how structured thinking can replace confusion and conflict with clarity and creativity.
De Bono, recognised globally as a pioneer of lateral thinking, proposes six metaphorical “hats” that each represent a distinct mode of thinking. The White Hat focuses on facts and information, the Red Hat on feelings and intuition, the Black Hat on caution and risks, the Yellow Hat on optimism and benefits, the Green Hat on creativity and alternatives, and the Blue Hat on managing the thinking process itself. By consciously shifting between these hats, groups can explore complex issues from multiple perspectives without debate descending into defensiveness.
For education staff, the value of this approach lies in its simplicity and versatility. Staff meetings, curriculum planning sessions or student problem-solving discussions can all benefit from structured “hat” thinking. Instead of one voice dominating, everyone is encouraged to think differently and contribute deliberately.
While some might question the scientific rigour of de Bono’s model, its power comes from accessibility and application. It provides a shared language for collaborative thought; something schools and organisations often seek but rarely achieve.
Six Thinking Hats doesn’t tell readers what to think; it teaches them how to think together. In a time when schools face complex challenges and diverse perspectives, de Bono’s ideas offer both structure and possibility. This is a book worth revisiting if you have read before and then planning for discussion and application in practice.
Pick it up, share it with your team, and try the hats for yourself, you might just find your next meeting transformed.
