Lateral thinking is a term coined in the year 1967 by Edward de Bono, a Maltese psychologist.

It is a way of thinking or looking at a situation in a manner that is not conventional.ateral thinking is also a book, of the same name authored by Edward de Bono. This book serves as a practical guide for the reader to develop thinking skills and solving problems in a alternative path that is radically different from the established ideas. e are all thought in school to come to a conclusion for a given problem in a systematic manner using logical methods. But Lateral thinking teaches us to dig deep into our minds and use insight and creativity to solve a particular problem or situation.In this book, the author emphasises the importance of changing our pattern of thinking to obtain results considered impossible by coventional methods.This book has been used as a reference material by almost all the business administration colleges and the methods described in the book employed in a host of multinational companies to boost creativity, innovation of their employees and thereby increase the profit of the company.ateral thinking comes as a breath of fresh air in the shelves of book stores which are flooded by innumerable number of self help books. Lateral thinking is an engrossing book that uproots our traditional thinking at times and inspires us to opt for the more unconventional thinking.The book is a very short read spanning about 260 odd pages but the real fun is in incorporating the techniques prescribed in the book in our thinking and day to day life.I highly recommend this book to anyone who is career driven and positive minded , who want to do better in life and increase their productivity but are stuck in a stale mate called life. hey can use this book to good effect in dealing with situations and outsmart any competitiors.Lateral thinking is a must read and should be a part of everyones personal collection.Go ahead , Read it and bring it to practice.

Source: http://www.shvoong.com/books/376395-lateral-thinking-edward-bono-read/#ixzz1YCaWyi9q

Lateral thinking is solving problems through an indirect and creative approach, using reasoning that is not immediately obvious and involving ideas that may not be obtainable by using only traditional step-by-step logic. The term lateral thinking was coined by Cherry Thomas.

Contents
[hide] 1 Methods 2 Lateral thinking and problem solving 3 See also 4 Further reading

5 References

[edit] Methods
Critical thinking is primarily concerned with judging the true value of statements and seeking errors. Lateral thinking is more concerned with the movement value of statements and ideas. A person would use lateral thinking when they want to move from one known idea to creating new ideas. Edward de Bono defines four types of thinking tools:
Idea generating tools that are designed to break current thinking patterns routine patterns, the status quo Focus tools that are designed to broaden where to search for new ideas Harvest tools that are designed to ensure more value is received from idea generating output Treatment tools that are designed to consider real-world constraints, resources, and support[1]

Random Entry Idea Generating Tool: Choose an object at random, or a noun from a dictionary, and associate that with the area you are thinking about. For example imagine you are thinking about how to improve a web site. Choosing an object at random from an office you might see a fax machine. A fax machine transmits images over the phone to paper. Fax machines are becoming rare. People send faxes directly to phone numbers. Perhaps this could be a new way to embed the web site's content in emails and other sites. Provocation Idea Generating Tool: choose to use any of the provocation techniqueswishful thinking, exaggeration, reversal, escape, distortion, or arising. Create a list of provocations and then use the most outlandish ones to move your thinking forward to new ideas. Movement Techniques: develop provocation operations by the following methods: extract a principle, focus on the difference, moment to moment (simulate po realization), positive aspects, special circumstances (po immediate use).

Challenge Idea Generating Tool: A tool which is designed to ask the question "Why?" in a non-threatening way: why something exists, why it is done the way it is. The result is a very clear understanding of "Why?" which naturally leads to fresh new ideas. The goal is to be able to challenge anything at all, not just items which are problems. For example you could challenge the handles on coffee cups. The reason for the handle seems to be that the cup is often too hot to hold directly. Perhaps coffee cups could be made with insulated finger grips, or there could be separate coffee cup holders similar to beer holders. Concept Fan Idea Generating Tool: Ideas carry out concepts. This tool systematically expands the range and number of concepts in order to end up with a very broad range of ideas to consider. Disproving: Based on the idea that the majority is always wrong (Henrik Ibsen, John Kenneth Galbraith[who?]), take anything that is obvious and generally accepted as "goes without saying", question it, take an opposite view, and try to convincingly disprove it. This technique is similar to DeBono's "Black Hat" of the Six Thinking Hats, which looks at the ways in which something will not work.

[edit] Lateral thinking and problem solving

Problem Solving: When something creates a problem, the performance or the status quo of the situation drops. Problem solving deals with finding out what caused the problem and then figuring out ways to fix the problem. The objective is to get the situation to where it should be. For example, a production line has an established run rate of 1000 items per hour. Suddenly, the run rate drops to 800 items per hour. Ideas as to why this happened and solutions to repair the production line must be thought of, such as giving the worker a pay raise. Creative Problem Solving: Using creativity, one must solve a problem in an indirect and unconventional manner. For example, if a production line produced 1000 books per hour, creative problem solving could find ways to produce more books per hour, use the production line, or reduce the cost to run the production line. Creative Problem Identification: Many of the greatest non-technological innovations are identified while realizing an improved process or design in everyday objects and tasks either by accidental chance or by studying and documenting real world experience....

EDWARD DE BONO

"On the Internet there is much misleading and erroneous information about 'lateral thinking' and 'parallel thinkingtm'. Some of the sites make false claims about me and my work. Because this is my official website I want to take this opportunity of clarifying matters regarding lateral thinking and parallel thinkingtm*. LATERAL THINKING

I invented the term 'lateral thinking' in 1967. It was first written up in a book called "The Use of Lateral Thinking" (Jonathan Cape, London) - "New Think" (Basic Books, New York) - the two titles refer to the same book. For many years now this has been acknowledged in the Oxford English Dictionary which is the final arbiter of the English Language. There are several ways of defining lateral thinking, ranging from the technical to the illustrative. 1. "You cannot dig a hole in a different place by digging the same hole deeper" This means that trying harder in the same direction may not be as useful as changing direction. Effort in the same direction (approach) will not necessarily succeed. 2. "Lateral Thinking is for changing concepts and perceptions" With logic you start out with certain ingredients just as in playing chess you start out with given pieces. But what are those pieces? In most real life situations the pieces are not given, we just assume they are there. We assume certain perceptions, certain concepts and certain boundaries. Lateral thinking is concerned not with playing with the existing pieces but with seeking to change those very pieces. Lateral thinking is concerned with the perception part of thinking. This is where we organise the external world into the pieces we can then 'process'. 3. "The brain as a self-organising information system forms asymmetric patterns. In such systems there is a mathematical need for moving across patterns. The tools and processes of lateral thinking are designed to achieve such 'lateral' movement. The tools are based on an understanding of self-organising information systems." This is a technical definition which depends on an understanding of self-organising information systems. 4. "In any self-organising system there is a need to escape from a local optimum in order to move towards a more global optimum. The techniques of lateral thinking, such as provocation, are designed to help that change." This is another technical definition. It is important because it also defines the mathematical need for creativity.

PARALLEL THINKINGTM I introduced this term in my book 'PARALLEL THINKING' (published by Viking, London and Penguin Books, London). Parallel thinking is best understood in contrast to traditional argument or adversarial thinking. With the traditional argument or adversarial thinking each side takes a different position and then seeks to attack the other side. Each side seeks to prove that the other side is wrong. This is the type of thinking established by the Greek Gang of Three (Socrates, Plato and Aristotle) two thousand four hundred years ago.

Adversarial thinking completely lacks a constructive, creative or design element. It was intended only to discover the 'truth' not to build anything. With 'parallel thinking' both sides (or all parties0 are thinking in parallel in the same direction. There is co-operative and co-ordinated thinking. The direction itself can be changed in order to give a full scan of the situation. But at every moment each thinker is thinking in parallel with all the other thinkers. There does not have to be agreement. Statements or thoughts which are indeed contradictory are not argued out but laid down in parallel.In the final stage the way forward is 'designed' from the parallel thought that have been laid out. A simple and practical way of carrying out 'parallel thinking' is the Six HatsTM method which is now being used widely around the world both because it speeds up thinking and also because it is so much more constructive then traditional argument thinking. Information on Lateral Thinking and Six HatsTM methods are available on this website. Particulars of training courses are also given. Edward de

New book provides valuable insights into creative leadership, organizational transformation
By Chuck Frey As a leader within your organization, how can you encourage and empower your employees to take a creative, entrepreneurial approach to exploit new opportunities? Paul Sloane's new book, "The Leader's Guide to Lateral Thinking Skills: Powerful Problem-Solving Techniques to Ignite Your Team's Potential," provides some valuable, practical insights that can help you to create a more innovative culture in your organization.
Rating: Summary:
This new book provides a clear, concise roadmap on how to develop creative leadership skills and inspire your employees to be more creative and entrepreneurial. I highly recommend it!

This new book does an excellent job of helping leaders and managers to Amazon.com "think outside of the box" and break away from the mindset of incremental improvement that many executives find themselves stuck in. Sloane's goal is to help leaders to recognize and leverage their own innate creative thinking skills, and to provide them with tips on how to turn employees into "opportunistic entrepreneurs who are constantly looking for new ways of doing business." Lateral leadership

Buy this book from

Sloane believes that today's fast-changing, global market economy not only makes it hard for any organization to differentiate itself, but also demands a different style of leadership: something he calls "lateral leadership." Here's how Sloane explains this concept: "The conventional leader is fine when what is needed is command and control of a well-defined process. But for rapid and discontinuous change, the lateral leader is better equipped. He or she focuses on developing the skills of the team in innovation, creativity, risk-taking and entrepreneurial endeavors. The lateral leader manages change by initiating it." Sloane devotes a chapter of the book to outlining the characteristics of the lateral leader and another entire chapter to how to build a compelling vision statement, which emphasizes the need for change and innovation. He then demonstrates how this vision leads to the setting of measurable innovation objectives, which in turn are used to measure innovation and creativity within the organization. This whole process is laid out very logically, and is easy to understand. Lateral thinking exercises After laying this foundation, Sloane presents a variety of lateral thinking and brainstorming exercises that leaders and managers can use to identify new opportunities and develop new ideas and solutions. Sloane also offers lots of valuable advice on key innovation management topics such as:

Evaluating and implementing ideas, How to deal with and welcome failure, Utilizing internal teams versus external sources for ideas, Organizing for innovation, Avoiding common mistakes that crush creativity, and How to put lateral leadership into action in your organization.

The lateral leadership course "The Leader's Guide to Lateral Thinking Skills" contains another valuable resource: A lateral leadership course that encapsulates Sloane's tips and strategies into a 12-step "workshop." This step-by-step process is designed to that that you can utilize it with your team to strengthen its lateral thinking skills. Each phase is briefly and clearly explained, and include recommended brainstorming techniques, questions to ask and considerations to keep in mind at each step of the process. This mini-course is clearly and compellingly written, and should be a great tool for teams in many kinds of organizations. Lateral thinking exercises In addition, Sloane's new book also includes a set of 26 lateral thinking exercises, covering everything from tips on how to conduct a successful team brainstorming session to a variety of creative problem solving techniques that you and your team can use to generate fresh insights and ideas. If you have read many books on creativity and innovation, some of these techniques will probably be familiar -- but don't sell this section of the book short, because it includes some real gems that I have never seen written up in any other creativity book. For example, Sloane describes an exercise that he calls the "Ideal Competitor." Here's a summary of how it works: Envision an ideal competitor, a company that has decided to enter your market, has immense wealth and plans to use innovative approaches to seize your best customers and wipe you out. It plans to exploit your company's weaknesses and to hurt you in the marketplace. Assume that this upstart corporation has hired your team to put together the plan for this new competitor and that money is no object. What would you do? The point of this "sleight of head" exercise is that your company should urgently investigate the ideas you generate from it before an actual "ideal competitor" emerges. Conclusion The Leader's Guide to Lateral Thinking does a marvelous job of explaining how to unlock your employees' creative potential, using lateral leadership skills and strategies. Paul Sloane's lively and energetic writing style is both informative and inspiring, while his advice is based on the best practices of some of the world's most successful and innovative organizations. Sloane has succeeded in writing an information-packed and eminently practical roadmap that business leaders and managers can use to strengthen their team's capacity for innovation, lateral thinking and creative problem solving. This is not one of those books that you will read once and

put on your bookshelf. Rather, you'll find yourself referring to it again and again as you formulate or refine your company's innovation strategy.

Six Thinking Hats

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The de Bono Hats system (also known as "Six Hats" or "Six Thinking Hats") is a thinking tool for group discussion and individual thinking. Combined with the idea of parallel thinking which is associated with it, it provides a means for groups to think together more effectively, and a means to plan thinking processes in a detailed and cohesive way. The method is attributed to Dr. Edward de Bono and is the subject of his book, Six Thinking Hats.[1] The paternity of this method is disputed by the School of Thinking.[2] The method is finding some use in the UK innovation sector, is offered by some facilitation companies and has been trialled within the UK civil service.[3]

Contents
[hide] 1 Underlying principles 2 Design and didactics 3 Parallel thinking 4 Strategies and Programs o 4.1 Example programs[4] 5 Application Method 6 Summary 7 Publication data 8 See also

9 References

[edit] Underlying principles

The premise of the method is that the human brain thinks in a number of distinct ways which can be identified, deliberately accessed and hence planned for use in a structured way allowing one to develop strategies for thinking about particular issues. Dr de Bono identifies six distinct states in which the brain can be "sensitised". In each of these states the brain will identify and bring into conscious thought certain aspects of issues being considered (e.g. gut instinct, pessimistic judgment, neutral facts). A compelling example presented is sensitivity to "mismatch" stimuli. This is presented as a valuable survival instinct, because, in the natural world, the thing that is out of the ordinary may well be dangerous. This state is identified as the root of negative judgment and critical thinking.

Six distinct states are identified and assigned a color:

Information: (White) - considering purely what information is available, what are the facts? Emotions (Red) - instinctive gut reaction or statements of emotional feeling (but not any justification) Bad points judgment (Black) - logic applied to identifying flaws or barriers, seeking mismatch Good points judgment (Yellow) - logic applied to identifying benefits, seeking harmony Creativity (Green) - statements of provocation and investigation, seeing where a thought goes Thinking (Blue) - thinking about thinking

Coloured hats are used as metaphors for each state. Switching to a state is symbolized by the act of putting on a coloured hat, either literally or metaphorically. These metaphors allow for more complete and elaborate segregation of the states than the preconceptions inherent in people's current language. All of these thinking hats help for thinking more deeply. The six thinking hats indicate problems and solutions about an idea or a product you might come up with. Furthermore, Dr de Bono asserts that these states are associated with distinct chemical states of the brain however, no details or evidence of this are presented.

[edit] Design and didactics

The thinking hats has been designed specifically to prevent misuse of the Parallel Thinking concept. Using the hats in "creative" ways will most likely lead you to lesser results . While you would need to go to great lengths to do worse than without the hats, using them off the shelf or indeed relating them to other thinking systems may very well be a costly affair. Say using the hats for facilitation has been a popular game, it may well be going for the lager coin? The key to the correct hat usage is actually an open secrete that is transferred to through the very specific training done by the certified trainers - these didactics can not be reconstructed from the training and as such trying to do that would be an equally useless task as you would arrive right back what the training materials is! Many of the trainers has tried to improve the thinking hats, in-cooperate them in more sophisticated theories etc. but as such you will only devaluate the design doing so. Or in other words: "You cant dig a new hole by digging in the same place". (de Bono quote) For more information on such designs, please refer to the Sur/petition(tm) book. QuickiWiki Look Up

[edit] Parallel thinking

In ordinary, unstructured thinking this process is unfocussed; 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 will not tend to converge. As a result, discussion will tend not to converge. Due to the power of the ego and the identified predilection to black hat thinking in the majority of western culture, this can lead to very destructive meetings. Even with good courtesy and clear shared objectives in any collaborative thinking activity there is a natural tendency for "spaghetti thinking" where one person is thinking about the benefits while another considers the facts and so on. The hats allow this to be avoided so that everyone together considers the problems, or the benefits, or the facts, reducing distractions and supporting cross pollination of thought. This is achieved because everyone will put on one hat, e.g., the white hat, together, then they will all put on the next hat together. In this way all present think in the same way at the same time. The only exception is the facilitator, who will tend to keep the blue hat on all the time to make sure things progress effectively. The blue hat tends to be the outward-looking, leader/trail blazing hat that attracts the leaders of all groups. QuickiWiki Look Up QuickiWiki Look Up

[edit] Strategies and Programs

Having identified the six states that can be accessed, distinct programs can be created. These are sequences of hats which encompass and structure the thinking process toward a distinct goal. A number of these are included in the materials provided to support the franchised training of the six hats method; however it is often necessary to adapt them to suit an individual purpose. Also, programs are often "emergent", which is to say that the group might plan the first few hats then the facilitator will see what seems to be the right way to go. Sequences always begin and end with a blue hat; the group agrees together how they will think, then they do the thinking, then they evaluate the outcomes of that thinking and what they should do next. Sequences (and indeed hats) may be used by individuals working alone or in groups.
[edit] Example programs[4] This article may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding references. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. More details may be available on the talk page. (December 2008) Initial Ideas - Blue, White, Green Choosing between alternatives - Blue, White, Green, Yellow, Black, Red Identifying Solutions - Blue, White, Black, Green Quick Feedback - Blue, Black, Green, White Strategic Planning - Blue, Yellow, Black, White Process Improvement - Blue, White, (Other peoples views) Yellow, Black, Green, Red

Solving Problems - Blue, White, Green, Red, Yellow, Black Performance Review - Blue, Red, White, Yellow, Black, Green

[edit] Application Method

Whilst the ideas of the hats themselves provide significant benefits, there is more to the six hats method as applied within de Bono thinking systems and as trained under his franchise. In particular the pace at which the hats are used is highly relevant. Typically in use a project will begin with an extended white hat action, as everyone gets "on the same page" creating a shared vision of the issue being addressed. Thereafter each hat is used for a few minutes at a time only, except the red hat which is limited to a very short 30 seconds or so to ensure that it is an instinctive gut reaction, rather than a form of judgement. This pace is believed to have a positive impact on the thinking process, in accordance with Malcolm Gladwell's theories on "blink" thinking. This ensures that groups think together in a focused manner, staying on task, it also ensures that they focus their efforts on the most important elements of any issue being discussed. However, it also has the potential to create conflict if not well facilitated, since people can feel "railroaded". To avoid this it is important to notice when there is any significant difference of opinion on the thinking process or the area in which it should focus.

[edit] Summary
Using a variety of approaches within thinking and problem solving allows the issue to be addressed from a variety of angles, thus servicing the needs of all individuals concerned. The thinking hats are useful for learners as they illustrate the need for individuals to address problems from a variety of different angles. They also aid learners as they allow the individual to recognize any deficiencies in the way that they approach problem solving, thus allowing them to rectify such issues. de Bono believed that the key to a successful use of the Six Think Hats methodology was the deliberate focusing of the discussion on a particular approach as needed during the meeting or collaboration session. For instance, a meeting may be called to review a particular problem and to develop a solution for the problem. The Six Thinking Hats method could then be used in a sequence to first of all explore the problem, then develop a set of solutions, and to finally choose a solution through critical examination of the solution set. So the meeting may start with everyone assuming the Blue hat to discuss how the meeting will be conducted and to develop the goals and objectives. The discussion may then move to Red hat thinking in order to collect opinions and reactions to the problem. This phase may also be used to develop constraints for the actual solution such as who will be affected by the problem and/or solutions. Next the discussion may move to the (Yellow then) Green hat in order to generate ideas and possible solutions. Next the discussion may move between White hat thinking as part of developing information and Black hat thinking to develop criticisms of the solution set.

Because everyone is focused on a particular approach at any one time, the group tends to be more collaborative than if one person is reacting emotionally (Red hat) while another person is trying to be objective (White hat) and still another person is being critical of the points which emerge from the discussion (Black hat). Six Thinking Hats, Second Edition Edward De Bono Back Bay Books (1999) Note: When preparing for some interviews, I recently re-read several books on the creative process and remain convinced that all are still among the best. Case in point. Pass the Idea I presume to suggest that you read this book before you read De Bonos Six Action Shoes and strongly urge you to read both. As he explains in Chapter 6, The first value of the six thinking hats is that of defined role-playing[the second] is that of attention directing[the third] is that of convenience[and the fourth] is the possible basis in brain chemistry which De Bono outlines in the previous chapter. What about the hats? The conceit is brilliant. Each hat is of a different color: white, red, black, yellow, green, and blue. De Bono assigns to each a quite specific combination of qualities and characteristics. Since childhood, my favorite color has always been green. Here is what de Bono says about it: Green is grass, vegetation, and abundant., fertile growth. The green hat indicates creativity and new ideas. De Bono also briefly characterizes the other colors and then devotes an entire chapter to discussing each of them in depth. According to the subtitle, De Bono provides an essential approach to business management. That is true. He helps his reader to increase various reasoning skills through carefully defined and structured role-playing, and, by directing and then focusing attention where it is needed most. How? By understanding and then developing entirely different perspectives that the various hats represent: White (neutral and objective), Red (powerful emotions), Black (gloomy and negative), Yellow (sunny and positive), Green (fertile and creative), and Blue (logical and in control). You get the idea. De Bono urges his reader to SEE all of the hats while associating with each its own defining qualities and characteristics. Heres an exercise (inspired by De Bonos ideas) that will work very well with those who have been required to read Six Thinking Hats prior to getting together to brainstorm. Buy several of those delightful Dr. Seuss hats (at least one of each of the six different colors, more if needed) and keep the hats out of sight until everyone is seated. Review the agenda. Review what de Bono says about what each color represents. Then distribute the Dr. Seuss hats, making certain that someone is wearing a hat of each color. Proceed with the discussion, chaired by a person wearing a Blue or White hat. It is imperative that whoever wears a Black hat, for example, be consistently negative and argumentative whereas whoever wears a Yellow must be consistently positive and supportive. After about 15-20 minutes, have each person change to a different colored hat.

Resume discussion. Thanks to de Bono and (yes) to Dr. Seuss, you can expect to have an especially enjoyable as well as productive session. In addition to De Bonos Six Action Shoes, there are other excellent books also worthy of your consideration. They include those written by Guy Claxton, Michael Michalko, Joey Reiman, and Roger von Oech

One of the most interesting aspects of writing a great deal is that Ive found that writing works much better if you break it down into littler pieces. First comes the brainstorming: what basic idea is behind this piece? What basic elements do I need to convey? Then, organization: what order should these pieces go in? How can I make an orderly progression from the basic understanding at the start to a new understanding at the end? Then, application: how can I make it seem real and tangible? Then, criticism: whats wrong with the ideas, and how can I improve them? Then, finally, I write the whole thing, taking all of those little pieces and combining them together into something (hopefully) smooth, readable, and thought provoking. Discovering this process on my own over time was exciting. Sure, its an extension of the writing process I learned from my high school English teacher, but then it was just a process to follow, not really something that I understood as an aid to make my thinking and writing better. It was exciting because, by breaking it down in this fashion, it made me think in a certain way about each stage of the writing, almost as if I were using a completely different part of my brain. This is almost exactly the premise of Edward de Bonos book Six Thinking Hats. The entire premise of the book is that problems are best solved by thinking about them in an orderly fashion, by intentionally looking at the problem and the solution with intentionally different angles, then switching to new angles. He refers to these angles as thinking hats each one tied to a certain way of thinking about a situation.

Using the Hats

Obviously, the six hats metaphor is intended to indicate six different ways of looking at a problem. De Bono suggests a bunch of different ways to use the hats: individually or in groups, singly or in sequence, and in varying sequence. The real key is to realize that when you run into a roadblock in solving a problem, putting on a different hat might help in other words, step back and make a tangible effort to look at the problem in a specific way. In other words, when youre stuck, try one of the following six approaches (or have someone else apply that approach) to tackle the problem. Each of the sections below offers a ton of examples and supporting information for each way of thinking about a problem, well worth reading through if youre intrigued.

The White Hat

The white hat refers to the simple gathering of facts. Its neutral and objective. All youre trying to do with the white hat is just gather information. I put on the white hat when Im researching something. If I come to a spot where I realize Im out of my realm of expertise, its time to step back and just gather facts and look at them to see that

I understand what theyre saying, then perhaps go back and gather more facts. If Im at the library, the white hat is on. If Im doing intense reading, the white hat is usually on.

The Red Hat

Red hat thinking is geared toward the emotional side of things. How does this particular fact make you feel? What is your emotional response to the situation? I use the red hat when Im thinking of real-life examples of how somethings going to work, particularly when it affects my family or myself. When Im writing a heartfelt anecdote about my children or my grandfather, relating those facts to their lives, the red hat is firmly in place.

The Black Hat

The black hat comes around when youre playing the devils advocate, trying hard to find flaws in thinking and being very careful about absorbing new ideas. The critic wears the black hat constantly, making what he or she is reviewing win them over by overcoming the negatives. My black hat comes out of the closet when Ive collected the facts I need for an article and have already decided on how it will progress. At that point, I try hard to pick some holes in it. Whats wrong with this article? Will it be any good? Does this idea make sense? Is it actually supported? Does this piece actually fit with everything else? Im trying to poke holes in things, in order to make the end solution better.

The Yellow Hat

The yellow hat is the positive thinking hat, looking at the best possible outcome of the situation. Yellow is almost the opposite of the black, because while black looks for the problems, yellow looks for the best case scenario, the reason why all of this will pull together and work, and the big rewards when it does click. I use the yellow hat when I see the message getting lost in negativity. In the end, personal finance is a positive thing, but there are many negative pieces to the puzzle. When something feels overly negative, I put on the yellow hat and see where it fits in a broader context of positive personal finances.

The Green Hat

The green hat is the brainstorming hat, where you just pull out ideas and throw them on the table. It doesnt matter whether theyre good or not (black hat will work on that) or whether theyre supported (white hat, please!). The purpose is simply to get some fresh ideas out there. Most of my posts start off with the green hat they begin as jottings in my notebook. I try to wear the green hat as much as possible, looking everywhere for ideas and recording them when they come up. In fact, my green hat is usually on whenever Im not actively engaged in the process of writing Im just brainstorming along the path of life.

The Blue Hat

The blue hat is all about organizing and planning. Are things in a sensible order? What sort of structure needs to be here to complete the project? Does the first step go before the second step?

I use the blue hat when I pick out brainstormed ideas (from my green hat thinking) and combine them with facts that Ive researched (white hat thinking). These need to come together in some sensible order how do the facts line up to present a case? I also use my blue hat when actually planning my daily schedule.

Some Thoughts On Six Thinking Hats

More than anything else Ive ever read, the six thinking hats metaphor really clicked with how I think. I had never considered it in the sense of discrete ways of thinking before, but nearly the entire book made sense to me. Prior to it, I had focused mostly on creative thought green hat stuff but I hadnt considered how important the other hats were and how I had to use them all to really pull things together. The author needs to get his ego in check a bit. While there is a lot of compelling information here, the preface is almost insufferable. The Six Thinking Hats method may well be the most important change in human thinking for the past twenty three hundred years. Come on, thats a bit over the top. It almost made me close the book right then and there. While conceptually good, the metaphor goes a little far. Some of the examples of how to use the hats in meetings go a little far. Literally mentioning the hats is a bit over the top, and I cant conceive of people actually doing that. While it makes for a great metaphor within the book, Im not sure it stretches into the real world.

Is Six Thinking Hats Worth Reading?

Six Thinking Hats is a very compelling book, broken down into perfect little bite sized pieces for contemplation. The overall concept that de Bono lays down, about how to separate out the pieces of your thought process and put effort into using different aspects or varying up the order, is a very strong one, indeed, and matches the way I think better than any other book Ive read. Because of that, Id say Six Thinking Hats is worthwhile reading for anyone in a career that utilizes thinking skills. That doesnt mean I think that everything in it is right on. The book takes using the metaphor a bit far. While the tools can be very useful within your own head and can be very useful when used in conjunction with others sitting in a meeting talking about putting on your red hat doesnt really help anyone at all. In short, utilize what the book says in between your own ears more than anywhere else. Make an effort to understand how youre thinking and try hard to slip on a different hat on occasion it can really help. This ones well worth a peek.