Rating: 
Summary: This is an excellent method
Review: Good thinking is simple. The goal of effective thinking is to make complexity managable. The Six Thinking Hats Method is by design a KISS system that is not intended to emphasize how clever any individuals in a group are, but to make actionable decisions--in most cases to achieve business results (as de Bono wryly notes elsewhere, most academics aren't interested in effective thinking).The reason I'm writing this review is to correct an inaccuracy in the previous review. Having each person in a group adopt a different hat is exactly the OPPOSITE of what is intended with the Parallel Thinking method (a virtual synonym for the Six Hat method). The idea is that everyone in a group focusses on a specific element (Hat) at the same time, not individually. Doing it this way reduces argument and the role of ego in the conversation. As de Bono notes, an important element in his work is also to demystify creativity, and help people understand you don't need lava lamps and candles to "do" creativity effectively. You don't have to be goofy. Ordinary business people working on engines and vaccines--and, as far as that goes, Accounts Payable, Sales, and Project Management--need creativity to be effective and competitive in a 24 hour global marketplace. I teach this course. ....
Rating: 
Summary: An inventive approach to stop endless discussion in meetings
Review: Have you ever attended a meeting to resolve an issue and found some of the participants causing havoc simply because they don't share yours and your colleagues point of view? You know, some people always argue and their quite good at it too, so why not let the same people argue your case? With the six thinking hats you can do just that. By putting on a different hat you are obliged to argue the case in question colored by that hat. So the only person who is allowed to be negative has the black hat. The person who wears the yellow hat speaks truly on the behalf of the case. The one with the white hat simply states facts and share objective information. If you feel strongly about something, put on the red hat and say it. When you wear the green hat your role is to generate ideas. And finally blue is the leader handling the hat swapping and the process of reaching a solution. It is absurdly strange what a colored hat can do to change a person's mind. You won't believe how a negative person will open up when he is put to challenge his own thoughts! And it is in fact a relief having a red hat, because then you h-a-v-e to say what you feel about the issue, an often needed thing to do to clear the air. And the result are evident: You get to know each other a lot better, solving issues faster and thus getting better solutions. It is of course an advantage that you do this with a group of people which is open-minded and is willing to do such "stupid" thing as wearing hats during a meeting. A bit of preparation and practice is recommended. Enjoy and get better results faster!
Rating:
Summary: Pass the Idea
Review: I presume to suggest that you read this book before you read de Bono's 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 which 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. Here's an exercise (inspired by Bono ideas) which 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 Bono's 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.
Rating:
Summary: Teaches Thinking Skills
Review: I seem to find some of the most meaningful work by accident,and this one is a great find. Bono talks about the skills of thinking and how they can be taught an used in all areas of our decision making. He is a dry speaker but the content makes it worth while to concentrate and learn from his amazing insight within the mind. Bono simplifies the thinking exercise by using hats with different colors, making it easy to discipline your thinking in the way of steps. These thinking concepts enable one or teams to thinking together looking at different areas of a situation and brainstrom together to a end result that can be arrived at within harmony. Bono puts thinking into steps: 1. Information 2. Benefits 3.Critical thinking 4. Feelings 5. Creative thinking 6. Thinking about the thinking and creating and action plan for implementation. Very good book.
Rating:
Summary: Just one perspective
Review: In De Bono's preface to this book, he states: "The Six Thinking Hats method may well be the most important change in human thinking for the past twenty-three hundred years." Yuk! Narcisism personified. Frankly, I believe Optimal Thinking: How to Be Your Best Self by Rosalene Glickman Ph.D. is superior to this book. Optimal Thinking enables the realist to make the most of any situation. I also prefer Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman, Ph.D. to explain the advantages and disadvantages of optimism and pessimism.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting
Review: It's kind of interesting to categorize creative thinking in this fashion. However, upon reflection, it's sort'of simplistic. I'm sure it has a value for people who love to define the undefinalbe. As for me, there are a lot more definitive books out there.
Rating:
Summary: Warning: "De Bono" not "Bono"
Review: Readers will be satisfied with the content of this book as long as they realize that the author has nothing to do with the lead singer for U2. Some people have made that unfortunate confusion to their later dismay.
Rating:
Summary: Improved Parallel-Thinking Process for Evaluating Issues
Review: Seldom do I find a legitimate improvement on existing thinking processes, but there certainly is one in Six Thinking Hats. De Bono reports that this process reduces time spent in meetings by 20 to 90 percent, based on experiences reported to him since the book was first published. It also seems that many people feel that the evaluations that emerge are more useful ones, as well. De Bono himself makes this statement: "The Six Thinking Hats method may well be the most important change in human thinking for the past twenty-three hundred years." You'll have to decide for yourself, if the book lives up to that claim. De Bono diagnoses the fundamental problem of decision-making as being muddled thinking. Groups are simply not well equipped to deal with a wide range of data and perspectives simultaneously. The meeting often bogs down into conflicts of personalities and over focus on inimportant points. By creating a simpler way to think about issues, de Bono claims to eliminate many of these problems. The process is not one that I have used, but it makes sense to me as an improvement over less structured evaluation methods. It can be used by an individual or a group working together. The amount of structure you use can be high, or you can be more ad hoc. People learn best when they are playing, and the six hat approach clearly encourages a spirit of play. By giving each person a role (and each person eventually playing all of the roles), the method reduces the amount of personality-based conflict, encourages more participation, and gives validation to many different ways to present the question at hand. This should make each person feel more affirmed and invested in the process. Also, since the route is focused on getting lots out on the table, it also suspends judgment longer so that more ideas can emerge. As such, it is closer to the Japanese method of making evaluations than the American one (as de Bono points out). Here is the color scheme. Blue is the process coordinator (like the conductor of an orchestra) and starts and leads off the meeting (plus helps keep it on process) -- except sometimes it is better to have red finish just after blue summarizes at the end. Red goes second, and represents emotions and feelings to present both positive and negative emotional reactions, as well as more subtle things like intuition. It seems to be more free form from there. Let's go to yellow next, which is speculative and positive -- the optimistic side of the case. This view is to open up the possibilities. Naturally, that has to be balanced by looking at the downside, which is black (cautious and careful). This hat is normally worn the most in evaluations, and can easily be overdone. The idea is not to be negative, but to search out the risks. White plays an important, but neutral, role -- pointing out the facts that are known or are likely to be true. Care in characterizing what is known is important. Green is the wild card -- finding alternatives. This color connects very well with de Bono's original claim to fame, as someone who has good ideas for stimulating individual creativity. By giving each person a role in being creative in a meeting, he extends that focus in a useful way De Bono makes two interesting comments about how all this leads to decisions: "In the end, all decisions are really red hat." But we should assume that it is a more informed set of emotions and feelings than would exist otherwise. "Decisions seem to make themselves." Knowing how painful decisions are in many circumstances, if that were the only benefit, that would be enough to make this book essential. My suggestion is that you give this process a trial run with something unimportant before unleashing it on a big issue. Otherwise, you might be stalled by lack of understanding about how the process works. Keep practicing until you are satisfied that it is working well. Good luck with overcoming your stalled thinking about making decisions and the issues that face you and your organization! Donald Mitchell Coauthor of The Irresistible Growth Enterprise (available in August 2000) and The 2,000 Percent Solution (donmitch@fastforward400.com)
Rating:
Summary: Elementary
Review: The Six Thinking Hat method may well be the most important change in human thinking for the past twenty-three hundred years - states Edward De Bono himself. I have lost count of the amount of times I have been involved in meetings for presentation groups at uni, and nothing gets decided. The meetings are often bogged down by personality clashes, and most of the time is strung out because we all just focus on irrelevant points that become the main topic of the conversation. The majority of human beings all have a one sided view on every possible topic, and find it very difficult to change, when we are asked to think about a view differing from their own. During meetings, some people argue their point of view, and never seem to stop. How do we go about solving these problems of wasting time in meetings? How do we go about focusing more on the points that really matter instead of concentrating on those unrelated, and inappropriate topics? How do we stop endless discussions, or at least reduce them? How can we improve communication and decision-making in groups? All these questions are extremely difficult to answer, but there seems to be an elucidation ESIX THINKING HATS EBy Edward De Bono. Greater thinkers think from multiple perspectives. He has proclaimed that this process reduces time spent in meetings by 20 to 90 percent, based on letters that he received after publishing the book. The core problem that De Bono addresses is the fact that our way of thinking is extremely muddled and cluttered. Groups are not well equipped to deal with a broad array of statistics and perspectives concurrently. De Bono endeavors to abolish these problems Ehere is how he does it.
According to De Bono, people learn best when they are playing. Therefore his approach (the six hat approach) deals with thinking, learning, deciding, and communicating - in a playful and good-natured type of manner. By assigning each person a role to play, the method reduces the amount of personality-based conflict, encourages much more contribution, and gives rationale to many diverse ways to present the issue at hand. This way, everyone is getting involved, and thinking about sides of the dice that they wouldn't have thought about originally. Also, since the means is focused on getting lots out onto the table, it also postpones judgment longer so that more ideas can immerge. Thus, as De Bono points out himself, it is much closer to the Japanese approach of making evaluations than the American one. The color scheme is quite straightforward - The person, who is wearing the blue hat, is considered to be the coordinator and organizer. The book relates this person to a conductor of an orchestra. The function of the blue hat is to make sure that the dialogue keeps on route. Cool and controlEthinking about thinkingE White plays an imperative and crucial role. It must be stressed that the white hat is exceptionally unbiased and contemplates on figures and information. The white hat should not offer any interpretations, analysis or opinions about the information given. While wearing the white thinking hat, the thinker should imitate the computer. The black hat points out what is erroneous, and explains why something won't succeed. So, as you can probably gather, the black hat is accountable for a pessimistic evaluation. This includes asking negative questions. Devil's advocate, negative judgment, why something won't workE The idea of the green hat is to be as creative as possible. Most ideas begin with the green hat - and which then get analyzed from the black and yellow hat. I would classify this one as the entrepreneurial hat - fertile, creative, plants springing from seeds, movement, provocation. Yellow resembles sunshine. Sunshine creates brightness. And brightness allows opportunity to exist. This is the significance of the yellow hat. The view of this hat is to open up all the possibilities and potential. Extremely speculative and affirmative Ethe yellow hat is unquestionably the optimistic and buoyant side of the coin. Yellow hat thinking covers Edreams, visions and hopesE The red hat's role is to embody feelings and emotions to present both optimistic and pessimistic emotional reactions. Intuition is a word that relates very much to the red hat. The red hat allows the thinker to say: this is how I think about the matter. Enjoy the book - its a fabulous read - 5 stars to say the least! I recommend it to anyone. This thought process can be used either on an individual level, or on a group level. It's a lot of fun - and yes! it does work! Give it a try! Regards,
Vaughan Allison University Student
Degree - Asia Pacific Management
University - Ritsumeikan APU
Rating:
Summary: A great book - with a good theory of thought that works!
Review: The Six Thinking Hat method may well be the most important change in human thinking for the past twenty-three hundred years - states Edward De Bono himself. I have lost count of the amount of times I have been involved in meetings for presentation groups at uni, and nothing gets decided. The meetings are often bogged down by personality clashes, and most of the time is strung out because we all just focus on irrelevant points that become the main topic of the conversation. The majority of human beings all have a one sided view on every possible topic, and find it very difficult to change, when we are asked to think about a view differing from their own. During meetings, some people argue their point of view, and never seem to stop. How do we go about solving these problems of wasting time in meetings? How do we go about focusing more on the points that really matter instead of concentrating on those unrelated, and inappropriate topics? How do we stop endless discussions, or at least reduce them? How can we improve communication and decision-making in groups? All these questions are extremely difficult to answer, but there seems to be an elucidation ESIX THINKING HATS EBy Edward De Bono.
Greater thinkers think from multiple perspectives. He has proclaimed that this process reduces time spent in meetings by 20 to 90 percent, based on letters that he received after publishing the book. The core problem that De Bono addresses is the fact that our way of thinking is extremely muddled and cluttered. Groups are not well equipped to deal with a broad array of statistics and perspectives concurrently. De Bono endeavors to abolish these problems Ehere is how he does it.
According to De Bono, people learn best when they are playing. Therefore his approach (the six hat approach) deals with thinking, learning, deciding, and communicating - in a playful and good-natured type of manner. By assigning each person a role to play, the method reduces the amount of personality-based conflict, encourages much more contribution, and gives rationale to many diverse ways to present the issue at hand. This way, everyone is getting involved, and thinking about sides of the dice that they wouldn't have thought about originally. Also, since the means is focused on getting lots out onto the table, it also postpones judgment longer so that more ideas can immerge. Thus, as De Bono points out himself, it is much closer to the Japanese approach of making evaluations than the American one. The color scheme is quite straightforward - The person, who is wearing the blue hat, is considered to be the coordinator and organizer. The book relates this person to a conductor of an orchestra. The function of the blue hat is to make sure that the dialogue keeps on route. Cool and controlEthinking about thinkingE White plays an imperative and crucial role. It must be stressed that the white hat is exceptionally unbiased and contemplates on figures and information. The white hat should not offer any interpretations, analysis or opinions about the information given. While wearing the white thinking hat, the thinker should imitate the computer. The black hat points out what is erroneous, and explains why something won't succeed. So, as you can probably gather, the black hat is accountable for a pessimistic evaluation. This includes asking negative questions. Devil's advocate, negative judgment, why something won't workE The idea of the green hat is to be as creative as possible. Most ideas begin with the green hat - and which then get analyzed from the black and yellow hat. I would classify this one as the entrepreneurial hat - fertile, creative, plants springing from seeds, movement, provocation. Yellow resembles sunshine. Sunshine creates brightness. And brightness allows opportunity to exist. This is the significance of the yellow hat. The view of this hat is to open up all the possibilities and potential. Extremely speculative and affirmative Ethe yellow hat is unquestionably the optimistic and buoyant side of the coin. Yellow hat thinking covers Edreams, visions and hopesE The red hat's role is to embody feelings and emotions to present both optimistic and pessimistic emotional reactions. Intuition is a word that relates very much to the red hat. The red hat allows the thinker to say: this is how I think about the matter. Enjoy the book - its a fabulous read - 5 stars to say the least! I recommend it to anyone. This thought process can be used either on an individual level, or on a group level. It's a lot of fun - and yes! it does work! Give it a try! Regards,
Vaughan Allison University Student
Degree - Asia Pacific Management
University - Ritsumeikan APU
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