six-thinking-hats

What this skill does

# Six Thinking Hats

> Apply Edward de Bono's parallel thinking framework (1985) to make better decisions by examining ideas from six distinct perspectives systematically.

## When to Use This Skill

- **Making complex decisions** that require multiple perspectives
- **Evaluating new products, offers, or strategies** before launch
- **Breaking out of analysis paralysis** with structured thinking
- **Running productive meetings** where everyone thinks in the same direction
- **Balancing optimism with caution** in strategic planning
- **Generating creative alternatives** when stuck on a problem

## Methodology Foundation

| Aspect | Details |
|--------|---------|
| **Source** | Six Thinking Hats (1985) |
| **Expert** | Edward de Bono - Coined "lateral thinking", advisor to IBM, Shell, NASA |
| **Core Principle** | "Parallel thinking" - Instead of adversarial debate, everyone thinks in the same direction at the same time, switching perspectives together |


## What Claude Does vs What You Decide

| Claude Does | You Decide |
|-------------|------------|
| Structures content frameworks | Final messaging |
| Suggests persuasion techniques | Brand voice |
| Creates draft variations | Version selection |
| Identifies optimization opportunities | Publication timing |
| Analyzes competitor approaches | Strategic direction |

## What This Skill Does

This skill replaces chaotic brainstorming and unproductive debates with **structured parallel thinking**.

Instead of people defending positions and attacking others, everyone:
1. Examines **facts** together (White)
2. Shares **feelings** together (Red)
3. Explores **risks** together (Black)
4. Discovers **benefits** together (Yellow)
5. Generates **alternatives** together (Green)
6. Manages the **process** together (Blue)

The result: Faster decisions, better buy-in, more creative solutions, and reduced conflict.

## How to Use

### Analyze a Decision or Strategy
```
Apply the Six Thinking Hats to analyze:
[describe decision, product, strategy, or problem]

Go through each hat systematically and provide insights.
```

### Run a Structured Evaluation
```
I need to decide whether to [decision].
Walk me through Six Thinking Hats analysis with specific questions for each hat.
```

### Generate Creative Alternatives
```
Use Six Thinking Hats (focusing on Green Hat) to generate alternatives for:
[current approach or problem]
First establish context with White and Red, then expand with Green.
```

## Instructions

### The Six Hats Overview

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    THE SIX THINKING HATS                        │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                 │
│  🎩 BLUE HAT    - Process & Control                             │
│     "What hat should we use now?"                               │
│                                                                 │
│  ⬜ WHITE HAT   - Facts & Information                           │
│     "What do we know? What don't we know?"                      │
│                                                                 │
│  ❤️ RED HAT     - Emotions & Intuition                          │
│     "What does my gut say? How do I feel?"                      │
│                                                                 │
│  ⚫ BLACK HAT   - Caution & Risks                               │
│     "What could go wrong? What are the dangers?"                │
│                                                                 │
│  💛 YELLOW HAT  - Benefits & Value                              │
│     "What are the benefits? Why will this work?"                │
│                                                                 │
│  💚 GREEN HAT   - Creativity & Alternatives                     │
│     "What else could we do? What's a new approach?"             │
│                                                                 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

---

### Hat 1: BLUE HAT (Process Control)

```
## 🎩 BLUE HAT - The Conductor

**Focus:** Managing the thinking process itself

**Role:** The Blue Hat is the "meta" hat - it controls which hat is used
when, keeps the group focused, and summarizes conclusions.

**When to Use:**
- At the START: Define the problem and set the agenda
- DURING: Switch hats, refocus discussion
- At the END: Summarize findings and next steps

**Blue Hat Questions:**
- What is the problem we're trying to solve?
- What outcome do we want from this thinking session?
- Which hat should we use next?
- Have we spent enough time on this perspective?
- What have we concluded so far?
- What are the next steps?

**Blue Hat Outputs:**
- Clear problem definition
- Thinking agenda (hat sequence)
- Time allocation per hat
- Summary of insights
- Action items and decisions

**Tip:** Start and end every session with Blue Hat.
```

---

### Hat 2: WHITE HAT (Facts & Information)

```
## ⬜ WHITE HAT - The Scientist

**Focus:** Objective facts, data, and information

**Role:** Neutral, factual thinking. No interpretations, no opinions.
Just "what do we know?" and "what do we need to find out?"

**When to Use:**
- Early in the process to establish baseline
- When debate gets heated (return to facts)
- Before making final decisions

**White Hat Questions:**
- What data do we have?
- What are the facts?
- What information is missing?
- How reliable is this information?
- What do the numbers say?
- What has happened in similar situations?

**White Hat Outputs:**
- List of known facts
- Data points and metrics
- Gaps in information
- Sources and reliability assessment
- Historical precedents

**Rules:**
- NO opinions ("I think..." = Red Hat)
- NO judgments ("That's bad..." = Black Hat)
- Just facts: "Sales were 10,000 units" ✓
- Flag uncertainty: "We believe X, but haven't verified"

**Example:**
❌ "The market is too competitive" (opinion)
✅ "There are 47 competitors. Top 3 have 60% market share." (fact)
```

---

### Hat 3: RED HAT (Emotions & Intuition)

```
## ❤️ RED HAT - The Heart

**Focus:** Feelings, intuition, gut reactions

**Role:** Express emotions WITHOUT justification. No need to explain
why you feel something - just state the feeling.

**When to Use:**
- After establishing facts (gauge emotional response)
- When something "feels off" but can't be articulated
- To surface hidden concerns or excitement
- Before final decisions (gut check)

**Red Hat Questions:**
- How do you feel about this?
- What's your gut reaction?
- What excites you about this?
- What worries you (emotionally)?
- If you had to decide right now, what would you choose?
- What's your intuition saying?

**Red Hat Outputs:**
- Emotional reactions (positive and negative)
- Intuitive hunches
- Excitement levels
- Concern levels
- Gut-based preferences

**Rules:**
- NO justification required
- "I don't like it" is valid (no need for why)
- Feelings are data points, not arguments
- Everyone's feelings are legitimate
- Brief expressions (not long explanations)

**Example:**
✅ "I feel excited about this"
✅ "Something feels off, I'm not sure what"
✅ "My gut says we should wait"
❌ "I feel this won't work because the market is saturated" (that's Black Hat)
```

---

### Hat 4: BLACK HAT (Caution & Risks)

```
## ⚫ BLACK HAT - The Judge

**Focus:** Caution, risks, problems, what could go wrong

**Role:** Critical thinking - identify weaknesses, dangers, and flaws.
This is NOT negativity for its own sake, but protective thinking.

**When to Use:**
- After Yellow Hat (balance optimism with caution)
- Before committing resources
- To stress-test ideas
- To identify what needs mitigation

**Black Hat Questions:**
- What could go wrong?
- What are the risks?
- What are the weaknesses?
- Why might this fail?
- What obstacles will we face?
- What are the costs and downsides?
- Does this fit with our resources/capabilities?
-