Articles/Reviews > More Articles > Different Hats
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Different Hats Sometimes we make decisions based on what others think or before really checking out the facts. Dr. Edward de Bono believes that we can be taught to think more clearly to make better decisions. The following has been adapted from the website www.edwdebono.com and used with permission. We need to learn to try to look outside the problem as if we were helping someone else make good decisions – based on facts not purely on emotion. How this works is that you pretend that you have six different coloured “thinking hats”. You could hold a different coloured pen, piece of paper of anything that gets you thinking from six different angles.
The White Hat – Asks for facts & information.
What information do we have? What information do we need? What do you know about the situation? What do you need to find out? Are these true facts or opinion? Where do we get the information?
The Yellow Hat – Looks at benefits & positive points
Works out the ‘how’ and ‘why’ something will work and the benefits that will occur as a result of some proposed action.
The Black Hat – Caution & judgement
Probably the most valuable of the hats as it is used to point out why a suggestion does not fit the facts. It sets off warning bells and often prevents mistakes being made. What may happen in the future? Does this fit past experience? Have I made these types of
 mistakes before? Can I trust my emotions? Am I asking the right people?Green Hat – Creativity & new ideas
The deliberate action of creation of new ideas. Think about using humour and thinking outside the box. What could be a fun way I could do this? Could I adapt something else I have. Are there other people who could help me?
Red Hat – Feelings & emotions
What is my gut reaction? What do I really feel about this?
Blue Hat – The thinking process
Have I put on each hat and looked at the situation from all angles? Is my thinking rational or irrational? What other questions could I ask? Am I asking the right questions?
If you get into the habit of looking at situations from all angles it is a great skill to use and to teach your children, as it applies in all areas of your life – not only money.
Silbo Systems, conduct money lessons for parents together with their children in small groups. For information contact us.
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