Six Thinking Hats in Action

From the Steering Committee to the Coaching Room – how one simple framework unlocks better decisions

The boardroom is tense. A steering committee is split over a strategic decision: delay the program or push forward despite the risks. Data is flying across the table, emotions are rising, and the loudest voices are starting to dominate.

At that moment, the facilitator stands up, draws six colored circles on the flipchart, and says:

“For the next 30 minutes, we stop arguing. We think together.”

This is where Six Thinking Hats enters the room.

Based on the original work of Edward de Bono, the Six Thinking Hats method offers a structured, playful, and surprisingly powerful way to guide thinking in business, projects, change initiatives, and coaching conversations. And yet - despite its simplicity - it is still rarely used systematically in organizations.

Let’s change that!

Why Six Thinking Hats still feels “underused” in business?

Before diving into practice, let’s name the elephant in the room.

Why isn’t this method more common in organizations?

Typical reasons I hear from leaders and project managers:

• “It feels too simple for complex business problems.”

• “We don’t have time for structured thinking.”

• “It looks like a workshop game, not serious management.”

• “Senior leaders prefer debate and critical thinking.”

The paradox?

Most organizations already waste far more time in unstructured debate, politics, and rework than a short, focused Six Hats session would ever cost them.

Six Thinking Hats is not about being “nice” or “creative.”It is about discipline in thinking.

The six hats – quick reminder (with business intent)

Hat	Focus	Business value
Blue	Process, agenda, decision framing	Clarity, ownership, structure
White	Facts, data, assumptions	Objectivity, shared reality
Red	Emotions, intuition, gut feelings	Psychological safety, early signals
Yellow	Benefits, value, opportunities	Motivation, business case
Black	Risks, constraints, downsides	Risk management, realism
Green	Ideas, alternatives, innovation	Options, creativity, breakthroughs

The power is not in the hats themselves - but in the sequence and discipline.

Example 1: Project & Program Management

“Should we re-plan the program or push through?”

Context: A large transformation program is already 3 months behind schedule. Pressure from top management is high. The program board is polarized.

How the Six Hats session runs:

The Hats	What is it about?	What value it brings
1️⃣ Blue Hat – framing the decision	Question: “What exactly must we decide today?” Outcome: Clear decision scope: Go / Pause / Re-scope	Value: Stops endless discussion and sets boundaries.
2️⃣ White Hat – facts only	Current milestones, budget burn, team capacity, dependencies Known vs. missing data explicitly listed	Value: Shared, neutral baseline (no opinions yet).
3️⃣ Red Hat – gut reactions (2 minutes per person)	“I feel we’re forcing the team too much.” “My intuition says the market window is closing.”	Value: Emotional undercurrents surface early instead of sabotaging later decisions.
4️⃣ Yellow Hat – why continuing might work	Preserves market momentum Keeps key stakeholders engaged Avoids contract renegotiations	Value: Balanced optimism, not naive hope.
5️⃣ Black Hat – risks and constraints	Burnout risk Quality erosion Reputational impact if delivery fails	Value: Real risk map without personal blame.
6️⃣ Green Hat – new options	Partial release + scope freeze Temporary capacity boost for 6 weeks Re-sequencing milestones	Value: Options emerge beyond binary thinking.
7️⃣ Blue Hat – decision & next steps	Decision: Re-scope + phased release Owner, timeline, success criteria defined	Value: Clear outcome and accountability.

✅ Output: A documented decision, aligned leadership, and a feasible delivery strategy.

Example 2: Organizational Change & Transformation

“Why are people resisting the change?”

Context: A company launches a new operating model. Engagement is low, resistance is high.

How Six Hats reframes resistance?

Blue Hat:

• Objective: Understand resistance before fixing it.

White Hat:

• What exactly changed? Roles, KPIs, reporting lines

• What communication actually happened?

Red Hat:

• Fear of losing competence

• Frustration with pace

• Lack of trust in leadership intentions

Yellow Hat:

• Clearer accountability

• Faster decisions

• Skill growth opportunities

Black Hat:

• Poor role clarity

• Overloaded middle management

• Misaligned incentives

Green Hat:

• Pilot teams instead of big bang

• Change ambassadors

• Reverse mentoring

Blue Hat (close):

• Change approach redesigned with people, not for people.

✅ Output: Higher engagement, lower resistance, and a change story that makes sense emotionally and rationally.

Example 3: Team Coaching

“We keep talking, but nothing changes”

Context:A leadership team complains about ineffective meetings and hidden conflicts.

Six Hats as a team coaching tool

• Blue Hat: Sets meeting rules and thinking discipline

• White Hat: Stops assumptions and hears facts

• Red Hat: Creates psychological safety

• Black Hat: Makes risks discussable

• Yellow Hat: Rebuilds shared purpose

• Green Hat: Enables joint problem-solving

The coach acts as Blue Hat guardian, intervening when someone slips into debate instead of parallel thinking.

✅ Output:Better meetings, clearer decisions, and less personal tension.

Example 4: Individual Coaching

“I’m stuck between two career options”

Coach’s move: Instead of asking random questions, the coach guides the client through all six hats.

• White: Facts about each option

• Red: What feels right (and why)

• Black: What could realistically go wrong

• Yellow: What success would enable

• Green: Hybrid or third options

• Blue: Decision criteria and next steps

✅ Output: Client leaves with clarity, ownership, and a decision that feels both smart and right.

Why this method works so well for coaches

For coaches, Six Thinking Hats is a meta-skill:

• It structures thinking without giving advice

• It increases awareness without confrontation

• It works with individuals, teams, and systems

And importantly:

It separates people from opinions.

That alone makes it priceless in coaching and leadership work.

Why it’s still underused – and what we can do about it?

The real reason it’s underused? It challenges two deeply rooted habits:

1. Confusing thinking with arguing

2. Valuing cleverness over clarity

What we can do:

• Use it visibly in steering committees

• Teach leaders to wear all hats, not just Black or White

• Normalize emotions (Red Hat) as valid business data

• Train facilitators and coaches to guard the Blue Hat role

Final thought: serious thinking can still be fun

Six Thinking Hats brings playfulness without losing rigor. Colors, roles, and structure make thinking lighter - and results stronger.

Next time you are:

• In a steering committee

• Leading a project review

• Supporting a change initiative

• Coaching a stuck client

Try this sentence:

“Let’s stop debating. Let’s think together.”

And then… put on the hats. 🎩

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