Management & Thinking
ProSix Thinking Hats
六頂思考帽 · Source: Edward de Bono
Forcing yourself to evaluate a decision from six distinct angles — escaping single-perspective thinking
Core Concept
Six hats represent six thinking modes: White (facts), Red (emotions), Black (critical), Yellow (optimistic), Green (creative), Blue (process). Wearing each hat in turn systematically covers all angles, preventing any one mode from dominating the analysis.
✓ When to use this
When team discussion is stuck in emotional opposition, or when a group thinks too alike. Cycling through colored hats (facts, feelings, critical, optimistic, creative, process) forces perspective shifts past single-angle blind spots.
✗ When not to use this
Overkill for solo fast decisions — six perspective shifts is too heavy. Skip in emergencies where you would miss the action window. 1-on-1 deep talks suit direct exploration over structured rounds.
Questions you will be asked
Using this framework, you will work through —
- 1.White Hat (Facts): What objective facts do you know? What information are you missing?
- 2.Red Hat (Emotions): What is your gut feeling and emotional response to this decision?
- 3.Black Hat (Critical): What are the biggest risks, weaknesses, and potential problems?
- …and 3 more
Worked example
Expand to see what a filled-in run looks like
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Worked example
Expand to see what a filled-in run looks like
Situation
5 人經營團隊在會議中為「要不要接一個跨國大單」吵了 90 分鐘。技術派 vs 業務派各執一詞，氣氛緊繃。決定改用六頂帽子重跑討論。
1. White Hat (Facts): What objective facts do you know? What information are you missing?
是否要接這個跨國大單。
2. Red Hat (Emotions): What is your gut feeling and emotional response to this decision?
白帽（事實）：訂單金額 1200 萬、6 個月交期、客戶要求 SLA 99.9%、我們現有人手做完要 8–9 個月。
3. Black Hat (Critical): What are the biggest risks, weaknesses, and potential problems?
紅帽（情感）：業務興奮（這是我帶的單）、技術擔憂（會 burnout）、CFO 焦慮（壓不下別的單）。
4. Yellow Hat (Optimistic): If everything goes well, what's the best outcome? Where is the value?
黃帽（樂觀）：成功能讓我們進國際 Tier-2 客戶層、團隊技能提升、未來再簽 5 倍規模可能。
5. Green Hat (Creative): Are there alternatives or approaches you haven't considered yet?
黑帽（批判）：8–9 個月交期會延誤；SLA 達不到要罰違約金；其他客戶會被排擠流失；團隊離職風險升高。
6. Blue Hat (Integration): Having worn all five hats, what is your final decision?
綠帽（創意）：跟競品聯合接、外包部分模組、降低交付範圍但保留主架構、提案分階段交付。最後選「分階段交付 + 核心外包」。
Use it inside ChatGPT / Claude
Paste the prompt below and the AI will walk you through this framework, one question at a time.
你現在是引導團隊跑 Six Thinking Hats 的教練（Edward de Bono）。 讓使用者輪流戴六頂帽子，每頂只允許那種視角發言： 1) 你的決策議題是什麼？ 2) 白帽（事實/數據）：純客觀資訊有哪些？ 3) 紅帽（情感/直覺）：每個利害關係人的情緒反應是什麼？ 4) 黃帽（樂觀/收益）：最好的可能結果是什麼？ 5) 黑帽（批判/風險）：最壞的可能、風險、漏洞？ 6) 綠帽（創意/替代）：除了「做或不做」，有沒有第三選項？ 最後戴藍帽（流程）：綜合六種視角，你的結論是什麼？ 特別提醒：每頂帽子的時間嚴格分開——黑帽時不允許樂觀發言，黃帽時不允許批判。 互動規則： 1. 一次只問一題，等使用者回答後再進入下一題。 2. 使用者答完所有題目前，不要做總結或下結論。 3. 若答案太抽象、太籠統，請追問一次具體例子或數字後再繼續。 4. 全部答完後，輸出三段：(a) 摘要使用者的關鍵判斷；(b) 你看到的盲點或張力；(c) 一個具體下一步行動建議。 5. 不要替使用者做決定，只把判斷攤開讓他自己決定。
Related Frameworks
Psychology & Behavior
Cognitive Bias Checklist
Pre-flight check before any important decision — scan for five high-frequency biases before you commit
Psychology & Behavior
Inside View vs Outside View
Planning and forecasting — especially when you're overly optimistic about your own project, goals, or capabilities
FAQ
How is Six Thinking Hats different from a cognitive bias checklist?
Six Hats is about actively covering six perspectives (facts, emotion, critique, optimism, creativity, process) so you don't view things through a single mode; a bias checklist is about scanning for specific biases so you aren't hijacked by unconscious traps. One seeks breadth and completeness, the other guards against error.
Can one person use Six Hats, or is it only for teams?
Both work. Solo, it forces you to wear each hat in turn so one mode (usually the black critical hat or red emotional hat) doesn't dominate the whole analysis; in a team, everyone wears the same hat at the same time, turning "opposing positions" into "shifting angle together" and keeping meetings from becoming personal standoffs.
Does the order of the hats matter?
Yes. A common flow: blue (set process and goal) → white (lay out facts) → green (generate ideas) → yellow (find benefits) → black (probe risks) → red (capture gut feeling) → blue (converge on a decision). The principle is diverge before converging, with black and red later so early criticism or emotion doesn't kill ideas before they form.
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