The Six Thinking Hats is a structured technique that's often used for problem-solving, but it also works well for generating and exploring ideas. Each "hat" represents a different way of thinking.

In the meeting,, everyone "wears" the same figurative hat and shares the ideas that bubble up with that track of thinking. Then they switch hats in order to switch their perspectives, until they've put all six hats to work. It's an engaging approach that makes the creative process incredibly thorough.

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Videos:

What Is the Six Thinking Hats approach? (1:58 min.)

Using the Six Thinking Hats (7:20 min.)

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The hat is a metaphor that cues the group on what to think about. Participants "wear" one hat at a time, focusing their discussion accordingly.

Step by step:

1. Blue Hat (Managing Hat): Start with the Blue Hat to set the agenda, define the focus, and establish the ground rules for the brainstorming session. This hat is about managing the thinking process.

2. White Hat (Factual Hat): Move to the White Hat to gather and present factual information. Explore what is known and identify any gaps in knowledge. This sets the foundation for informed discussions.

3. Green Hat (Creative Hat): Transition to the Green Hat to stimulate creativity and generate new ideas. Encourage participants to think freely, brainstorm, and explore innovative solutions without judgment.

4. Red Hat (Emotional Hat): Switch to the Red Hat to express emotions, intuitions, and feelings. Allow participants to share their gut reactions and initial emotional responses to ideas without needing to provide logical justification.

5. Yellow Hat (Positive Hat): Move to the Yellow Hat to explore the positive aspects of the ideas generated. Focus on potential benefits, opportunities, and strengths. This phase helps build on the positive elements.

6. Black Hat (Critical Hat): Finally, put on the Black Hat to critically evaluate and identify potential drawbacks and risks in the proposed ideas.

Here are tips for using this tool in an online meeting: • Assign hats and use breakout rooms for discussions. • Be sure to set time limits for each hat’s perspective.