How To Use the Six Hats Thinking Tool in the Workplace
March 7, 2026 2026-03-07 11:28How To Use the Six Hats Thinking Tool in the Workplace
How To Use the Six Hats Thinking Tool in the Workplace
The six hats thinking tool is a decision-making strategy that can help individuals or teams to process their thoughts and fully consider all potential solutions. In this process, team members can “wear” different colored “hats” that each represent different modes of thought. This can be a useful tool for team managers, company executives or other individuals who regularly lead meetings. In this article, we explain the benefits of the six hats thinking tool and explain how to use this strategy in the workplace in seven steps.
What are the benefits of the six hats thinking tool?
The six hats thinking tool can be a useful way for teams to make important workplace decisions by ensuring the team members involved use a variety of perspectives. This may help them come to the most informed and effective solution possible. The six hats each represent one of these perspectives and may encourage individuals to think in a certain way:
Red (emotion): This hat encourages individuals to consider their instincts and emotions and use them in the decision-making process. This includes the consideration of hunches and gut feelings.
Yellow (benefit**):** The yellow hat represents the possible benefits of a decision. Using the yellow hat mentality may help individuals think about the positive outcomes their decision may have.
Green (ideas): The green hat represents new ideas. When wearing the green hat, team members may focus on proposing creative solutions.
Blue (planning): This hat encourages individuals to plan their discussion and their steps forward. This can be a useful mode of thought for organizing the other hats.
White (facts): This hat encourages individuals to consider the facts involved in the decision. Wearing this hat may help team members to value data and other objective facts in their decision.
Black (judgment): This hat encourages team members to carefully consider the pros and cons of each idea.
The six hats can also help to balance out the natural thought processes of a team. For example, after learning about the six hats tool, a team may realize they often make decisions based on feelings, or using the red hat. They can then work to balance that tactic with others, like the fact-based thought encouraged by the white hat. They may also choose to invite a new team member who is more inclined to use different thought strategies to join them.
How to use the six hats thinking tool
There are a number of ways to use the six hats thinking tool in the workplace to help make a decision. Here are a few steps you can use to guide your process:
1. Clarify the goal
Before beginning the six hats process, it may be useful to clarify the decision that you’re making. You can also clarify the goals and ideal outcomes associated with the decision. For example, if a team is working to make a hiring decision, they might begin by clarifying the duties of the open position and setting a timeline for next steps, such as running final-round interviews or offer letters. They might also ensure that they have all the applicant information that they need to make the decision.
2. Assemble the team
When creating the decision-making team, consider which types of hats relate most directly to the decision you’re trying to make. In some cases, it’s useful to focus on a particular thinking style, while in others it may be most rewarding to create a team of individuals who intuitively represent each of the different hats. To do this, you may assess which hats your current team members represent naturally by hosting a discussion about which styles of thinking resonate most with your team members. You can also create a personality quiz to help make these determinations.
After determining which hats your existing team represents, you may reach out to other individuals to join your team based on which modes of thought require further representation. To pick individuals, you might brainstorm with your team to create a list of coworkers who may fit those modalities, then ask a manager or the coworkers directly for their opinion.
