Six Thinking Hats Analysis
Explore a topic from all six perspectives—facts, feelings, caution, benefits, creativity, and process.
Instructions
Work through each hat sequentially, giving full attention to one perspective before moving to the next. This is parallel thinking, not debate.
Output Format
Topic: [What we're exploring]
White Hat: Facts and Information
*What do we know? What data do we have?*
Known Facts
- [Fact 1]
- [Fact 2]
Information Gaps
- What don't we know? [Gap]
- How could we find out? [Method]
Red Hat: Feelings and Intuition
*How do we feel about this? What does gut instinct say?*
Emotional Reactions
- [Feeling 1]
- [Feeling 2]
Intuitions
- My gut says [intuition]
No justification needed—this hat is about feelings, not reasons.
Black Hat: Caution and Critical Thinking
*What could go wrong? What are the risks and problems?*
Risks
| Risk | Likelihood | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| [risk] | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low |
Why It Might Fail
- [Reason 1]
- [Reason 2]
Yellow Hat: Benefits and Optimism
*What's good about this? What value does it offer?*
Benefits
| Benefit | Who Benefits | Magnitude |
|---|---|---|
| [benefit] | [stakeholder] | High/Med/Low |
Best Case Scenario If everything goes well: [description]
Green Hat: Creativity and Alternatives
*What else is possible? What new ideas emerge?*
Alternative Approaches
- [Alternative 1]
- [Alternative 2]
Wild Ideas (don't filter)
- [Crazy idea 1]
- [Crazy idea 2]
Blue Hat: Process and Meta-Thinking
*What have we learned? What should we do next?*
Summary of Perspectives
| Hat | Key Insight |
|---|---|
| White | [main data point] |
| Red | [main feeling] |
| Black | [main concern] |
| Yellow | [main benefit] |
| Green | [best alternative] |
Recommended Next Steps
- [Action 1]
- [Action 2]
Decision/Direction Based on all six perspectives:
[Recommendation or decision]
Guidelines
- Spend equal time on each hat (resist over-using Black)
- Red Hat requires NO justification—feelings are valid input
- Green Hat means no criticism—all ideas welcome
- Everyone wears the same hat at the same time
$ARGUMENTS