Choose one question
Name the decision or problem the group needs to think about.
TEAM TOOL · 25 MINUTES
Build the idea before you judge it
A practical way to separate idea generation from criticism, so the first “Yes, but…” does not kill the conversation.
BEFORE YOU START
What does “Six Thinking Hats” mean?
Edward de Bono developed it as a parallel-thinking method. Instead of one person defending an idea while another attacks it, the whole team uses the same type of thinking at the same time, then switches together.
A hat is not your personality, and it does not label you as negative or creative. It is a temporary role that helps you answer one specific kind of question.Use the same hat together
With the white hat, everyone gathers facts. Nobody jumps to risks or solutions.
Switch hats together
When time is up, the whole group moves to the next thinking mode.
1BUILD
Yes, and…
Every reply adds to the idea. Seven minutes with no criticism.
2CHECK
What could fail?
Once the idea has grown, name the risks and how to reduce them.
3DECIDE
What is the smallest test?
Choose an owner, a date and one thing you will measure.
What is inside?
Each hat changes the question you are answering
A two-page Arabic and English tool with each hat’s job, a timed meeting sequence, and clear fields for the decision, test, owner and measure.
WHITEFacts
Collect what you know and what is missing, without opinions or solutions.
What do we know, assume and still need to learn?REDInstinct
Let everyone state a feeling without defending or debating it.
What is your immediate reaction to the idea?YELLOWValue
Find benefits and reasons it could work, even if you dislike the idea.
Why could it work, and who benefits?BLACKRisks
Test constraints and possible problems after the idea has had room to grow.
What could fail, and how could we reduce the risk?GREENAlternatives
Generate options and build on other people’s ideas. No criticism yet.
Yes, and what else could we do?BLUEProcess
Set the question, order the hats and choose the next step at the end.
What is the decision, owner and test date?TRY IT NOW
A dummy meeting for a new service
Walk through the example one hat at a time. The timer uses the suggested real duration, and you can move on whenever you are ready.
Meeting topicShould we launch a weekly lunch subscription for small teams in Kuwait?
Step 1 of 7BLUE · Frame the question
Suggested time: 2 minutes02:00Time is up — move to the next hat.
Question for this step
What is the one decision we need today?
Team response — example
We need to decide whether to run a small office-lunch pilot, not whether to build the full business.
This is an illustrative example, not market research or a recommendation to launch the service.