Blue Hat Process Control
Thinking about thinking itself
The Blue Hat represents meta-cognition: thinking about thinking itself. While the other five hats each represent a direction of thinking about the subject, the Blue Hat is concerned with controlling and organizing the thinking process. It determines which hat should be used at what time, defines the focus and purpose of the session, and ensures that discipline is maintained throughout.
The Blue Hat functions like a conductor leading an orchestra. The conductor does not play an instrument but ensures that each section comes in at the right time, at the right volume, and in the right sequence to produce the desired musical outcome. Similarly, the Blue Hat thinker or facilitator designs the sequence of hats, manages transitions between them, maintains discipline when participants stray from the current hat, and summarizes what has been achieved.
De Bono insists that the Blue Hat should always appear as bookends: opening and closing every thinking session. The opening Blue Hat defines the situation, sets the agenda, and lays out the hat sequence. The closing Blue Hat summarizes outcomes, states conclusions, and defines next steps. Between these bookends, the Blue Hat may also appear whenever the thinking process itself needs attention, such as when the group has lost focus or when the sequence needs adjustment.
- Meta-cognition is distinct from cognition: Thinking about the subject and thinking about the thinking process require different modes and should be explicitly separated
- Bookend structure: The Blue Hat always opens and closes a session, providing clear purpose at the start and clear outcomes at the end
- The facilitator as conductor: The Blue Hat role orchestrates when each type of thinking occurs, ensuring the full range of thinking is applied in an effective sequence
- Discipline enforcement: The Blue Hat maintains hat discipline, preventing participants from straying into other modes or reverting to argument
- Sequence design matters: Different situations call for different hat sequences, and choosing the right sequence is a skill that develops with practice
- Define purpose and situationState clearly why the group is here, what is being thought about, define the situation or problem, consider alternative definitions, and establish what the group wants to achieve and where it wants to end up.Pro tipConsider alternative definitions of the problem before settling on one. The way a situation is framed often determines the quality of solutions that emerge.
- Design the hat sequenceChoose a pre-set sequence of hats appropriate for the type of thinking needed. Different sequences suit exploration, problem solving, dispute settlement, and decision making. Lay out the sequence so all participants know the plan.Pro tipFor assessment situations, place Yellow before Black. For emotionally charged topics, consider opening with Red immediately after Blue to surface feelings before analytical work begins.WarningAvoid evolving sequences unless experienced. They invite argument about which hat comes next and can appear manipulative.
- Set timing for each hatAllocate approximately one minute per person present for each hat as an initial time limit. Red Hat typically needs only one minute total since feelings should be expressed briskly without explanation.Pro tipSet short times and extend if genuine ideas are still flowing. This forces concentration and reduces aimless conversation.
- Facilitate transitions and maintain disciplineAnnounce each hat change clearly. Ensure all participants shift to the new direction. When someone strays from the current hat, redirect them. Only the facilitator should indicate hat changes; participants cannot unilaterally switch hats.Pro tipFrame redirection as game rules rather than personal criticism. A person who continues with black hat concerns during yellow hat time is 'not playing the game' rather than being wrong.WarningNever allow a participant to say 'I want to put on my black hat here' during another hat's time. This returns the session to argument mode.
- Summarize and define next stepsClose with the Blue Hat by stating what has been achieved: the outcome, conclusions, design, solution, and what happens next. Optionally follow with a final Red Hat to gauge how the group feels about the thinking session itself.Pro tipAsk 'Are we happy with the outcome?' and 'Did we do a good job?' as a final Red Hat reflection. This builds the group's metacognitive awareness over time.
Before the first elections in South Africa, de Bono was asked to teach the Six Hats method to the heads of the Peace Accord Committees responsible for solving local problems. The committees dealt with highly emotional situations involving deep community tensions. The Blue Hat facilitators designed sequences that opened with Red Hat immediately after the initial Blue Hat.
When Ron Barbara was head of Prudential Insurance, he used Blue Hat facilitation to manage interactions with his executives. He would suggest an idea, and his team would immediately point out risks, legal concerns, and agent objections. Instead of arguing, Barbara would acknowledge their caution and redirect.
The Blue Hat emerged from de Bono's recognition that thinking about a subject and thinking about the thinking process are fundamentally different activities that require separation. Blue was chosen because it represents the sky, which is above everything else, symbolizing the overarching control and overview function. De Bono observed that without explicit process control, group discussions tend to become rambling, ego-driven, and unproductive. The Blue Hat provides the framework that turns a discussion into a structured thinking session, and its bookend structure ensures every session has a clear beginning purpose and ending outcome.