| name | debono-thinking-hats |
| description | Install De Bono's Six Thinking Hats as a persona-switching system for structured parallel thinking. Includes 6 hat personas, a routing contract, pre-built thinking sequences, and a prompt-based installer. No dependencies required.
|
| compatibility | Created for Zo Computer |
| metadata | {"author":"va.zo.computer","framework":"De Bono Six Thinking Hats (1985)","version":"1.0"} |
What This Skill Does
Installs Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats as six switchable Zo personas plus a routing rule. Each hat represents a distinct thinking mode — not a domain specialist — so you can apply structured parallel thinking to any topic: business decisions, creative projects, process improvements, or personal dilemmas.
Once installed, start a session by switching to the Blue Hat (Facilitator). It guides you through a hat sequence appropriate for your goal, switching between personas as you move through the session.
Installation
Run the installer prompt:
@Skills/debono-thinking-hats/assets/INSTALL.prompt.md
The installer will:
- Create 6 hat personas (Blue, White, Red, Yellow, Black, Green)
- Wire cross-references so each hat can hand off to any other
- Print a summary with all persona IDs
- Optionally rename "Black Hat" → "Grey Hat" for cultural sensitivity
After installation, verify with:
python3 Skills/debono-thinking-hats/assets/validate_install.py
Usage
- Start a session — Switch to the Blue Hat persona. It will ask what you want to think about and select a hat sequence.
- Follow the sequence — The Blue Hat announces each hat transition. When it says "Put on the Yellow Hat," switch to that persona.
- Think in mode — Each hat constrains your thinking to one mode. Stay in that mode until the Blue Hat calls a transition.
- Close the session — The Blue Hat synthesizes findings, decisions, and open items.
You can also use individual hats ad-hoc without a full session (e.g., "I just want a quick Red Hat gut check on this").
Available Hats
| Emoji | Color | Role | Thinking Mode |
|---|
| 🔵 | Blue | Facilitator | Process control — sets agenda, picks sequence, tracks progress |
| ⚪ | White | Information Analyst | Pure facts and data — what is known, unknown, needed |
| 🔴 | Red | Intuition Voice | Emotions and gut feelings — no justification required |
| 🟡 | Yellow | Optimist | Logical positive assessment — why it might work |
| ⚫ | Black | Critical Judge | Logical caution — risks, dangers, what could go wrong |
| 🟢 | Green | Creative Provocateur | New ideas, alternatives, lateral thinking |
Common Sequences
Eight pre-built sequences are available for common thinking scenarios. See assets/sequences.md for the full reference with step-by-step timing and facilitator instructions.
| # | Sequence | Best For |
|---|
| 1 | Initial Exploration | New topics, first look at an idea |
| 2 | Quick Assessment | Fast go/no-go evaluation |
| 3 | Cautious Evaluation | High-risk or irreversible decisions |
| 4 | Creative Ideation | Brainstorming, generating alternatives |
| 5 | Strategic Planning | Long-term goals and roadmaps |
| 6 | Process Improvement | Retrospectives, workflow optimization |
| 7 | Problem Solving | Complex problems needing full exploration |
| 8 | Performance Review | Evaluating past performance |
Uninstallation
To remove the Six Thinking Hats:
- Delete each of the 6 hat personas from Settings > AI > Personas
- Delete the routing rule labeled "Six Thinking Hats" from Settings > AI > Rules (if one was created)
The skill folder itself (Skills/debono-thinking-hats/) can be deleted or kept for reference.
