When the book that launched the Six Hats framework (parallel thinking) was published in 1985 there was a review in the Intenational Business Digest dismissing it as a silly gimmick. There was another trying-hard-to-be-funny review in the Independent Newspaper along the same lines. As most readers of this message will know the Six Hats framework is now very widespread around the world with major corporations and schoolchildren down to four years in age. The framework provides for much more constructive thinking than the usual argument mode.
At the recent meeting in Malta, Jens Aarup (Statoil) told how the use of the Hats had solved, in twelve minutes, a major problem and saved $10 million. A well known European company had reduced their strategy discussion time from 20 days to 2 days using the method. A top IBM laboratory had reduced meeting times to one quarter. Siemens had reduced to half their product development time. In the U.S.A. there are discussions with the judiciary about having juries trained in the method to avoid ego problems.
So what was dismissed by two rather silly and self-indulgent egos has turned out to be very useful and practical.
Two days ago someone said to me: "I read a review of your latest book in the Sunday Telegraph. What was your book about?"
That comment completely sums up the ridiculous nature of some book reviews. It is a damning indictment of the literary editor of the Sunday Telegraph and indeed on the editor-in-chief. If a person reading a review of the book does not even know what the book is about at the end, then there is something very wrong with that review.
What is wrong is that the review in not about the book at all. It is what some little ego thinks of me - not the subject of the book at all. That is patronising and insulting to the readers of the paper. They might, after all, be more interested in the contents of the book rather than the reviewer's opinion of me. That opinion reeks of personal envy. I did write a letter to the editor pointing out the inadequacies of the review. Naturally, this was not published. The Internet, today, provides a way of expressing my opinion. There are a few thousand visitors a day to this site. They will know my opinion.
In my opinion the Sunday Telegraph is a very patronising paper which treats its readers as serfs who want to be told what to think, what to feel and what to do. There is no apparent realisation that the readers may actually be quite intelligent.
The book is question is 'SIMPLICITY'. I believe this to be a very important subject - whatever one reviewer may think. As the world grows ever more complex with opportunities, threats, technology etc. there is a need for simplicity. This means simplicity in operations, in regulations, in procedures, in life etc. I believe that drawing people's attention to the importance of simplicity is something that needs doing. What a pity that intelligent people may be denied this access through the selfish indulgence of one ill-informed person.
If you cannot get the book through your bookshop you can order it from www.bookshop.co.uk (search on 'Bono'). This service is very impressive. A colleague ordered a book about a week ago from Malta and received it in four days!
Edward de Bono
in the U.K.
16th August 1998
(Edward de Bono's books can be ordered from http://www.bookshop.co.uk - just search on 'Bono')
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