MESSAGE FOR WEEK BEGINNING 11th December 2000

..real thinking.....

What is real thinking? A TV executive tells how using just one of the 'lateral thinking tools' one afternoon made £3 million. Statoil in Norway using the 'parallel thinking' of Six Hats saved $10 million. MDS in Canada reckoned that using this method saved them $20 million in a year. In South Afrrica in the Karee mine there used to be 210 fights every month between the seven tribes working there. After the illiterate miners were taught 'thinking' the number of fights dropped to just 4

Real thinking is by real people in real situations making a real difference with their thinking. In the UK six hours of thinking taught to unemployed youngsters in the government New Deal programme (some cynics may say that it would have happened anyway - Ed) increased the employment rate 500 per cent.

All this is very different to 'academic thinking' which is concerned with ever more analysis and reflections and even debate. This has its place but usually does not make much difference in the real world.

Many countries have come to realise the importance of teaching 'real thinking' to youngsters. The UK is not yet there. Education wastes about two thirds of the talent of society. This is the two thirds that are not good at the academic game but are excellent thinkers - if given the chance and the tools.

Edward de Bono nmt
10th December 2000
London

The de Bono Code website