If you have a very powerful and accurate gun, and if you are an excellent marksman, what more is needed? You need to know what to aim at.
If an organisation is not competent then creativity is needed to make it competent: to solve problems and to design a way forward. This is not instead of, but in addition to analysis and information gathering.
If an organisation is competent then should that organisation be self-satisfied and complacent? The temptation is there. In most cases the organisation, if well led, will want to keep on its toes and will want to avoid any slippages. At this point a dilemma can arise - although it is never seen as that.
Any competent organisation is probably under-using its assets. The competence is the 'powerful gun'. It can be pointed at anything - but you have to know what to aim at and when you need to want to go hunting.
Assets can be people, brand, distribution systems, production capabilities, skilled operators, technical know-how etc. With powerful capabilities what can be done?
You can look at what is there. You can anlayse what is there. But you have to design and create what is not yet there.
A periodic generation of new possibilities is as important as a periodic review of existing possibilities. "Me too" is a source of possibilities, but so too is the human brain if it is trained to be creative.
Edward de Bono nmt
16th June 2001
Sydney
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