EDWARD DE BONO'S MESSAGE
16th February 1998

"Thinking Clubs 5"

I shall continue to comment on the setting up of specific Thinking Clubs within which people can enjoy thinking as a hobby.

Thinking Clubs (5)

An explorer is sent ot a newly discovered island. On his return he describes a smoking volcano and a strange long legged bird that could not fly. What else? The explorer has only commented on 'what caught his attention'.

So the explorer is asked to go back and to go to the highest point on the island then: "look North, look East, look South and look West. Note down what you see in each direction. "The compass points are a simple way of 'directing attention'. The explorer may also be given another frame for directing attention: "not the birds, the reptiles, the flora etc."

You cannot see something unless you are looking in that direction. Most of the mistakes in thinking are mistakes of perception - because we are not looking in the right directions.

So the first of the CoRT Thinking Lessons (now widely used in schools around the world) is P.M.I. Students first direct their attention to the 'Plus' or positive aspects of the matter. Then the 'Minus' or negative aspects. Finally the 'Interesting' aspects (what is interesting about this?). The PMI is sometimes called the PNI (Positive, Negative, Interesting).

A class of 30 youngsters (twelve years old) in Australia were asked what they thought of the idea of each student being paid $10 a week just to go to school. All 30 out of 30 thought it was a great idea (we could buy sweets, comics etc.). The PMI frame was then explained to them and in groups of four they scanned systematically. At the end of this simple scan, 29 out of the 30 had completely changed their mind and decided it was a bad idea. The teacher had not argued the point with them but had just given them a scanning tool which they then used on their own. As a result of this fuller scan they reached a totally different conclusion. What could be simpler?

A class of seven year olds were asked to consider the idea of people having wheels instead of feet. All 22 of them loved the idea. They did a PMI. As a result 18 out of the 22 had now changed their minds.

The power of a very simple perceptual scan has to be seem to be appreciated.

So the PMI is suggested as the first thinking tool to be used in the thinking clubs.

The tool must be used systematically. First the Plus points then the Minus points and finally the Interesting points. The thinking can be done individually or in small groups. The feedback is to the group as a whole. Three minutes could be allowed in each direction but this can be extended if valid ideas are still being offered.

Suggested subjects:

1. What do you think of the idea that everyone should have a simple means (such as a badge) of indicating their mood of the moment?

2. Those who vote for losing parties in an election should pay ten percent less tax than those who voted for the winning party.

3. All students should rank their teachers in order of preference. The top three teachers in a school getting most first preferences would get extra salary.

4. It should become customary for women rather than men to propose marriage.

5. Thinking Clubs should invite in outsiders to take part.

Edward de Bono
15th February 1998

Thinking Clubs 1
Thinking Clubs 2
Thinking Clubs 3
Thinking Clubs 4