DE BONO
TRAINING
FAQs
Why use the de Bono Thinking Tools?
It’s past time to move beyond the limits of yes/no thinking. Our current logic system is more than 2,000 years old. And while it is a good way of coming to right/wrong answers, it is become increasingly obvious that it is inadequate as a way of producing new ideas. The de Bono thinking tools offer a different way, and are used around the world on a daily basis to help thousands of corporate, government, nonprofit and faith-based teams, including in politically sensitive settings. They work by separating our thinking process into six distinct disciplines, and require us to consider each independently and rigorously.
Working in parallel instead of in the traditional adversarial dynamic, we identify what we know and need to know, our feelings, our new ideas, and where we should be cautious – all in the development of an organized, next-step approach. They ask us to build on and strengthen the best ideas, not necessarily those offered by the most powerful participants or the easiest ones to achieve.
How can the de Bono Thinking Tools help you?
The de Bono Thinking Tools change the way you process information and make decisions, bringing you and your team discipline, clarity, efficiency, heightened creativity, and enhanced collaboration. Teams that take the time to learn them use them all the time – in routine decision making, in creative idea generation, in strategic planning, in meetings, and beyond.
Wilson500 is available to train your organization online using digital materials. It can be helpful to do an introductory session first. Wilson500 offers free, public, two-hour, online introductory sessions regularly.
What are the de Bono Thinking Tools?
The “de Bono” thinking tools were designed by Dr. Edward de Bono, a research neurologist who understood that the human brain works as a self organizing system, one that requires discipline to be creative. The tools are used around the world on a daily basis to help thousands of corporate, government, nonprofit and faith-based teams, including in politically sensitive settings.
How Six Thinking Hats™ Work
Separating the thinking process into six distinct disciplines, the Six Thinking Hat™ tools require us to consider each independently and rigorously. Working in parallel instead of in the traditional adversarial dynamic, we identify what we know and need to know, our feelings, our new ideas, and where we should be cautious – all in the development of an organized, next-step approach. They ask us to build on and strengthen the best ideas, not necessarily those offered by the most powerful participants or the easiest ones to achieve.
How has de Bono Thinking Tools been used?
Shortly after apartheid was abolished in South Africa, the African National Congress invited de Bono to help them plan the 1994 election, which would for the first time allow all South Africans, black and white, to vote for their national government. The de Bono tools provided for recognition of the deep emotions at play and allowed the ANC leaders to craft a plan based on peace, reconciliation and forgiveness, a model used worldwide to this day.
Soon after the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, we were invited to lead a Zoom meeting of political consultants to consider how the countries of the European Union could emerge from their coronavirus shutdowns. Using the de Bono tools and looking factually at the differences between their client countries, the consultants identified the benefit of sharing plan components to help people get back to work without needlessly endangering their lives.
Thousands of businesses have used the tools to resolve conflict, improve profits, build stronger teams, ramp up creative output and more. One quick example includes the time the staff of a major U.S, bank learned the tools and within two days was able to develop a successful plan to push its revenue up by hundreds of millions of dollars.
In another case we were asked to help the board of a large multinational corporation that was engaged in a traditional win/lose, right/wrong fight over a potential $3 billion investment. They embraced the tools and reached an agreement on next steps which proved to be a long-term success.