IMHO means “in my humble opinion” – it is an abbreviation used in emails. This is a series where I unashamedly express my opinions in a forthright manner. If you are easily offended it may be best not to read these posts.
In my humble opinion Edward de Bono is brilliant and very unfairly ignored.
I think he is largely ignored because of academic prejudices. Academics get kudos for ‘complexity’, while de Bono is interested in simplicity. He also writes accessibly and is popular. Neither of these counts for much in academia – and popularity can even be regarded with suspicion.
De Bono has written lots, and it is certainly not all equally good. The more popular writings can at times be glib and seem superficial. However at his best he is both penetrating and useful. (How many academics could you say this about?)
Those who think de Bono is glib and lacking a theory base need to read The Mechanism of Mind
De Bono helps us move beyond ‘paralysis by analysis’ to ‘designing a way forward’.
If you are feeling stuck in a pattern it is well worth considering whether you are analysing over and over again instead of thinking about what to do better.
This is about de Bono’s work in general. There are a couple of specific programs that de Bono has produced that I think are incredible gifts in their own right. These are the ‘six thinking hats’ and the CoRT lessons in thinking. Both are well worth looking at.
If you are feeling stale in your thinking or that you are stuck in one way of doing things it is well worth spending some time with Edward de Bono’s work.
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I agree that Edward de Bono’s material is powerful because of its simplicity. It’s something that people can just jump right in and do immediately–which is a bonus for all the people who are very busy.
The issue with Edward de Bono’s books seems not to be the way they’re written–as many business books are written in a non-academic style–but that Dr de Bono comes from a very academic background and so people assume that he should write in that way. It’s also that he makes very revolutionary statements without providing evidence to back everything up. (Another thing that business books do too.)
My recommendations for Dr de Bono’s work is the classic Serious Creativity, and his newest How to Have Creative Ideas, which gives a lot of creative exercises for readers to do.
And if you have the time and can find it, Mechanism of Mind is fantastic. I definitely agree with that recommendation!
Thanks Katie.
Would you like to give the some details on the revolutionary statements? I think this would help other readers.
And, what does a creativity instructor do?
Thanks for your comment.
Evan
Hi Evan,
Edward de Bono has based his methods on how the brain connects points of information. Basically, his theories say that the connections are made stronger the more people think of them.
(It’s a little hard to explain like this, so here’s an example.) Let’s say that you were given the task of improving a car and had to think of ways to do that.
If you’re like almost everyone, you’ll think of something like bigger, faster, more power, better handling, more luxurious interior, etc. Those are the main ways that cars are improved, so the connections between “improve a car” and those traits are very strong in your mind.
Of course, when your brain is charging down a well-worn path, it misses the faint trails off to the side. So, it’s incredibly hard to think of new things, because the old things have such strong associations.
Dr de Bono’s method is to approach innovation backwards. Instead of starting from the challenge and then trying to go “outside the box”, his methods force you outside of normal thinking first, and then rely on your brain’s ability to make connections to relate where you are back to the challenge.
So (e.g.), in one method, you’re given a random word “frog” to help you improve a car. Doesn’t fit, but your brain will make it work.
Frogs change from tadpoles to frogs: what about a car that can be changed to reflect the age of the person driving it (maybe a speed cap for a 16 year old)?
It sounds silly, but it actually does work for coming up with new ideas. Try thinking of some other traits of frogs that could improve a car.
As for what a creativity instructor does, it’s basically that. I help people learn to be more creative by teaching them some tools, and helping them learn how to get their ideas out.
Thanks Katie.
Elegantly and clearly put.
Evan