2. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nominated for the Nobel Prize for Economics in 2005, Edward de Bono
is regarded by many as the leading authority in the field of creative
thinking, innovation and the direct teaching of thinking as a skill. He is
equally renowned for his development of the Six Thinking Hats
technique and the Direct Attention Thinking Tools. He is the originator
of the concept of Lateral Thinking, which is now part of language and is
listed in the Oxford English Dictionary. Dr. de Bono was born in Malta.
He was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, holds an MA in psychology and
physiology from Oxford, a D. Phil. in Medicine and also a Ph.D. from
Cambridge. He has held faculty appointments at the universities of
Oxford, Cambridge, London and Harvard.
3. MAKING DECISIONS
We are only called upon to make decisions
when an analysis of the information is
insufficient.
That is when we have to speculate, guess or
apply human values.
4. DECISION PREFRAME
What is the situation? Calm, panic, conflict,
competitive, pressure or what?
What is the time frame of the decision? This
applies to the decision (when must it be made
by) and when will the effects of the decision be
known?
5. TOOLS
1. The Dice Method
2. The Easy Way Out
3. The Spell-out Method
4. Burden’s Ass
5. The Best Home Method
6. The “What if…? Method
7. The Simple Matrix Method (elimination method)
8. The Laziness Method
6. THE DICE METHOD
Toss die (if all roads are good).
A new pair of shoes
a visit to the theater,
a meal in a restaurant with a friend,
six books of your choice,
three hours in a lime,
a Polaroid camera.
Toss a die and see if you’re happy with the
results.
7. THE EASY WAY OUT
What is the easiest alternative to choose?
The easy way out depends on your
character. One may be simple for you and
not another person.
8. THE EASY WAY OUT (EXAMPLE)
A girl finds that her boyfriend has asked her
best friend to go out with him. What shall
she do?
1. Ignore it completely
2. Ask him about it.
3. have an argument with him.
4. Threaten her friend
5. Go out with someone else.
9. THE SPELL-OUT METHOD
Here the decider imagines that he has chosen
each alternative in turn. In each case he
imagines that he is describing to a friend why
he has made that decision.
10. THE SPELL-OUT METHOD (EXAMPLE)
At your office you are offered:
1. More money
2. A shorter work week
3. Longer vacation
4. More time off when required.
11. BURDEN’S ASS
The mythical ass was placed equidistance between
two hay stacks.
When the alternatives are equally appealing the
choice should be easy.
The difficulty lies in giving up the an attractive
alternative.
The burden’s ass method says that you knock off
decisions. The easiest only to knock off gets gone.
12. BURDEN’S ASS (EXAMPLE)
1. To be very wise.
2. To be very rich.
3. To be very beautiful.
4. To be a talented artist.
1. If wise all others are
foolish; you may
become aware of
misery.
2. Rich people don’t
know who their friends
are.
3. Beautiful people worry
about losing it.
4. An unrecognized artist
is hard to be.
13. THE IDEAL SOLUTION METHOD
The general shape of the ideal solution is
considered.
Then the alternatives are judged for
closeness to the ideal.
14. THE IDEAL SOLUTION METHOD (EXAMPLE)
1. Parking lot
2. More houses
3. Park
4. Playground
5. Outdoor flea market
These alternatives are put on one side and
there is a discussion about the general shape
of the ideal solution. It is agreed that it should
benefit most people and directly make life more
pleasant.
15. THE BEST HOME METHOD
This is to ask in which setting the ideal would
best thrive.
Then you can decide if your situation fits this
description.
16. THE “WHAT IF…? METHOD (EXAMPLE)
A husband is offered a job he has always
wanted two hundred miles away. The kids
are grown up. The wife, it doesn’t seem will
also find a suitable job.
17. THE “WHAT IF…? METHOD
Generate alternatives:
Turn down the offer.
Accept the offer and meet
at weekends.
Wife gives up job and
moves.
Accept it and then resign
later if necessary.
18. THE “WHAT IF…? METHOD (IMPLEMENTATION)
What ifs:
What if the job is not as attractive as it seems.
What if while separated either meets another lover?
What if either falls ill?
What if it had been the wife who had the job offer?
What if a better job in the same place was possible
for either?
What if the wife did find a new great job in the new
area?
Then focus on the most important or realistic ones.
19. THE SIMPLE MATRIX METHOD (ELIMINATION METHOD)
You are going to get a car.
On the top list the qualities you are looking
for.Price, running cost, reliability.
One the left (y axis) put alternatives: repair
old one, new car, second hand, lease, hire.
Then check stuff off.
20. THE SIMPLE MATRIX METHOD (ELIMINATION METHOD)
Some are eliminated. Then you can make
another matrix with more details and
eliminate again.
21. THE LAZINESS METHOD
FGL METHOD (FEAR, GREED, LAZINESS)
A son or daughter has to decide what to do
with an elder parent that needs help.
1. leave things as they are.
2. Place her in an old folk’s home.
3. Have her come and live with their family
4. Pay someone to look after her.
Which is the laziest?
22. DECISION POSTFRAME
Personal style and self image are important
here.
What are the stages of implementation?
What are the likely problems and sticking
points?
What are the risks and danger?
Finally ,is there a fall back option?
What if the decision proves to be wrong?
