Edward de Bono's system of thinking. Edward de Bono's "6 thinking hats" method: basic principles, examples Red hat thinking: intuition and hunches

Edward Charles Francis Publius de Bono was born on May 19, 1933. He studied at the University of Malta, where he received his medical education. During the Second World War he studied at St Edward's College.

He also studied at Christ Church College, where he majored in psychology and physiology. While studying, he won two medals in canoe racing and played polo for Oxford University.

He studied and received a PhD at Trinity College and then went on to receive a Doctor of Divinity and a Doctor of Laws from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and the University of Dundee respectively.

Career

He briefly worked as a junior researcher at Oxford University and then became a lecturer. In 1961 he left Oxford University and moved to the University of London. Two years later he moved to the position of Deputy Director of Research at the University of Cambridge.

In 1967, he published his first book, “Using Lateral Thinking,” which is considered one of his best works, as in it he proposes the concept of “lateral thinking.” In 1968, de Bono presented the book “The Birth of a New Idea”, as well as a publication called “A Five-Day Course in Thinking.”

1971 was a very productive year for Edward de Bono - he created a good foundation for future work based on his ideology, wrote the books “Technology Today”, “Practical Thinking” and “Thinking Outside the Box for Management”.

From 1972 to 1976, he wrote numerous publications, including Children Solving Problems, Po: A Device for Successful Thinking, Learning to Think, and Great Thinkers: Thirty Minds That Shaped Our Civilization. At the same time, he founded the Foundation for Cognitive Research.

In the 1980s, he also wrote Atlas of Management Thinking, De Bono's Course on Thinking, Tactics: The Art and Science of Success, and the famous book The Six Thinking Hats. The book "Six Thinking Hats" talked about different colors of hats that reflected the thinking process in the human brain. This book became a hit in the UK. And his book “De Bono’s Course in Thinking” was used to make a TV series that was shown on the BBC.

In 1990, de Bono was invited to chair a meeting of Nobel laureates from around the world, which took place in Korea.

In 1995, he created a non-fiction novel about the future called 2040: Possibilities from Edward de Bono, which aimed to prepare the reader for the advent of cryogenic freezing chambers in the future.

In 1996, the Center for New Thinking was founded at the de Bono Institute. In the same year, he presented his new book entitled “Textbook of Wisdom.”

In 1997, he was invited as a speaker to an environmental conference held in Beijing.

In 1998, he presented his new book entitled “How to be more interesting.”

At the beginning of the new millennium, despite his travels around the world and reports to various leading global corporations, Edward de Bono also wrote several new books. He was convinced that the improvement of human nature would ultimately come through the improvement of language. The book he wrote, entitled “Edward de Bono's Code Book,” touched upon this very topic.

Main works

He invented and proposed the idea of ​​"lateral thinking" in 1967. This approach allows people to solve problems by using a creative, albeit secondary, approach. Now this methodology is used in many companies around the world, because it has proven its effectiveness in problems with searching and finding a problem, solving a problem and stimulating motivation. This is why de Bono is known as the father of “outside the box thinking.”

In 1985, he wrote the book "Six Thinking Hats." This book is considered one of his most significant works as it introduces the reader to effective techniques for group discussion and individual thinking. The book also deals quite strongly with the ideas of “parallel thinking” and “critical thinking.” The book also introduces the concept of the "six thinking hats" that Speedo Researchers used to create swimwear, making de Bono's idea wildly popular.

Awards and achievements

In 1992, he was the first person to receive the European Capira Prize for outstanding achievement.

In 1994 he was awarded the Pioneer Prize in the field of Thinking at the International Conference on Thinking, held at MIT (Boston, USA).

In January 1995, Dr de Bono was awarded the National Order of Merit by the President of Malta.

In 2005 he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Economics.

Personal life and legacy

In 1971 he married Josephine Hall-White. The couple had two sons.

In 1996, the European Creativity Association surveyed its members across Europe, trying to find out who influenced them the most. Dr. de Bono's name was mentioned more than any other name.

The International Astronomical Union, for its contribution to the development of humanity, named the planet after the writer, consultant and inventor Edward de Bono.

People's lives are permeated with communication: conversations, meetings, discussions, letters, telephone conversations. Even our thoughts often take the form of dialogue. When discussing this or that issue, trying to come to a certain decision, conclusion, opinion, we habitually present various arguments, defending our point of view, arguing, proving that we are right.

We often wonder: why do people understand each other so poorly? We talk about facts, and in response we hear an unreasonable outburst of emotions, or we are bombarded with a stream of arguments where, it seems, everything is already clear and there is nothing to talk about. As a result, time is wasted, relationships are damaged, important points in the discussion are missed, and the optimal decision is not made.

Is it possible to optimize and structure communication in a group, in a team, between individuals? Is it possible to communicate without “butting heads”, without arguing until you are hoarse in anticipation of the birth of truth, but to think in unison, consistently moving from one aspect of the problem under discussion to another?

Effective Thinking

Ability to think creatively, think outside the box, and use effectively thinking skill is the key to success in all areas of life, and one of the most important components of business. You can compete endlessly on price and quality, but these are the standard approaches available and used by your competitors. Only a company that is dynamic, flexible, ready to accept risks and uncertainties, and quickly respond to changing environmental conditions can survive and be successful in conditions of fierce competition, oversaturation and over-fragmentation of markets. Effective thinking is the key resource that is used when other options are exhausted or do not lead to the desired result.

And we are not talking about the development of some irrational mystical gift, special inspiration or insight. We are talking about making the most efficient use of the resources available to each employee of the company. thinking resources . And this can be learned. After all thinking is a skill , the tools for development and practical application of which are available to everyone. It is these tools that allow participants to fully use the capabilities of thinking that participants in exclusive training seminars master. Schools of effective thinking by Edward de Bono.

Method "CoRT" »
(a fragment dedicated to this method is taken from the blog www.kolesnik.ru)

Today I'm going to talk about CoRT, the first half of Edward de Bono's thinking course that I took in October at Oxford.
CoRT is de Bono's foundational thinking skills course. (Think about these words. The very idea that you can seriously teach someone to think seems absurd at first.) Who is Edward de Bono in a nutshell (see his biography below). I will only say that this is a man of incredible productivity, capable of writing such a book as Lateral thinking, on an airplane during a flight from one country to another.

They say it's separate subject of teaching thinking is not needed, because thinking is already part of the process of studying any subject. (It would be more honest to say a by-product of this process). However, in reality, with traditional teaching, only thinking of a certain type is in demand - analytical, critical, ordering. Other types of thinking, such as creative thinking, remain behind the scenes. (More on this in my post on education by Charles Handy). Besides, thinking is too often replaced by knowledge : Why think if you can just remember the correct answer?

Created by Edward de Bono in the mid-1970s and now included in thousands of educational institutions around the world, CoRT aims to fill these gaps in the traditional education system. Unlike studying the content of our thinking, which is the focus of ordinary courses, CoRT, like de Bono's subsequent courses, focuses on the thinking process itself . Edward emphasizes that intelligence (it is no coincidence that in Russian this word has the same root as skill), unlike natural mental abilities, can be developed. The power of the car is determined by the engine, but how it drives depends entirely on the driver. Similar intelligence is the potential of thinking, but you need to be able to use it . CoRT is designed to teach this skill.

One of the differences of the de Bono system is well expressed by the slogan train, not teach. Precisely because everyone can think, the teacher ceases to be an inaccessible bearer of knowledge that the student does not possess. His role is not to “broadcast”, but to train.
Last but not least, de Bono training helps develop self-respect, confidence in your ability to think and solve problems on your own. In our era of increasingly rapid and inconsistent changes, the importance of this factor cannot be overestimated.

The essence of the CoRT method– is that attention is consciously directed to various aspects of thinking . These aspects are crystallized into specific tools, which are then put into practice. As a result, the student develops appropriate thinking skills, and the tools fade into the background over time.

For example, an open-ended approach to evaluating an idea, looking at all aspects of it, is crystallized in a tool called PMI (Plus Minus Interesting). Using PMI, the student strives to see both the pros and cons, and the interesting aspects of the idea. Teaching an open approach in general (what is succinctly and untranslatably called open mind in English) is not easy. Making PMI is very easy.

All CoRT tools are related to one or another practical side of thinking. Most of them have short abbreviated names (PMI, CAF, AGO, C&S, etc.). They may sound a little artificial, but this artificiality is deliberate: the phrase “evaluate an idea in terms of its positive, negative, and interesting properties” is too vague to work. The tool must have a clear, simple and unique name.

Consciously determine the structure of your thinking does not mean reducing your freedom. Edward makes a very important distinction between the two types of structures. The first includes structures that prohibit or limit something. The second includes structures that make life easier (hammer, cup, wheel, alphabet) and which we can use at our discretion. In fact, such structures not only do not limit a person, but also, to one degree or another, create him.

Why CoRT works
Back in the late 60s Edward de Bono drew attention to the first stage of the thought process - the stage of perception, which precedes the second stage - the stage of “information processing” - and essentially determines it . Humanity has developed many excellent techniques for working with the second stage, but they can only be applied when we have (usually unconsciously) already decided how we will look at the situation, that is, we have accepted what we see in it.

All the novelty and effectiveness of de Bono's approach originates in understanding what happens at the perception stage . Traditionally (and this is reflected in the computer design) we considered memory as a repository of information, to which is attached something that uses this memory(warehouse and storekeeper, hard drive and processor). However, in his seminal book The Mechanism of Mind, Edward convincingly showed that this is not the case. Information organizes itself in perception , creating special structures - patterns. As an example of a pattern as a unit of memory, Edward gives a plate of gelatin onto which hot water is poured spoon by spoon. The water from the first spoon forms a depression. Water from the second partially flows into this depression and makes it even deeper. Continuing in the same way, after a while we will see something like a riverbed with a main depression formed in the place where the first spoon was poured. The information organized itself and contains instructions for self-deciphering .

Working with perception, we significantly expand the possibilities of our thinking, since we can consciously generate points of view and select perspectives . This is the constructive and creative dimension of future-oriented thinking.

CoRT Thinking Lessons
CoRT lessons provide a framework for focusing on one aspect of thinking at a time, rather than trying to generally “think better” or go into deeper discussions.
The course consists of six parts of ten lessons each: Breadth, Organization, Interaction, Creativity, Information & Feeling, Action. The fundamental parts are Breadth and Creativity. Each lesson focuses on the practice of one thinking tool. The explanation literally takes a few minutes because all the tools are very simple; the rest of the time is devoted to practice.
Interestingly, some English teachers teach the language using CoRT. Instead of taking various topics as work material (tourism, everyday life, weather, history, etc.), they study CoRT with an appropriate selection of tasks, thanks to which students get the opportunity to think and speak in a foreign language, practicing not only descriptive side of the language, but also its mental and communicative aspects, which is much more effective.

In general, the scope of application of de Bono’s methods is extremely wide. . Now, for example, an adaptation of CoRT is being created for working with drug addicts. Due to his incredible productivity, which I have already mentioned, Edward is constantly creating new techniques and variations of them. An online course, Effective Thinking, was recently launched using CoRT tools. There is a new course for organizations, Simplicity. There is a course on lateral thinking and a course on DATT (Direct Attention Thinking Tools, also based on CoRT). And, of course, the famous Six Hats.

Lateral Thinking Course

Traditional approaches, template solutions, well-worn paths - is this good or bad?
In fact, it’s good - because the habitual type of thinking gives us the opportunity to do many things without thinking, without wasting time on automatically practiced actions.
And, in fact, it’s bad - because, being the only possible way of thinking, the standard approach deprives us of a lot of alternatives, fresh ideas, breakthroughs, discoveries, opportunities for development and change.
Just a few years ago, those who had either large material (finance, equipment, access to cheap raw materials) or administrative resources won in the Russian market. Today the situation is changing dramatically, and human resources and their ability to implement innovations, quickly respond to changing environmental conditions, and determine the concept and strategy for further development are coming into first place.

Human resources require development, and, above all, the development of its most in-demand skill - thinking. No, we are not talking about adding another hundred or two grams to the existing brain mass. We are talking about the most effective use of the mental capabilities that a given individual has.
Often we struggle for a long time to solve a problem, wait for inspiration, create special conditions for ourselves, switch, in the hope that insight will unexpectedly descend on us. And when a solution is found, we are amazed at its simplicity and obviousness. “Why did we have to spend so much time and effort to see what lies on the surface? Could this decision have been reached differently? Can. This is exactly what lateral thinking tools are for.
The term "lateral thinking" (or "lateral thinking"), once coined by Edward de Bono, has now become an integral part of the English language.

Course “Six Thinking Hats”

Six Thinking Hats is probably one of the most popular thinking methods developed by Edward de Bono. This method allows you to structure and make any mental work, both personal and collective, much more effective.
Legends are usually formed around the history of the creation of original techniques. The Six Thinking Hats method also has it. Its author is Edward de Bono born in Malta. He grew up as a modest boy, was not very healthy or strong, and his playmates usually ignored his suggestions. Edward was very upset and wanted all his ideas to be listened to, and it would never come to arguments and fights. But when there are many opinions, and those arguing are in different weight categories (for children, the one who is stronger is usually right, and for adults, the one with a higher rank is usually right), it is difficult to find a way of discussion in which all proposals will be heard, and the decision of all will be accepted. will satisfy. Edward de Bono began searching for such a universal algorithm. When he grew up, he came up with an original method to increase the efficiency of the thought process.

What usually happens in a person's head when he thinks? Thoughts swarm, get together, one idea contradicts another, and so on. De Bono decided to divide all these processes into six types. In his opinion, any problem necessarily causes a surge of emotions in a person, forces him to collect facts, look for solutions, and also analyze the positive and negative consequences of each of these decisions. Another type of thinking involves organizing ideas. If the chaos reigning in the head is brought into order, thoughts are sorted into shelves and forced to flow in strict sequence, then the search for a solution will become faster and more productive. The de Bono technique allows you to consistently “turn on” different types of thinking , which means he puts an end to arguments until he’s blue in the face.

In order for the technique to be better remembered, a vivid image was needed. Edward de Bono decided to associate types of thinking with colored hats. The fact is that in English, a hat is usually associated with a type of activity - the hat of a conductor, a policeman, etc. The phrase "wearing someone's hat" means to engage in a specific activity. A person, mentally putting on a hat of a certain color, chooses at the moment the type of thinking that is associated with it.

The Six Hats technique is universal - for example, it is used at meetings to structure group work and save time. It also applies individually, because heated debates take place in each person’s head. In fact, it can be used to structure any creative process where it is important to separate logic from emotion and come up with new original ideas.

How it works, or full-color thinking in six colors

The Six Hats is based on the idea of ​​parallel thinking. Traditional thinking is based on controversy, discussion and clash of opinions. However, with this approach, it is often not the best solution that wins, but the one that was more successfully advanced in the discussion. Parallel thinking – this is constructive thinking, in which different points of view and approaches do not collide, but coexist.

Usually, when we try to think about solving a practical problem, we encounter several difficulties.
First, we are often not inclined to think about a decision at all, instead limiting ourselves to an emotional reaction that determines our further behavior.
Secondly, we experience uncertainty, not knowing where to start and what to do.
Third, we try to simultaneously hold all the information relevant to a task in our minds, be logical, make sure our interlocutors are logical, be creative, be constructive, and so on, and all this usually causes nothing but confusion and confusion.

The Six Hats Method is a simple and practical way to overcome such difficulties by dividing the thinking process into six different modes , each represented by a hat of a different color.
In full-color printing, color dies are rolled one by one, overlapping each other, and the output is a color image. The Six Hats Method suggests doing the same for our thinking. Instead of thinking about everything at once, we can learn to handle different aspects of our thinking one at a time. At the end of the work, all these aspects will be brought together and we will get “full-color thinking.”

The white hat is used to direct attention to information. In this mode of thinking, we are only interested in facts. We ask questions about what we already know, what other information we need, and how we can get it.
If a manager asks his subordinates to wear their white hat- this means that he expects complete impartiality and objectivity from them, calls on them to lay out only bare facts and figures, as a computer or a witness does in court. At first, it is difficult to get used to this way of thinking, since you need to clear your statements of any emotions and frivolous judgments. “Four of our partners refused to take our products.” “Competitors have reduced prices by 20%, but we do not have the necessary safety margin for this”

The black hat allows you to give free rein to critical assessments, fears and caution. It protects us from reckless and ill-considered actions, indicates possible risks and pitfalls. The benefits of such thinking are undeniable, if, of course, they are not abused.
Thinking in black hat intended to present everything in a black light. Here you need to see shortcomings in everything, question words and numbers, look for weak points and find fault with everything.
“Does it make sense to release a new model if our old one is not performing well?” “These figures seem overly optimistic to me and do not correspond to the state of affairs. If we rely on them, we will fail.” The black hat's "mission" is to map as many risk areas as possible.

The yellow hat requires us to shift our attention to looking for the merits, advantages and positive aspects of the idea under consideration.
Yellow hat- the antagonist of black, it allows you to see benefits and advantages. Mentally putting on a yellow hat, a person turns into an optimist, looking for positive prospects, but must justify his vision (by the way, as in the case of a black hat).
“It’s unlikely that he will come, but we still need to invite him to the opening of our exhibition.” “We will be able to implement this project because we have enough funds and the ability to provide marketing support.” But at the same time, the thought process in the yellow hat is not directly related to creativity. All changes, innovations, consideration of alternatives occur in a green hat.

Under the green hat, we come up with new ideas, modify existing ones, look for alternatives, explore possibilities, in general, we give creativity the green light.
Green hat- this is a creative search hat. If we have analyzed the advantages and disadvantages, we can put on this hat and think about what possible new approaches are possible in the current situation. With a green hat, it makes sense to use lateral thinking techniques.
Head of International Projects at MTI Svetlana Pylaeva:“Lateral thinking tools allow you to avoid stereotyped approaches, take a fresh look at the situation, and offer many unexpected ideas.”
“Suppose we make square hamburgers. And what can this give us? “I had a proposal to work on Saturdays and make Wednesday or Thursday a day off. Could you please put on your green hat and think about what such a prospect might lead to?

In red hat mode, session participants have the opportunity to express their feelings and intuitions about the issue at hand, without going into explanations about why this is so, who is to blame, or what to do.
Red hat worn infrequently and for a short enough period of time (maximum 30 seconds) for the group to express their emotions. The presenter periodically provides the audience with the opportunity to let off steam: “Put on your red hat and tell me what you think about my proposal.” Unlike, say, the black and yellow hats, you don’t need to justify your emotions in any way.
“I don’t want to know how qualified this candidate is, I just don’t like him.”

The blue hat differs from other hats in that it is not designed to work with the content of the task, but to manage the work process itself. In particular, it is used at the beginning of the session to determine what is to be done, and at the end to summarize what has been achieved and identify new goals.
Blue hat controls the thinking process, thanks to it all actions of meeting participants strive towards a single goal. For this purpose, there is a leader or a meeting leader; he wears a blue hat all the time. Like a conductor, he controls the orchestra and gives commands to wear one hat or another. “I don’t like your approach to business. Put away your black hat for a while and put on your green one.”

How does this happen

In group work, the most common pattern is to determine a sequence of hats at the beginning of the session. There are no clear recommendations regarding the order in which to change hats during a meeting - everything is determined by the specific situation based on the problem being solved.
Then a session begins, during which all participants simultaneously “put on hats” of the same color, according to a certain sequence, and work in the appropriate mode. The moderator remains under the blue hat and monitors the process. The results of the session are summarized under a blue hat.

Svetlana Pylaeva: “The main rule during a discussion is not to wear two hats at the same time and control yourself all the time. For example, at the moment of putting on a green hat, one must clearly understand that a search for specific solutions is underway. You can’t delve into their shortcomings - it will be black hat time for that.” In addition, some managers who have not fully mastered this technology force one participant to wear the same hat all the time during the meeting. This is wrong, hats of different colors should be worn in turns, unless the leader may prefer his blue hat to everyone else.

Rules for changing hats

The most commonly used option is the following.
The leader briefly introduces the concept of hats to the audience and identifies the problem. For example, like this: “The department has had its budget cut. What to do?". It is advisable to start a discussion wearing a white hat, that is, you need to collect and consider all the available facts (the department is not fulfilling the plan, employees cannot boast of hard work, etc.). The raw data is then viewed from a negative perspective - with a black hat, of course. After this, it is the turn of the yellow hat, and positive aspects are found in the discovered facts.

Once the problem has been examined from all sides and material for analysis has been collected, it is time to put on the green hat to generate ideas that can enhance the positive aspects and neutralize the negative ones. The leader, mentally sitting in a blue hat, carefully monitors the process - whether the group has deviated from the given topic, whether the participants are wearing two hats at the same time, and also periodically allows them to let off steam in a red hat. New ideas are again analyzed with a black and yellow hat. And at the end the discussion is summarized. Thus, thought streams do not intersect and become entangled like a ball of wool.

“Kozma Prutkov said that a specialist is like gumboil - his completeness is one-sided. This statement perfectly illustrates the “Six Thinking Hats” method, says Alexander Obrezkov. “The disadvantage of a specialist is that he usually wears a certain hat, and at a meeting these “fluxes” interfere with each other. And de Bono’s method allows us to focus the discussion in the right direction.” For example, “neutralize” a person who is naturally prone to excessive criticism. Having mastered the concept of hats, he will not indiscriminately kill ideas with his remarks, since he knows that in twenty minutes it will be his turn to put on black hats, and he will reserve his ardor.

“The allegory with hats has another very important advantage: the technique allows you to avoid getting personal,” continues Mr. Obrezkov. “Instead of the usual “Why are you yelling and criticizing everything?” the employee will hear a neutral, but no less effective, phrase: “Take off your red hat and put on your green one.”
This will relieve tension and avoid unnecessary negative emotions. In addition, at meetings, usually someone remains silent, but the technology, when everyone puts on a hat of the same color at the same time, forces everyone to express their thoughts.”

According to experts, the “Six Thinking Hats” technique helps make meetings several times more effective. Unlike other concepts of group work, de Bono's method is so imaginative that it is easily remembered, and its main ideas can be outlined in half an hour. All other systems require a trained moderator, and during the meeting he alone knows what he is doing, and those whom he manages actually turn into blind performers and do not understand what is happening. True, the “Six Hats” technique still requires skill development and control from the blue hat - the leader.

Advantages

Here are some of the benefits of the method that Edward de Bono discovered while under the yellow hat.

Usually mental work seems boring and abstract. Six Hats makes it a colorful and fun way to manage your thinking.

Colored hats are a memorable metaphor that is easy to teach and apply.

The Six Hats Method can be used at any level of complexity, from kindergartens to boardrooms.

By structuring work and eliminating fruitless discussions, thinking becomes more focused, constructive and productive.

The metaphor of hats is a kind of role-playing language in which it is easy to discuss and switch thinking, distracting from personal preferences and without offending anyone.

The method avoids confusion since only one type of thinking is used by the entire group at a certain time.

The method recognizes the importance of all components of work on a project - emotions, facts, criticism, new ideas, and includes them in the work at the right time, avoiding destructive factors.

Some studies suggest that in different modes of brain functioning (criticism, emotions, creativity), its biochemical balance differs. If this is so, then some kind of system like the six hats is simply necessary, since there cannot be one “biochemical recipe” for optimal thinking.

As already mentioned, the Six Hats can be used for any mental work in a wide variety of areas and at a variety of levels. On a personal level, this could be, for example, important letters, articles, plans, problem solving. In solo work - planning, evaluating something, design, creating ideas. In group work - holding meetings, again assessment and planning, conflict resolution, training. For example, IBM used the six hats method in 1990 as part of a training program for its 40,000 managers worldwide.

EDWARD DE BONO

Edward de Bono was born in Malta in 1933. During the Second World War he studied at St Edward's College (Malta), after which he began studying medicine at the University of Malta. He was awarded a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, allowing him to continue his education at Christ Church College, Oxford University, where he received honorary degrees in psychology and physiology, as well as a doctorate in medicine. He received another doctorate from the University of Cambridge and a doctorate in clinical medicine from the University of Malta. At various times, Edward de Bono held faculty positions at Oxford, Cambridge, the University of London and Harvard.

Dr. Edward de Bono is one of the very few people in history who can be said to have greatly influenced the way we think. There are many reasons to call him the most internationally renowned thinker.

· Dr. de Bono has written many books. His books have been translated into 34 languages ​​(all major languages ​​plus Hebrew, Arabic, Bahasa, Urdu, Slovenian, Turkish).

· He was invited to give lectures in 52 countries around the world.

· At the University of Buenos Aires, five departments use his books as part of their required courses. In Singapore, his work is used in 102 secondary schools. In Malaysia, his works have been used for teaching in science schools for 10 years. Thousands of schools in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland and the UK use Dr de Bono's thinking programs.

· At the International Conference on Thinking in Boston (1992), he was awarded an award as the person who first developed methods of direct teaching of thinking in schools.

· In 1988 he was awarded the first Capira Prize in Madrid for his significant contribution to the heritage of humanity.

· What sets Dr. de Bono apart is that his work resonates with a wide variety of people.

· At the special invitation of the delegates, Dr. de Bono addressed the Commonwealth (former British Colonies) Legal Conference in August 1996 in Vancouver (2,300 top-class lawyers, judges, etc. from 52 members of the Commonwealth, as well as other invited countries such like China). His speech at the previous Conference in Oakland was noted as one of its main events.

· Dr. de Bono has worked with many of the largest corporations around the world, such as IBM, Du Pont, Prudential, AT&T, British Airways, British Coal, NTT (Japan), Ericsson (Sweden), Total (France), etc. . In Europe's largest corporation, Siemens (370,000 employees), his methods are taught to employees at all levels, as a result of a conversation between Dr. de Bono and a board of senior managers. When Microsoft held its first marketing conference, Dr. de Bono was invited to give a plenary talk to five hundred senior managers.

· Dr. de Bono's special contribution is that he was able to put such a mysterious field as creativity on a solid basis. He showed that creativity is one of the necessary characteristics of self-organizing information systems. His seminal book, The Working Principle of the Mind, was published in 1969. It showed how the neural networks of the brain form asymmetrical patterns that serve as the basis of perception. One of the world's leading physicists, Professor Murray Gell-Mann, said that this book was ten years ahead of the field of mathematics associated with the theory of chaos, nonlinear and self-organizing systems.

· On this basis, Edward de Bono developed the concept and tools of lateral thinking. It is especially worth noting that his results were not buried in academic texts, but he made them practical and accessible to everyone, from five-year-old children to adults. Some years ago Lord Montbatten invited Dr. de Bono to speak to all his admirals. Dr. de Bono was invited to speak at the very first Pentagon conference on creativity. At the UN Social Meeting in Copenhagen he was asked to address the banking and finance group.

· The term "lateral thinking" (or "lateral thinking"), once coined by Edward de Bono, has now become part of the English language to the extent that it can be heard in both a physics lecture and a TV comedy.

· Traditional thinking is concerned with analysis, judgment and debate. In a stable world, this was sufficient because standard situations could be identified and standard solutions applied to them. This is no longer the case in a rapidly changing world where standard solutions may be inadequate.

· All over the world there is a huge need for creative, constructive thinking that allows us to create new paths of development. Many of the world's problems cannot be solved by identifying the cause and eliminating it. There is a need to create a path of development even when the cause remains in place.

· Edward de Bono created the methods and tools for this new thinking. He is the undisputed world leader in what may in the future be the most important field: constructive and creative thinking.

· In 1996, the European Creativity Association surveyed its members across Europe, trying to find out who influenced them the most. Dr. de Bono's name was mentioned so often that the Association asked the official naming committee of the International Astronomical Union (in Massachusetts) to name a planet after him. Thus, planet DE73 became EdeBono.

· In 1995, the Government of Malta awarded Edward de Bono the Order of Merit. This is one of the highest honors, which is awarded to no more than 20 living people at a time.

· For many thousands, even millions, of people around the world, the name of Edward de Bono has become a symbol of creativity and new thinking.

· In December 1996, the Edward de Bono Foundation in Dublin, with support from the European Union, held a conference on “teaching thinking in schools.”

· In 1972, Edward de Bono created the Cognitive Research Trust, a charitable organization whose activities are aimed at teaching thinking in schools (CoRT Thinking Lessons).

· Edward de Bono was the founder of the International Creative Forum, whose members included many of the world's leading corporations: IBM, Du Pont, Prudential, Nestle, British Airways, Alcoa, CSR, etc.

· The International Creativity Bureau in New York, whose mission is to work with the UN and UN member countries to find new ideas in international relations, was also organized by Dr. de Bono.

· Peter Ubberoth, whose organization of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics saved the Games from oblivion, credited this success to his use of de Bono's lateral thinking. The same can be said about John Bertrand, skipper of the winning yacht in the 1983 American Cup regatta. Ron Barbaro, president of the insurance company Prudential (USA), also attributed his invention of lifetime benefits to the use of de Bono's methods.

· Perhaps one of the unique features of Edward de Bono's work is its wide range: from teaching five-year-old children in kindergarten preparatory groups to working with the heads of the largest corporations in the world. His work also spans many cultures: Europe, North and South America, Russia, Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, etc.

· In September 1996, the de Bono Institute, a global center for new thinking, began its work in Melbourne. The Adrus Foundation donated $8.5 million for this purpose.

· In 1997, Dr. de Bono was invited as one of the keynote speakers at the first environmental conference in Beijing.

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Some of Edward de Bono's recent projects

Edward de Bono is the consummate traveling teacher! Almost every week he travels from one part of the world to another, meeting with government leaders, educators, CEOs and business people. Below are some of his key projects that give a sense of the universality of what Dr. de Bono is trying to convey to us: thinking can and must be taught if we are to cope with the needs of a fast-paced and ever-changing world.

· Invited to Moscow by the Academy of Sciences to train teachers as part of an educational project: ten Moscow schools are used as laboratories for testing advanced teaching methods. In addition, working with a translator, Dr. de Bono taught CoRT Thinking lessons to students from 7 to 17 years old at School No. 57, one of the best schools in Moscow.

· Met with the Minister of Education of Kuwait at a special meeting of 500 education workers. This country's Institute for Educational Research is interested in organizing a pilot program using CoRT Thinking Lessons.

· Addressed PACRIM, an economic council of influential businessmen and government officials in the Pacific Rim.

· Came to Minneapolis to speak before the US Education Commission on the topic of direct teaching of thinking in schools. Conducted several trainings for teachers in Minnesota.

· Had a conversation with the Research Council, a group of information managers from the world's top 500 companies, at their meeting in Newport Beach, California.

· Visited Northern Virginia Community University, where Liz Grizzard, Dean of Academic Life, taught an introductory course on thinking skills.

· Invited to speak at INSEAD, one of Europe's leading business schools, on the occasion of its 25th anniversary.

· Organized a meeting of corporate leaders from the USA, Japan, New Zealand and the UK to create a special working group. Senior executives from Xerox, Digital, McDonnell Douglas and Hewlett Packard joined Dr. de Bono in his exploration of new strategies to help us plan for our future consciously.

· Delivered a plenary presentation at the Eighth World Conference on Gifted and Talented Children in Sydney, Australia.

· Delivered a presentation to the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) on the topic “New program: learning to think - thinking to learn. New strategies for effective communication.” The report examined the theoretical foundations of teaching thinking, as well as the ways in which thinking skills are currently taught and their relationship to current research in the cognitive sciences.

· In January 1995, Dr de Bono was awarded the National Order of Merit by the President of Malta, the highest honor which can only be awarded to no more than 20 people living at any one time. Dr de Bono was born and began his education in Malta.

· In July 1994, he was awarded the Pioneer Prize in the field of Thinking at the International Conference on Thinking, held at MIT (Boston, USA).

· In 1992, he was the first person to receive the European Capira Prize for outstanding achievement.

· Three Nobel laureates wrote forewords to Edward de Bono's book "I'm Right and You're Wrong."

· A recent study by the European Creativity Association found that 40% of its members believe that Dr. de Bono has had the most significant influence on the field of creativity. In terms of his performance, he was far ahead of other contenders.

· The US Defense University asked Dr. de Bono to open his very first symposium on creativity by telephone from Helsinki, where he was stationed at the time.

· In 1990, Dr. de Bono was invited to chair a meeting of Nobel laureates from around the world. The meeting took place in Korea.

What does the world say about the work of Dr. de Bono...

· “At Du Pont, we have many good examples of our technical staff successfully applying Dr. de Bono's lateral thinking techniques to solve difficult problems.” - David Tanner, Ph.D., Du Pont CTO.

· "Given the complexity and fast pace of modern life, we must recommend de Bono's course as part of a mandatory program for the entire human race." - Alex Kroll, Chairman and President, Yong & Rubican.

· "It is difficult for anyone to fully appreciate the work and experience of Edward de Bono. His views on thinking and the creative process are compelling and thorough" - Jeremy Bullmore, chairman of J. Walter Thompson.

· "Dr. de Bono's course is a quick and enjoyable way to develop your thinking skills. Once you take it, you'll find that you instinctively apply new skills to how you approach situations."

· "De Bono's work is perhaps the best thing happening in the world today" - George Gallop, founder of the Institute of Public Opinion.

· "I certainly know Dr. de Bono and am an admirer of his work. We all live in an information economy, where our results are a direct consequence of what is on our minds" - John Sculley, Chairman and President of Apple Computer Inc.

· “It is because of the clarity of de Bono’s approach that his course of thinking is well suited for both primary school students and business executives” - John Naisbitt, author of MEGATRENDS 2000.

· “We all hold our assumptions about the past to make conclusions about the future... de Bono teaches us to challenge such assumptions and find new and creative solutions to problems” - Philip L. Smith, President of General Foods Corporation.

· “Lateral thinking... has really changed the way I approach business problems.” - A Weinberg, management consultant in New York.

), after which he began studying medicine at the University of Malta. He continued his education at Christ Church College, Oxford University, and received honorary degrees in psychology and physiology, as well as a doctorate in medicine. Another doctorate was obtained from the University of Cambridge and a doctorate in clinical medicine from the University of Malta. At various times, Edward de Bono held faculty positions at Oxford, Cambridge, the University of London and Harvard.

Dr. de Bono's special contribution is that he showed that creativity is one of the necessary characteristics of self-organizing information systems. His book “The Principle of the Mind” was published, which showed how the neural networks of the brain form asymmetric patterns that serve as the basis for perception. According to physics professor Murray Gell-Mann, this book was ten years ahead of the field of mathematics associated with the theory of chaos, nonlinear and self-organizing systems.

On this basis, Edward de Bono developed the concept and tools of lateral thinking.

Dr. de Bono has worked with British Airways, British Coal, NTT (Japan), Total (France), Siemens AG.

Books

• “Water Logic” WATER LOGIC ISBN 985-483-634-7
• “Six Thinking Hats” SIX THINKING HATS ISBN 985-483-635-5
• "Thinking Outside the Box: Self-Teacher" ISBN 985-483-589-8
• Lateral Thinking: A Textbook of Creative Thinking. ISBN 985-483-492-1
• “Teach your child to think” ISBN 985-483-460-3
• "Development of Thinking: Three Five-Day Courses"
• “Teach yourself to think: a self-instruction manual for developing thinking” ISBN 985-483-458-1
• “Serious Creative Thinking” SERIOUS CREATIVITY ISBN 985-483-470-0
• Author Paul Sloan "Lateral Thinking"
• “Why are we so stupid? When will humanity learn to think?

Courses, techniques

• CoRT (course on development of intellectual abilities)
• SixHats (course on self-organization of thinking and creative work in a group)
• professional program “de Bono Thinking 24x7”

Sources

Links

• Book review: Edward de Bono, Creative Idea Generator. 62 software for the brain, St. Petersburg, "Peter", 2008

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

• Edward von Ropp
• Edwarda Borisovna Kuzmina

See what "Edward de Bono" is in other dictionaries:

Bono, Edward

Bono Edward de- Edward de Bono Edward de Bono (19 May 1933, Malta) Edward de Bono studied at St Edward's College (Malta) before studying medicine at the University of Malta. He continued his education at Christ Church College, Oxford... ... Wikipedia

Bono Edward- Edward de Bono Edward de Bono (19 May 1933, Malta) Edward de Bono studied at St Edward's College (Malta) before studying medicine at the University of Malta. He continued his education at Christ Church College, Oxford... ... Wikipedia

Edward Bono- Edward de Bono Edward de Bono (19 May 1933, Malta) Edward de Bono studied at St Edward's College (Malta) before studying medicine at the University of Malta. He continued his education at Christ Church College, Oxford... ... Wikipedia

Bono, Edward de- This term has other meanings, see Bono (meanings). Edward de Bono English Edward de Bono ... Wikipedia

Bono (disambiguation)- Bono (disambiguation): Bono (born 1960) Irish rock musician. Bono, Sonny (1935 1998) American singer-songwriter. Bono, Edward de (born 1933) British psychologist and writer ... Wikipedia

Creativity techniques- Brainstorming is a popular creativity technique. Creativity techniques (creativity methods) methods and techniques that promote the creative process of generating original ideas, finding new approaches to solving known problems and... ... Wikipedia

MARKETING, LATERAL- search for marketing solutions using non-standard methods. “This is when you think not “along”, but “across”,” says F. Kotler. The term “lateral thinking” was proposed by the famous researcher of the phenomenon of creativity Edward de Bono, as opposed to... ... Marketing. Large explanatory dictionary

Joke is a phrase or short text with humorous content. It can be in various forms, such as a question/answer or a short story. To achieve its humorous goal, a joke can use irony, sarcasm, word play and other methods... Wikipedia

University of Malta- Original title... Wikipedia

Books

• Brilliant! Creative Problem Solving Tools, Edward de Bono. “Some may decide that the expression “serious creativity” is as absurd as “hot snow.” For...

Edward de Bono's book The Six Thinking Hats is a unique work by one of the brightest experts in the field of creativity. She talks about an effective method that both adults and children can use. The six hats refer to different ways of thinking: critical, optimistic and others. The essence of the method outlined in the book is to “try on” each of the hats and learn to think from different positions. In addition, practical recommendations are provided on the topic of when which thinking is effective and where it can be applied in order to emerge victorious from any intellectual battle.

This book quickly won an army of fans and was able to help millions of people learn to think in a new way: correctly, effectively and creatively.

About Edward de Bono

Edward de Bono is a well-known specialist in philosophy and has several doctoral degrees in medicine. He worked at the universities of Harvard, London, Cambridge and Oxford.

Edward de Bono gained the greatest fame after he was able to prove that creativity is one of the necessary characteristics in self-organizing information systems. In his 1969 work, The Working Principle of the Mind, he showed that the brain's neural networks have a shaping effect on the asymmetrical patterns that are the basis of perception. According to physics professor Murray Gell-Mann, this book has become decisive for decades in those areas of mathematics that are associated with the theory of chaos, nonlinear and self-organizing systems. De Bono's research provided the basis for the concept and tools.

Summary of the book “Six Thinking Hats”

The book consists of several introductory chapters, twenty-four chapters covering the main topic, a final part and a block of notes. Next we will look at several basic provisions of the Edward de Bono method.

Introduction

Blue hat

The sixth hat differs from the others in its purpose - it is needed not to work on content, but to manage the entire process of work and implementation of the plan. It is usually used at the very beginning of the method to determine upcoming actions, and then at the end to summarize and outline new goals.

Four Types of Hats Uses

The use of six hats is effective, as already mentioned, in the process of any mental work, in any area and at a variety of stages. For example, in the personal sphere, the method can help, evaluate something, find a way out of a difficult situation, and so on.

When used in groups, the technique can be considered as a variation. It can also be used for conflict resolution and, again, in planning or evaluation. Can also be used as part of a training program.

It would not be amiss to note that the Six Thinking Hats method is used in their work by such companies as DuPont, Pepsico, IBM, British Airways and others.

Four uses of the six hats:

• Put on your hat
• Take off your hat
• Change hat
• Denote thinking

Method rules

When used collectively, the Six Thinking Hats method is based on the presence of a moderator who manages the process and enforces discipline. The moderator is always present under a blue hat, taking notes and summarizing the findings.

The facilitator, starting the process, introduces all participants to the general principles of the method and indicates the problem required to be solved, for example: “Our competitors have offered us a partnership in the field... What to do?”

The process begins with all participants putting on the same hat together and looking at the situation appraisingly in turn, based on the angle that corresponds to a particular hat. The order in which the hats will be put on does not really matter, but you still need to follow some order.

You can, for example, try to do this:

Discussion of the topic begins with a white hat, because... all available information, numbers, conditions, data, etc. are collected. This information is then discussed in a negative way (black hat), and even if the situation has many advantages, disadvantages may still exist - they need to be found. After this, you need to find all the positive features (yellow hat).

Once the problem has been examined from every angle and the maximum amount of data has been collected for subsequent analysis, you need to put on the green hat. This will allow you to see new features beyond the existing proposals. It is important to enhance the positive aspects and weaken the negative ones. Each participant can put forward their own proposal.

Next, new ideas are subjected to another analysis - the black and yellow hats are put on again. But it is very important to provide participants with the opportunity to relax (red hat) from time to time. However, this should happen infrequently and not for long. Thus, by trying on all six hats, using different sequences, over time you will have a chance to find the most optimal sequence, which you will follow further.

At the conclusion of the parallel thinking group, the moderator should summarize and present the results to the participants. It is important that he keeps control of all the work and does not allow participants to wear several hats at the same time - this is the only way to ensure that ideas and thoughts do not get confused.

The Six Thinking Hats method can be applied in a slightly different way: each participant can wear a different hat during the process. But in such a situation, the hats should be distributed so that they do not fit the type of participants. For example, an optimist can wear a black hat, an avid critic can wear a yellow hat, an unemotional person can wear a red hat, an idea generator can wear a green hat, etc. This allows participants to reach their maximum potential.

Naturally, the “Six Thinking Hats” method can be used by one person to solve various problems and find answers to certain questions. Then the person himself changes hats, each time thinking from a new position.

Finally

You can learn more about how Edward de Bono’s technique is used, as well as study all its features without exception, by reading the wonderful book “Six Thinking Hats.” Be sure that after reading it, your personal productivity will increase as much as possible.

Edward De Bono's system of thinking created in the second half of the twentieth century and contains revolutionary views on structure thinking, as well as opportunities to increase its effectiveness and develop human creative potential. The system includes scientific, educational and applied aspects.

Edward De Bono - famous psychologist And writer, an expert in creative thinking. De Bono was born in 1933 in Malta. The creator of the creative thinking system studied medicine, psychology, physiology during his studies and work at Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard universities, etc.

Among the most famous works by De Bono - " Water logic", "Lateral thinking", "Teach yourself to think", "Birth of a new idea", "Serious creative thinking", "Six thinking hats", "I'm right - you're wrong".

In 1969 it was published key book by Edward de Bono, " Mechanism of the Mind", in which he proposed a new approach to assessing perception based on the model self-organizing information structures. One of the world's leading physicists, Nobel laureate Murray Gell-Mann, said that this book was a decade ahead of work on the theory of chaos, nonlinear and self-organizing systems.

Based on this approach, Edward de Bono created the concept lateral thinking And practical techniques its application. Traditional thinking is associated with analysis, judgment and discussion as the leading evaluative mechanism. In a stable world, this was enough because, having identified typical situations, it was possible to develop standard solutions for them. However, in modern times, quickly changing There is a huge need in the world for new thinking - creative, constructive, allowing you to create new ideas and development paths. The techniques proposed by Edward de Bono are precisely the tools for such new thinking.

These techniques are actively used in business and have been introduced into largest international corporations - IBM, Du Pont, Prudential, AT&T, British Airways, British Coal, NTT, Ericsson, Total, Siemens. Thousands schools around the world use training programs based on de Bono’s methods (in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Great Britain, China, India, South Korea and other countries).

De Bono states that education is still focused on loading the student with the maximum amount of knowledge and facts, but does not teach him to think. More precisely, it teaches one-sided thinking, focusing mainly on critical thinking. Critical thinking is necessary, but without mastering other tools, a person falls into a trap; he is not able to objectively consider all aspects of a problem, generate new ideas, or focus on the practical result of thinking.

De Bono noted the importance of the process of perception in thinking. At school, people are accustomed to abstracting from perception - they receive tasks with ready-made input information. But in life everything is not like that. Here, the solution to the problem depends entirely on the initial perception of the problem. This observation is especially valuable in interpersonal relationships. In most cases, each of the participants in the discussion is right, but based precisely on his own perception, which is based on his principles, values, upbringing, knowledge, etc. Given this, you need to focus not on convincing your opponent, but on effective interaction that allows you to develop creative proposals that satisfy the true interests of the parties.

De Bono notes that the still widespread focus solely on logical principles proposed by ancient Greek philosophers is not capable of effectively solving modern problems. In contrast, he offers his own - water logic (instead of the traditional stone one). For example, according to accepted logic, a statement can be either true or false. And the water logic is more flexible - the glass may not be completely filled with water - “it is half full, and it is half empty.” It is important that water logic has serious practical applications. De Bono believes that the future lies with her. He rightly notes that the dominance of stone logic led to the flourishing of science and technology, but did not advance human relationships at all - until now, conflicts are resolved through force due to the inability to agree, to look at the problem more broadly.

Let's consider one of the simplest and most effective thinking methods proposed by De Bono - Six hats. The advantage of this method is that it can be used both for group, so with individual thinking, and you can learn it in just half an hour. It is no secret that a person, when thinking about any problem, tries to “embrace the immensity” - at the same time he looks for new ideas, analyzes their logic, tries to abstract from emotions, draws conclusions, etc. It turns out chaos, from which it is very difficult to extract anything truly valuable. De Bono singled out six main types thinking, each of which he designated with a hat of a certain color. He suggested using these types sequentially in the process of reflection - by analogy with taking off and putting on hats. The description of each hat illustrates it functionality:

Red Hat. Emotions. Intuition, feelings and premonitions. There is no need to give reasons for feelings. How do I feel about this?

Yellow Hat. Advantages. Why is this worth doing? What are the benefits? Why can this be done? Why will this work?

Black hat. Caution. Judgment. Grade. Is it true? Will it work? What are the disadvantages? What's wrong here?

Green Hat. Creation. Various ideas. New ideas. Offers. What are some of the possible solutions and actions? What are the alternatives?

White Hat. Information. Questions. What information do we have? What information do we need?

Blue Hat. Organization of thinking. Thinking about thinking. What have we achieved? What needs to be done next?

In group work, the most common pattern is to determine a sequence of hats at the beginning of the session. The sequence is determined based on the problem being solved. Then the session begins, during which all participants simultaneously “put on their hats” one colors, according to a certain sequence, and work in the appropriate mode. The moderator remains under the blue hat and monitors the process. The results of the session are summarized under a blue hat.

Advantages of the method Six hats (to find them you need to use the Yellow Hat):

Usually mental work seems boring and abstract. Six Hats allows you to make it a colorful and fun way to control your thinking;

Colored hats are a memorable metaphor that is easy to teach and apply;

The Six Hats Method can be used at any level of complexity, from kindergartens to boardrooms;

By structuring work and eliminating fruitless discussions, thinking becomes more focused, constructive and productive;

The metaphor of hats is a kind of role-playing language in which it is easy to discuss and switch thinking, distracting from personal preferences and without offending anyone;

The method avoids confusion, since only one type of thinking is used by the entire group at a certain time;

The method recognizes the importance of all components of work on a project - emotions, facts, criticism, new ideas, and includes them in the work at the right time, avoiding destructive factors.

Of course, like any technique, Edward De Bono’s system of thinking requires time and patience to master: it is necessary to form the habit of thinking according to the rules. But in return the practitioner will receive:

• increasing the efficiency of your thinking and, as a result, decisions made;
• pleasure from the thinking process.

For development of creative thinking I De Bono advises:

1. Get away from clichés and established thinking patterns;
2. Question what is allowed;
3. Summarize alternatives;
4. Grab new ideas and see what happens;
5. Find new entry points from which you can push off.