Have you ever been to a meeting like this? Ego wars, turf protection, even personal attacks are all part of the ugly, adversarial committee/office meeting scene. The boss never solicits the input of anyone in the room. He just makes an "Executive Decision."

Many years ago, Edward de Bono, a Rhodes Scholar who has written 70 books on thinking and decision-making, developed the concept of parallel thinking. The idea was to get everyone thinking about the same thing at the same time. His concept added structure and discipline to the thinking process, resulting in much more effective decision-making.

To make this abstract concept tangible, he developed six different colored thinking hats as a way to describe each way of thinking about a problem. His book, The Six Thinking Hats, has become an international bestseller and has been translated into over thirty languages. This simple tool can result in clearer thinking, better communications, and greater creativity. In September, I attended a four-day session to get certified on teaching this decision-making method. This training was nothing short of life-changing.

I'm teaching a series of free ninety-minute introductory courses starting November 5 at 5000 Monument Avenue in Richmond. If you would like more information, please contact Holly David at hdavid@togreatacclaim.com.

Labels: Edward de Bono, parallel thinking