EDWARD DE BONO'S MESSAGE
21st December 1997

"How to get new ideas into action"

The Season's Greetings and an Interesting New Year to all visitors to this site and especially to those who have contributed their thinking during the past year. May your thinking energies increase.

The new focus is "how to get ideas into action".

Having new ideas enriches your mind, provides possibilities, changes perceptions - and is enjoyable. You also develop your creative skills so that on future occasions you can apply those skills to your immediate needs. There are times, however, when it would be useful to get ideas into action. Here are some basic suggestions which you are invited to supplement with your own creative thoughts.

1. You may be able to use ideas in your decision space, your business, your profession and your life. Ideas that simplify matters may be the easiest to apply.
2. You can put forward your ideas in print, in a book, on this site etc. and hope that the ideas may be noticed and even acted upon.
3. You can pin-point someone who may need new ideas and then communicate more directly with that person through letters etc. This may be a weak approach because that person may already be overwhelmed by suggestions from all quarters. An orchestrated communication campaign may be more effective.
4. Other ways you are going to think of.....

Please not that not all new ideas are good ideas. It often happens that those most obsessed with an idea do not have the better ideas. The originator of an idea should not only focus on the novelty but also on concrete benefits and feasibility. The difficulty of changing to a new idea should also be considered.

Edward de Bono
20th December 1997
Malta