Once you’ve made your mind up… changing it can be really difficult… or can it?

In business, changing your mind can be seen as a weakness and that you have a lack of clarity or direction. People who change their minds can be considered unreliable or indifferent. Changing your mind in business, known as pivoting, … Continue reading

How Lateral Thinking enriches team creativity and collaboration

Virtually every business in the world promotes ‘teamwork’. Teams play a crucial role in generating profit, gaining market share, enhancing customer service, increasing engagement and securing a competitive edge—all contributing to organisational success. Teams are the social ‘bond’ that blend … Continue reading

Collaborative Writing

Richard Morris, Accredited Trainer With the introduction of hybrid working, we are spending less time in face-to-face conversations. So when you send that business report – you may not have a chance to talk someone through it. Having great writing … Continue reading

Allowing people’s creativity to flow when writing for business

Richard Morris, Accredited Trainer Creativity in business enhances success. It fosters engagement, teamwork, innovative ideas, product and service enhancements. Breaking old thinking habits and work patterns. But how often do businesses actually promote creativity in their business writing? In creative … Continue reading

Design thinking

The business world has been abuzz with the concept of Design Thinking over the last few years – and with good reason. This non-linear, iterative process is a great way to avoid the trap of rushing in to solve a … Continue reading

Sur/petition – focus on value creation

“Sur/petition: creating value monopolies when everyone else is merely competing” Edward de Bono Competition is based on the idea of different individuals or companies striving to win a part of the same thing. Dr Edward de Bono suggests an alternative: … Continue reading

Leaders can do more with less

  Leaders have opportunities to use creative thinking every day. Whether they’re making improvements, cutting costs or solving problems, they have to go beyond what has been done before. The constant need to do more for less demands creativity from … Continue reading

Robust and clear ideas to take forward

Now that Covid-19 has challenged us to work and think, more creatively, it would be a shame to lose this new ability of approaching life with an innovative mindset. Dr Edward de Bono’s ‘Lateral Thinking’ gives the tools to come … Continue reading

Stop talking over me! Making the most from online meetings.

This weekend I decided to attempt a family ‘Mother’s Day’ get together on Zoom – given the social distancing rules in place. We are not a particularly quiet family, but we are polite and usually observe the informal rules of conversation … Continue reading

Collaborative meetings

By Richard White – de Bono Accredited Trainer. “That was a great meeting, everyone pulled together to work through the issues, came up with solutions and agreed on the best way forward. I can’t wait to get this project started.” … Continue reading

Increase and improve collaboration

Two heads may be better than one, but too many cooks spoil the broth… How do we make collaboration work? Collaboration needs a framework. Beyond thinking about the project we’re working on – we also need to be thinking about … Continue reading

Are you getting the most from your team?

We all know that team members have different strengths and weaknesses: some people are good at detail, some prefer high-level thinking, some are creative, some are risk-averse. And bringing these different qualities together is what makes a team so effective… … Continue reading

Better, stronger, faster decisions.

How do you and your team make decisions? Do you: Jump on the most likely-looking solution, because you’re pushed for time? Listen to the person with the most experience? Look to the past and see what worked and whether it … Continue reading

Create a culture of dynamic meetings

Most meetings don’t work hard enough. Don’t take our word for it: A 2016 study estimates that inefficient meetings cost the UK economy £582m per week, with one in three people reporting that many of their meetings are unnecessary. 95% … Continue reading

Is innovation a part of your culture?

Many organisations have mission or vision statements that suggest they are an innovative or creative organisation, yet the people at the top of the organisation can often not elaborate on how, or if this happens. Often just putting people in … Continue reading

A typical day?

By Stephanie Butland – Master Trainer, Six Thinking Hats® You arrive on time at your first meeting, to find that there is a clear focus and an agenda. There are no lengthy anecdotes, no arguments, and none of the jostling … Continue reading

Dr Edward de Bono’s Top 10 quotes on negativity in meetings

Meetings are hard work and unproductive when colleagues spend most of their time thinking of reasons why something won’t work. Dr Edward de Bono is the world’s leading authority on how to get the best out of people’s thinking. We … Continue reading

What’s keeping the CEO’s of global businesses up at night?

In this new era of perpetual change, rapid innovation and global competition, it may come as no surprise to learn that recent surveys indicate CEO’s worry most about… wait for it …UNCERTAINTY! Continue reading