Welcome to

Edward de Bono’s

Published by Advanced Practical Thinking Training®, Inc.

©1997. The McQuaig Group Inc.

Presented by Dale S. Deardorff DM 2005 Forum

 Overview
™
DATT Training
Modules
1. DATT Fundamentals
2. The Ten Tools
3. Applications
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 Author Profile
Who is Edward de Bono?
• M.D., Ph.D. (physiology, medicine, and psychology),
Rhodes scholar
• World-renowned consultant to business, government,
and industry
• International authority on the teaching of creativity
• Originator of Lateral Thinking
• Author of over 56 books in 34 languages
• Creator of CoRT, the largest thinking program
in the world for children
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 ™
DATT Fundamentals
• Intelligence and Thinking
• Perception
• Directing Attention:
Sample Frameworks
• The Tool Approach
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 Intelligence and Thinking
Key Points
• Intelligence is not the same as thinking.
• Highly intelligent people can be
poor thinkers.
• People of limited intelligence
can learn to think well.
• The trained thinker has the
advantage.
• Thinking is the operating skill
with which we use our intelligence.
•Thinking skills can be developed and improved.

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 Perception
Key Points
• Perception is one of the most important
parts of thinking.
• Perception is what we do in our minds,
not just what comes through our eyes.
• Different people may look at the same
thing and yet perceive it very differently.

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 Perception
and Processing
• Most mistakes in our thinking are
in perception.
• We have done a lot about
“processing” systems but very
little about perception.
• Perception provides the
ingredients for processing.
• If the perception is wrong, then no Garbage In-
matter how good the processing is, Garbage Out
the result will be wrong.

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 Perception
Shifting Views
Two Squares Three Squares L-Shapes

1 1
2
2 3

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 Perception
Many Possibilities

Which of these letters do you

perceive to be the odd one out?
Why?

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 Perception
Five Common Failures
• We fail to look for something.
• We see only part of the situation.
• We leave things out.
• We fail to take consequences or
other people’s thinking into account.
• We fail to generate alternatives.

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 The Explorer’s View
with Directed Attention

N
W E
S

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 Four Frameworks
NSEW
N

W E

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Four Frameworks
Clock Face
12
11 1

10 2

9 3

8 4

7 5
6
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 Four Frameworks
Quadrants
Upper Left Upper Right

Lower Left Lower Right

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 Four Frameworks
Grid
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
A
B
C
D
E
F
G

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 DATT Tools and
Carpenter Tools
• Each tool carries out a
specific function.
• The carpenter learns the tools
one by one.
• There is no fixed sequence for
using the tools. The sequence
depends on the circumstances.
• A lot of practice is needed to become skillful.
• The carpenter tries each tool first on scraps of wood.
• The skill of the carpenter combined with the design
of the tool gets the desired result.

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 The Value of Calling the
Tools by Name

Key Points
• The strange names of the DATT tools are deliberate.
• The names help us tell ourselves or each other to use the tools.
• Without a name, the method does not come to exist in your
mind for use again later.
• The name serves as a handle. With a name, you
can pick up the method easily and use it at will.

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 Operating Concepts
• “Operating concepts” tell us what to do at
any moment.
• Most languages lack a good supply of
operating concepts.
• The DATT tools serve as operating
concepts—instructions for actions.
• The DATT tools provide shorthand
commands for complex operations.
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 Operating Concepts

“At this point, let’s identify

the decision, design, or
other outcome of our
meeting today.
Then we’ll list our available
action channels and set out
the action steps.” “Let’s do a DOCA.”

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Improving with Practice
This is a hammer. Be
sure to keep your fingers
out of the way.
Congratulations! Now
you’re a carpenter.

What’s missing here?

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 Improving with Practice
Key Points
• Explaining a tool to a learner has limited
value.
• Understanding the DATT tools will not
automatically make you a skilled thinker.
• The DATT course includes many exercises
for practicing the tools.
• After the course, make an effort to
practice further.
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Parallel Thinking™
Example:
I’ll put both ideas down in
parallel. Later, we’ll check
the market research and see
which outcome is more likely.

In Parallel Thinking, different

suggestions are laid down in
parallel without worrying
about whether they fit together
or contradict each other.

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 Three Keys to Success
Focus
• Which tool am I using?
• Where am I applying that tool?
Objectivity
• Am I using the tools objectively?
Or am I defending a favorite point of view?
Comprehensiveness
•Have I scanned as widely as possible?

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 The DATT Tools
C&S Consequence & Sequel
P.M.I. Plus, Minus, Interesting

RAD Recognize, Analyze, Divide

CAF Consider All Factors

A.G.O. Aims, Goals, Objectives
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 The DATT Tools
A.P.C. Alternatives, Possibilities,
Choices
O.P.V. Other People’s Views
K.V.I. Key Values Involved
FIP First Important Priorities
DOCA Decision/Design,
Outcome, Channels, Action
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C&S
Consequence and Sequel
The C&S looks for the
consequences of an action,
plan, decision, rule,
invention, etc. It is a prime
evaluation tool.
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 C&S
Consequence and Sequel
Key Points
• Everything we do has consequences in the future.
• Even doing nothing has consequences.
• Consequences do not exist in the present until you make an
effort to foresee them.
• All of our living takes place in the future, so looking ahead is
an extremely important part of thinking.
• We need to run things forward in our minds.

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C&S
Consequence and Sequel
When to Use the C&S:
• for evaluation
• for prediction
• for design

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C&S
Consequence and Sequel
Time Frames
• Immediate Consequences
• Short-term Consequences
• Medium-term Consequences
• Long-term Consequences
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P.M.I.
Plus, Minus, Interesting
The P.M.I. helps us consider all
sides of a matter before a decision
or commitment is made. The
P.M.I. is another important
evaluation tool.

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 P.M.I.
Plus, Minus, Interesting
What if we had a third arm growing out of our chest?
Do a P.M.I. on this.
PLUS POINTS:

MINUS POINTS:

INTERESTING:

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 P.M.I.
Plus, Minus, Interesting
Key Points Minus points:
Long Body
Plus points:
Long Body

• The C&S tool can feed into

the P.M.I. There is an
intended overlap.
• Find all the points for one box,
then move to the next. Do not list
points and then sort them one by one into the correct boxes.
• People claim to do the P.M.I. when looking for pros
and cons. Yet the results with P.M.I. are much better.
• A point can be listed as both a Plus and a Minus.

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P.M.I.
Plus, Minus, Interesting
When to Use the P.M.I.
• for assessment
• for choice
• for design

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RAD
Recognize, Analyze, Divide
RAD helps us look for what is
familiar in a new situation.
As soon as we recognize
something, we know what
to do about it.

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 RAD
Recognize, Analyze, Divide
Key Points
• The recognition method is very powerful. Once we
recognize something, we know what to do with it.
• Use the RAD routinely. Do it early. If needed, do it at
more than one stage.
• Recognition can be dangerous when we are mistaken.
• Do one of the three processes at a time. You may not
need them all.

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RAD

Recognize,
Analyze,
Divide

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RAD

Recognize,
Analyze,
Divide

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CAF
Consider All Factors
The CAF tool is the process of
exploring all factors in a situation.
What should we bring to mind?
What must we not leave out?
The CAF is the prime
information input tool.
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 CAF
Consider All Factors
Key Points
• Factors are like headings for information needed. After
we have the headings, we look for that information.
• Other tools such as the C&S or O.P.V. may be brought
in under the CAF tool.
• Try to be comprehensive.
• Think of all the factors first. Then decide which ones
are important later.

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CAF
Consider All Factors

What factor was

not considered?

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 CAF
Other tools may be brought in under the CAF tool.
Example:
Do a CAF on designing a chair
• purpose of the design
• market or use for the chair
• what children like in chairs (O.P.V.)
• what parents buy in children’s chairs (O.P.V.)
• what will become of the chair when the
child grows older (C&S)
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A.G.O.
Aims, Goals, Objectives
The A.G.O. tool looks at
the intention behind actions.
What is our purpose?

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 A.G.O.
Aims, Goals, Objectives
Key Points What is our
objective?
What are we
aiming for?
• The A.G.O. tool helps clarify
What’s the goal?
the aim, goal, or objective of our
thinking. Use it at the beginning
of a thinking session.
• The A.G.O. is an action tool.
It is for making things happen.
• “Aims,” “goals,” and “objectives” all mean
the same thing in the DATT course.

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 A.G.O.
Aims, Goals, Objectives
Key Points (continued)
• There are three levels of objectives: overall
objectives, sub-objectives, and right-now objectives.
• First, there is the general aim of our thinking, such as
exploring a subject or solving a problem.
• We then plug in the specific need.
• Think of alternate definitions to a problem.
Some problem definitions are more productive than others.

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A.G.O.
General Aims of Thinking
Exploring a subject Making a plan
Collecting information Solving a problem
Seeking to understand Arguing a case
Assessing a situation Seeking to simplify
Making a design Improving
Organizing information Achieving a task

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 A.P.C.
Alternatives, Possibilities,
Choices
A.P.C. is the process of deliberately
trying to find alternatives.
The A.P.C. is an action tool.
It is the tool for creativity.
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A.P.C.
Alternatives, Possibilities, Choices

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 A.P.C.
Alternatives, Possibilities, Choices
Key Points
• With the A.P.C. we look for alternatives,
possibilities, and choices.
• Generate possibilities in three cases:
1. When trying to understand something
2. When making a prediction
3. When designing an action
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 A.P.C.
Alternatives, Possibilities, Choices
Key Points (continued)
• Imagine the possibilities. Then try them out in
your mind and get information about them.
• The A.P.C. is a two-step process.
1. List the usual alternatives.
2. Create more alternatives.
• Generating alternatives may make a final
choice more difficult. But good thinkers
must be able to handle possibilities.

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 A.P.C.
Alternatives, Possibilities, Choices
When to Use A.P.C.
• for explanation/understanding
• for making a prediction
• for designing an action

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O.P.V.
Other People’s Views

The O.P.V. helps us look at other

people’s viewpoints.

“It is an exploration tool”

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 O.P.V.
Other People’s Views
Key Points
• The O.P.V. tool directs attention to the views of
specific people, not just other views in general.
• The O.P.V. requires “stepping into the shoes” of
the other people involved.
• Using the O.P.V. involves two steps:
1. List the people involved.
2. Then find out their views.
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 O.P.V.
Other People’s Views
Key Points (continued)
• Scan widely. Include both those directly and
indirectly involved.
• To find out others’ views-
imagine what they think
look for public records reporting what they think
do an A.P.C. to list the possible views
ask the people to express their views
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 K.V.I.
Key Values Involved
The K.V.I. tool looks at the values
involved in a situation.
With the K.V.I. we can check our own
values and the values of others.
The K.V.I. has many uses, including
exploration, assessment, design, problem
solving, and decision making.
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 K.V.I.
Key Values Involved
Key Points
• The K.V.I. is not for judging or changing values.
It is designed to look at the values that are there
and take them into account.
• Positive values are things we want to have.
Negative values are things we want to avoid.
• Doing a K.V.I. can include assessing all the
values involved-your own and those of other
people. The O.P.V. is automatically included
in the K.V.I. on such occasions.

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 K.V.I.
Key Values Involved
Key Points (continued)
• Values exist in a wide range, such as obvious,
subtle, and new values; value changes; important,
less important, and contradictory values.
• The K.V.I. lays out several stages you can use for
making a decision.

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 FIP
First Important Priorities

The FIP narrows down long lists to

those things that need to be done
first and those things that are the
most important.

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 FIP
First Important Priorities
Key Points
• Priorities guide all that we do, so priorities are extremely
important. Some things matter much more than others.
• The K.V.I. feed into FIP. Values have to be there in the
end or the outcome will be worthless.
• In choosing priorities, ask two questions:
1. Without this, the action or project could not go
ahead.
What is “this”? (Feasibility)
2. Without this, the action or project would not be
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 FIP
First Important Priorities
Key Points (continued)
• When everything seems important, first throw out
what is not so important. Then from what is left,
pick out what is most important.
• When you cannot narrow down the priorities, try
combining some of them.

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 FIP
First Important Priorities
Key Points (continued)
• With contradictory priorities, try to design a way
to satisfy both priorities. If this is not possible,
then make a trade-off. Give up one priority in
order to enjoy another.
• In priorities, as in the K.V.I., there are positive
and negative values—things you need to have and
things you need to avoid.

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DOCA
Decision/Design, Outcome,
Channels, Action
The DOCA tool looks at the
outcome of our thinking and the
action steps that follow.

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 DOCA
Decision/Design, Outcome,
Channels, Action
Key Points
• The DOCA tool helps us answer these
questions:
What are we going to do?
How are we going to do it?
• D = Decision or Design
• O = Other Outcome
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 DOCA
Decision/Design, Outcome,
Channels, Action
Key Points (continued)
• C = Channels for action
• A = Action steps
• Use a Decision Grid to find out which decision
or design fits your values and priorities.
• In most cases, the output of thinking
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 Applications
• Practical Uses
Single Tool Use
Sequenced Use
Thinking Needs
Thinking Stages
• Summary
• Templates
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DOCA
DOCA Chart

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