Dear All,

This is an excerpt from an article"Creativity & Quality" written by Dr.Edward De Bono. Edward de Bono's work helped shatter the theory that creativity is a talent possessed only by a gifted few who can see beyond current paradigms. His seminal work in The Mechanism of the Mind and later in Lateral Thinking established the theory that creativity is a skill that can be developed and enhanced through structured training and
teaching.

If we are too successful in improving the current way of doing things, then we can get locked into that current way - just as we have become locked into our traditional thinking habits.

The goal of quality programs should not be just to improve present methods but also to seek alternative methods of reaching the agreed objectives.

Creativity is needed to generate the alternatives. Often there is a need for new concepts. When the alternatives have been generated, then they can be measured against each other and against the current method.

Success in improving the quality of the existing method may lock us into continuing that particular operation when a creative challenge would have shown that the whole operation did not need doing at all.

We can improve the current way of reaching the current objective. We can find a different way to reach the current objective. We can change the objective itself. Creativity can be helpful in getting us to think freely about what we are trying to do. Creativity opens up possibilities. Creativity provokes our thinking about objectives.

It is easy to focus on problems and defects. It is difficult to focus on things that are going well. It is even more difficult to focus on things we do not even notice.

Warm Regards

Jim Watson