With Americans growing increasingly dissatisfied with fighting and lack of solutions from both parties in Washington, one metro company thinks it could offer a solution: teach politicians how to think.
De Bono Consulting is in a quiet neighborhood on the edge of Clive. But it is a place that would love to get its hands on the minds of our elected leaders.
Barbara Stennes is a personally trained disciple of Edward de Bono. De Bono is a Malta- born, Rhodes Scholar, who has written more than 60 books on the right ways to think. You might say Stennes is his CEO of problem solving. Stennes said, "We are not intentionally saying you must think in a certain way. We are giving them 50 different techniques they can use."
At first glance her office looks a bit like something out of Doctor Seuss. But there is no cat in these hats. Each of six different colored hats represents what should be happening under the hats of our sometimes colorblind leaders. Stennes can lay it out on her flip chart of what's too often missing. Some politicians fail to show the commitment to problem solving. They refuse to collaborate. They may not even possess the talent it takes. And they lack the proper thinking tools. Stennes said, "Therein lies the problem in our political arena."
There may also be another problem layer. The only thing that can be bigger than the place politicians work can be their egos. Out on the East Coast, Mary Bula is too nice to point out egos but will talk about differences. She said, "Public officials and private sector leaders approach issues from two very different perspectives. The private sector is very results oriented and performance and bottom line driven. Governments tend to move a little more slowly and that could be the laws by which they are bound. That could be because of public pressure or accountability, financial constraints or a whole lot of reasons."
Bula is the Vice-President of the Eerie Pennsylvania Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership. When she leads meetings, she teaches better thinking for real solutions to problems with de Bono's six thinking hats strategy. There can be no egos at the table. Bula said, "Figuratively speaking, meeting participants wear the same hat at the same time. Everyone is exploring a particular issue in a cooperative way."
Meanwhile, Stennes believes the de Bono "Six Things Hats" strategy offers a campaign strategy for politicians to teach them to think. She said, "We have no concern about it. It's really a matter of you get the right people in the room. You make time and space for them to be heard. You have them focused on one type of thinking."
If they can't learn how to think, then, perhaps, voters will decide it is time for others to throw their hats into the ring.
For more information on de Bono Consulting's Six Thinking Hats strategy check out this website www.debonoconsulting.com.
De Bono Consulting is in a quiet neighborhood on the edge of Clive. But it is a place that would love to get its hands on the minds of our elected leaders.
Barbara Stennes is a personally trained disciple of Edward de Bono. De Bono is a Malta- born, Rhodes Scholar, who has written more than 60 books on the right ways to think. You might say Stennes is his CEO of problem solving. Stennes said, "We are not intentionally saying you must think in a certain way. We are giving them 50 different techniques they can use."
At first glance her office looks a bit like something out of Doctor Seuss. But there is no cat in these hats. Each of six different colored hats represents what should be happening under the hats of our sometimes colorblind leaders. Stennes can lay it out on her flip chart of what's too often missing. Some politicians fail to show the commitment to problem solving. They refuse to collaborate. They may not even possess the talent it takes. And they lack the proper thinking tools. Stennes said, "Therein lies the problem in our political arena."
There may also be another problem layer. The only thing that can be bigger than the place politicians work can be their egos. Out on the East Coast, Mary Bula is too nice to point out egos but will talk about differences. She said, "Public officials and private sector leaders approach issues from two very different perspectives. The private sector is very results oriented and performance and bottom line driven. Governments tend to move a little more slowly and that could be the laws by which they are bound. That could be because of public pressure or accountability, financial constraints or a whole lot of reasons."
Bula is the Vice-President of the Eerie Pennsylvania Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership. When she leads meetings, she teaches better thinking for real solutions to problems with de Bono's six thinking hats strategy. There can be no egos at the table. Bula said, "Figuratively speaking, meeting participants wear the same hat at the same time. Everyone is exploring a particular issue in a cooperative way."
Meanwhile, Stennes believes the de Bono "Six Things Hats" strategy offers a campaign strategy for politicians to teach them to think. She said, "We have no concern about it. It's really a matter of you get the right people in the room. You make time and space for them to be heard. You have them focused on one type of thinking."
If they can't learn how to think, then, perhaps, voters will decide it is time for others to throw their hats into the ring.
For more information on de Bono Consulting's Six Thinking Hats strategy check out this website www.debonoconsulting.com.
