Those readers who are very familiar with my work will be very surprised to find that I am writing about 'fault finding' as a creative exercise! Much of my work has been concerned with the limitations of the traditional software of Western thinking, which has been based on the Greek Gang of Three (Socrates, Plato and Aristotle).
This thinking is heavily oriented towards the critical. The emphasis of traditional thinking is on showing how something is wrong; how something does not fit in with pre-established laws or principles; and how something does not fit in with some pre-defined category.
The whole purpose of the Six Hats system, which is now being widely adopted by major corporations world-wide, is to put critical thinking in its proper place and to lessen its total dominance over thinking. Socrates believed that criticism was enough. If you removed what was 'wrong' then you must be left with what is 'right'.
So why am I writing about 'fault finding' as a creative exercise?
First of all, fault finding is not the same as traditional criticism. Finding the weaknesses in an idea, proposal, strategy or design is very important. How else are you going to assess the idea? How else are you going to anticipate the problems? How else are you going to overcome dangers and weaknesses?
EXCESSIVE CRITICISM
Because excessive criticism is rather unconstructive, this does not mean that fault finding is unnecessary. Because some people drink far too much wine, it does not mean that wine is harmful. It is precisely because caution has a most useful role that the critical Black Hat is included in the Six Hats method.
But does it take creativity to 'find' the faults? Surely analysis would be enough?
RISK-AVERSE
There are some faults which are immediately obvious. There are some faults which any mind that is risk-averse will be able to find. But then there are other faults which are not at all easy to find. We may need to use our creative imagination to foresee different possibilities and different circumstances.
The purpose of creativity is not only to create new ideas but also to create new perceptions. Insights and new ways of looking at things are just as creative an output as a new invention. Just as the Yellow Hat effort to find value can turn up insightful surprises so also can a Black Hat effort.
CONSIDERING THE FAULTS
Most wine makers would agree that a screw-top cap would be a much better way of closing a bottle of wine. Cork is expensive and unreliable. Corks deteriorate. Wine bottles need to be kept on their side in order to prevent the cork from drying out. Screw-top caps would avoid all these problems. This seems obvious. Then we consider the faults.
People would consider screw-top wine inferior and cheap. The whole tradition of wine and corkscrews would be lost and hence some of the value of the aura of wine-drinking. A bottle of wine would seem too similar to a bottle of lemonade. Seeing an array of wine bottles in a supermarket, who would choose a screw-top bottle?
Those faults are fairly obvious. But there are others which are less obvious. Because a screw-top cap would be much easier to replace than a cork, people would get into the habit of having a glass or two and then closing the bottle again. The wine in the bottle would now become oxidised and vinegary. So future drinks would give a poor tasting wine. Drinkers might blame this on the wine and go off drinking wine. Here the very ease of closing the bottle turns out to be a disadvantage.
INSTANT TAXIS
In Lima in Peru every motorist can turn his or her car into an instant taxi. All you need to do is put a card behind the windscreen showing TAXI. Your car is now a taxi. You can pick up passengers and charge them for the ride. In the morning many commuters do just this. One of the merits of the system is that you get more taxis at peak times. It would never make sense to have enough taxis to cope with peak time, because they could not earn a living at non-peak times.
The weaknesses of the system are obvious. Poor drivers, unsafe cars and weak insurance are some of the faults. The dangers of abduction and fare extortion are also obvious. Because private cars are competing with regular taxis, there may not be enough business to keep regular taxis going, so they might drop out of business. At non-peak times, when fewer citizens are driving around, there might now be no taxis available when you want them.
LESS OBVIOUS FAULTS
All those are fairly obvious faults. Now for the less obvious ones. There may actually be a traffic increase,with many cars driving round and round looking for fares to supplement their income. Also, by making it much easier for people to travel, you actually increase the need to travel. For example, if there was a street market which should cease to exist because it is difficult to get to, then that market now survives. Because it survives, there is now a need to get to it - so there is more traffic.
Many of the readers of this letter will already know about the Edward de Bono Creative Team (TM). This is an attempt to put together the greatest creative resource in history. Thousands of team members around the world will be able to apply their creative thinking to both social and commercial problems.
During December team members are being asked to apply their creative fault finding to the fundamental concept of 'democracy'. There are very many faults in the system. Later Team members will be asked to find creative improvements and ways of overcoming the faults. The Team can be accessed on the Internet at http:/www.edwdebono.com/
PROJECTION
Creative fault finding involves projection into the future. We need to imagine the following types of situation:
1. How different people will react to the idea.
2. The idea in different settings.
3. Longer term reactions: reactions to the initial reactions.
4. Possible changes in circumstances.
5. The disturbance in the equilibrium of the present system.
6. Other changes which may alter the way people react.
7. Over-use of the benefits may become counter-productive.
8. People may react in anticipation of change with negative effects.
9. The values involved may not be universally accepted.
10. Possible abuses of the system.
Most people would acknowledge the value of the telephone. But it could also be said that the telephone has destroyed letter writing. This may not only kill romance, but also impede history, as no piles of letters record daily life. It could also be said that telephones make it unnecessary for people to get to know their neighbours because they can have friends at a distance. Almost everything has a negative side for some people, under certain circumstances, or in terms of certain values.
ATTENTION DIRECTING
As in so much of perceptual thinking, creative fault finding involves shifting attention. In the case of the Lima taxis, you need to shift attention from the drivers to the potential passengers, to different types of passengers, to regular taxis, to other traffic, to local politicians, etc.
Sometimes a combination of C&S and OPV (two tools from the new APTT programme called DATT) may help. OPV invites attention to all the parties involved. C&S directs attention to the different time scales of consequences (immediate, short-term, medium-term and long-term).
DEALING WITH THE FAULTS
Once we are aware of the faults, we can anticipate that they will arise. We can expect them and be able to deal with them. We can modify the idea so as to avoid the trouble. We can arrange compensatory mechanisms.
Sometimes we cannot remove the fault. Sometimes removing the fault may remove the key merits of the idea. Sometimes we recognise that for a small group there will always be faults. Sometimes we recognise that any system can be abused by those who are determined to do so. In all cases, being aware of the potential faults and problems puts one in a much better position than remaining in ignorance of these possibilities.
It is true that an excessive emphasis on faults may paralyse action and lead to the rejection of any initiative. This is not the purpose of creative fault finding. While fault finding is indeed part of assessment, it is also part of 'idea improvement'. Once we are aware of the faults we can take steps to deal with them.
SUMMARY
Fault finding is not usually considered as part of the creative process. But creativity may be needed to go beyond the obvious faults and those uncovered by analysis. It may need creativity to anticipate unusual circumstances or motivations. While fault finding is part of assessment, there is also a need to identify faults in order to strengthen an idea. Paying attention only to the merits of an idea is not enough.
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