Edward De Bono

Quote from De Bono in an article in the Guardian on 24 April 2007

"Studies have shown that 90% of error in thinking is due to error in perception. If you can change your perception, you can change your emotion and this can lead to new ideas. Logic will never change emotion or perception."

I understand this to mean that people who can think creatively are more likely to make the right decisions and selections. Technical knowledge and written procedures are relatively unhelpful where problem solving is required. This does have an application to industrial safety. It is fairly well known that people often suffer from tunnel vision in high demand situations, often assuming the situation they have been presented with is the same as ones they have seen in the past, and so trying the same solution.

So it seems creative thinking needs to be part of the training for plant operators, maintenance technicians, supervisors and plant managers. Interesting idea!

Andy Brazier