How to Help Lateral Thinking and Stop Destructive Thoughts in Their Tracks - Consider PO!

The great thinker and inventor of the term of lateral thinking, Edward De Bono came up with the concept of "Po". Basically Po is used to ignite the imagination and take away boundaries when coming up with creative solutions for problems. Basically you make a statement - no matter how silly - and see where it leads you in finding a real solution to a problem.

To quote Wikipedia:

For example, Sales are dropping off because our product is perceived as old fashioned.

po: Change the color of the packaging
po: Flood the market with even older-looking products to make it seem more appealing
po: Call it retro
po: Sell it to old people
po: Sell it to young people as a gift for old people
po: Open a museum dedicated to it
po: Pretend it is a new product
Some of the above ideas may be impractical, not sensible, not business-minded, not politically correct, or just plain daft. The value of these ideas is that they move thinking from a place where it is entrenched to a place where it can move. The above ideas might develop into...

po: Change the color of the packaging
update the product casing to bring it up to date (electronic goods can often do this)
po: Flood the market with even older-looking products to make it seem more appealing
take a cut down version and release it as an older cheaper one to make this product seem like the top of the line
po: Call it retro
instead of retro say "tried and tested" or "industry standard"
po: Sell it to old people
good idea
po: Sell it to young people as a gift for old people
good idea
po: Open a museum dedicated to it
exhibit only your competitor's products
sell this product in the museum
make the experience educational within your sector
open a café
accept group bookings
add a theme park
po: Pretend it is a new product
give it a new name and call it state of the art

The second use of the word "Po" is using it as a "wedge of awareness" when you wish to change destructive thoughts. What you do is this.. When you want to change your habitual destructive thinking mutter the word Po to yourself during the thought attack and it breaks the cycle. Let me give you an example:
"That fella just cut me off in his big fancy car... !!! People are ignorant and stupid ... Po!.... I am getting worked up over nothing and I am generalizing and labeling people.."

It really works! Its such an odd word it sort pops into your head during these spiral of destructive thoughts - it certainly seems to work for me! Give it a go and let me know how you get on!

For more "mind hacks" I recommend Mind Performance Hacks published by O'Relly by Ron Hale-Evans. I am currently reading this and loving it!

Have a nice weekend

Allen