| DESCRIPTION |
“Provocation and Movement” is an important
lateral thinking technique. It works by moving your thinking out of the
established patterns that you use to solve problems.
We think by recognizing patterns and reacting to them. These reactions
come from our past experiences and logical extensions to those experiences.
Often we do not think outside these patterns. While we may know the answer
as part of a different type of problem, the structure of our brains makes
it difficult for us to link this in.
“Provocation and Movement” is one of the tools we use to make
links between these patterns.
We use it by making deliberately stupid or unusual statements (Provocations),
in which something we take for granted about the situation is not true.
Statements need to be stupid to shock our minds out of existing ways of
thinking. Once we have made a provocative statement, we then suspend judgment
and use that statement to generate ideas. This is the Movement part of
the technique. Provocations give us original starting points for creative
thinking (Movement).
As an example, we could make a statement that 'Houses should not have
roofs'. Normally this would not be a good idea! However this leads one
to think of houses with opening roofs, or houses with glass roofs. These
would allow you to explore positive and useful sides of the basic concept
that has been challenged by the provocation. E.g. in houses with opening
roofs you could lie in bed and look up at the stars.
Once you have made the Provocation, you can continue to the Movement phase
using the provocation in a number of different ways, by examining:
- The consequences of the statement
- What the benefits would be
- What special circumstances would make it a sensible solution
- The principles needed to support it and make it work
- How it would work moment-to-moment
- What would happen if a sequence of events was changed
- Etc.
You can use this list as a checklist.
Edward de Bono has developed and popularized use of Provocation and Movement
by using the word 'Po'. 'Po' stands for 'Provocative operation'. As well
as laying out how to use Provocation effectively, he suggests that when
we make a Provocative statement in public, then we label it as such with
'Po' (e.g. 'Po: the earth is flat'). This does rely on all members of
your audience knowing about Provocation!
As with other lateral thinking techniques, Provocation and Movement does
not always produce good or relevant ideas. Often, though, it does. Ideas
generated using Provocation and Movement are likely to be fresh and original
Example:
The owner of a video-hire shop is looking at new ideas for
business to compete with the Internet. She starts with the provocation
'Customers should not pay to borrow videos'.
She then examines the provocation:
• Consequences: The shop would get no rental revenue and therefore
would need alternative sources of cash. It would be cheaper to borrow
the video from the shop than to download the film or order it from a
catalogue.
• Benefits: Many more people would come to borrow videos. More
people would pass through the shop. The shop would spoil the market
for other video shops in the area.
• Circumstances: The shop would need other revenue. Perhaps the
owner could sell advertising in the shop, or sell popcorn, sweets, bottles
of wine or pizzas to people borrowing films. This would make her shop
a one-stop 'Night at home' shop. Perhaps it would only lend videos to
people who had absorbed a 30-second commercial, or completed a market
research questionnaire.
After using the Provocation, the owner of the video shop decides to
run an experiment for several months. She will allow customers to borrow
the top ten videos free (but naturally will fine them for late returns).
She puts the videos at the back of the shop. In front of them she places
displays of bottles of wine, soft drinks, popcorn and sweets so that
customers have to walk past them to get to the videos. Next to the film
return counter she sells merchandise from the top ten films being hired.
If the approach is a success she will open a pizza stand inside the
shop.
|