Thinking Boutique, News, Events, Articles
August 2010: Learn how a company saved over $400,000 using de Bono tools
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Greetings!
Imagine using de Bono communication tools to develop practical ideas to save over $400,000. And that's just for the first year. In ten years that's $4.0 million. Real money. Be sure to read the hot-off-the-press case study featuring Emerson Scroll Compressors located in Ava, Missouri. Very inspiring, especially with the economy still tight. After you digest the case study, give serious consideration to step up to the thinking plate--put a plan together to Power-Up Your Organization's Thinking. You can kick the tires by registering to attend de Bono Thinking Skills week September 28-Oct. 1 in Des Moines, Iowa. Or, you can call me directly to work with you to plan an in-house project. Thinking has become a necessary business skill. If you can only attend one event this year, Thinking Organizations Succeed! Conference 2010 Sept. 29-Oct. 1 in Vancouver is a good one to choose. The link between organization health and thinking is very important for business and individual success. See you there. It's also another perfect place to kick the de Bono Thinking Systems tires. Conference Brochure-- clickThe de Bono for Schools launch is going very well. Pinellas School Board in Florida is conducting teacher training in CoRT 1 Breadth Thinking Lessons. Isn't that great! Be sure to send prospects for school materials my way. Maybe you want to support a school program or start your own school program. Why not? Good thinking to you,
Lynda Curtin
info@LyndaCurtin.com
Phone: 818-507-6055
Public Schedule
Registration Form
de Bono For Business
de Bono For Schools
School Store--Shop Now
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"We are more curious about the meaning of dreams than about things we see when awake."
- Diogenes
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My Dad always managed to grow sunflowers much taller than he was. What a lesson in growth.  | Gratitude
by Steve Kaye
I feel a deep
personal gratitude
for everyone who
has contributed to
my discomfort
because the pain
they created
helped me grow.
From Freedom to Play, by Steve Kaye
Click here to check out Steve's poetry collections.
Steve is my go-to poet for inspiration when I am stuck. Who is yours?
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| "The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness." - John Muir
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Case Study: Emerson Scroll Compressor Plant
Plant Managers Use Innovative de Bono Communication Tools to Tap Strengths of Straight-Shooting Workforce--The Result? Over $400,000 in Savings
Read on to learn
how scrap was reduced by 20%, resulting in an annual $48,000 cost savings, and
how an electricity usage reduction idea contest resulted in implementing ideas
that saved $400,000.
The Challenge: Growth Creates
Communications Roadblocks
The Emerson Copeland facility in Ava, Missouri, had once been an Emerson
motor plant. When that operation was moved to Mexico, Copeland bought the
plant and brought some of the Emerson people back to work. The rehires were
committed to keeping their jobs, and over time, due to their performance, the
plant expanded four times. The growth caused the division to restructure and
the local plant name changed to Scroll Compressors LLC. Growth is usually a
positive, but it brings new challenges. The quick growth the plant was
experiencing had limited many employees' willingness to engage management.
Employees, described by managers as a tremendous resource, honest and smart
as well as hard working, were not giving their opinions any more.
The Solution: Teach and Apply
Communication and Problem-Solving Skills to Rekindle Honest Interaction
Between Managers and Employees
In a manufacturing plant, employee
involvement requires commitment. Holding meetings takes employees off the
floor, temporarily interrupting production. And listening to what hundreds of
workers are experiencing and thinking takes a lot of management time. But
Scroll Compressors LLC managers Michael Redfearn, Skip Steward, and Bill
Henry believed that if you make the effort, you can harvest valuable information
on problems that exist along with practical suggestions for solving them.
Working with the plant trainer,
Don Hanger, and de Bono Thinking Systems experts, this management team
designed a five-step plan to increase employee involvement in improving plant
performance.
Learn de Bono communication and problem solving tools and pilot the process Train senior management as facilitators
Create Ava Impact Teams to address specific tasks/problems Gradually engage all of staff Measure and publish results
The long-term goal was to enable Copeland to continue to provide superior quality products at a reasonable price. The first short-term goal was to deal with scrap issues in a new automated-production area. |
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The Value: Measurable Results
Lead to Wider Application of the de Bono Tools
Using the de Bono thinking tools
leveled the playing field between supervisors, engineers, and front-line
workers. Communication improved and positive energy began to flow. The ideas
generated and implemented by Impact Teams reduced scrap by 20%, resulting in
an annual $48,000 cost savings. As a result of this success, all of
management was then trained in the methodology, and de Bono systems are now
part of regular protocol.
An example of a subsequent Impact
Team focus was a plant-wide contest to reduce electricity usage. One team
examined the plant's practice of running coolant pumps on weekends to keep a
water-based coolant moving, even though the machines it cooled were not in
operation. The reason for this practice was to control bacterial growth which
otherwise produced a very foul odor. Applying the tools they had learned, the
team came up with the idea of circulating the coolant in bursts, running the
equipment only once for five to ten minutes every three to four hours.
Implementation of the burst approach saved the plant $130,000 in one year.
The total savings through all ideas implemented from the contest was
$400,000. At the time this case study was written, Impact Teams are focused
on ways that the plant can become greener by keeping waste out of landfills.
The Future: The Involvement of a
Workforce Rooted in a Small Midwestern Town Leads to Growing Impact
Don Hanger reports that the Ava
plant's employees use the de Bono tools for idea generation whenever they encounter
something that they don't know how to deal with. The tools are also embedded in
various lean manufacturing processes such as Six Sigma and Total Preventive
Maintenance to strengthen outcomes. Six Thinking Hats methodology is used
routinely in performance reviews of hourly workers. In fact, so many things are
going on that it is becoming difficult to track all of the results that can be
attributed to the use of this practical and innovative problem-solving system.
"In the future what I'd most like to
see," Don concludes, "is for Emerson and its partners to make use of our
demonstrated success by adopting the de Bono techniques in other manufacturing
plants-and other divisions of the organization. It would be great to see an
approach that was pioneered in the Ava plant benefit Emerson on a much larger
scale."
Emerson Climate Technologies
Copeland Corporation was founded in
1921 by Edmund Copeland, a Michigan inventor who developed the first successful
mechanical refrigeration system. During the 1930s, the company was sold twice,
landing in the hands of four Copeland managers who then drove its growth. In
the mid 1980s, Copeland became a subsidiary of Emerson Electric Company of St.
Louis. Through a new branding initiative, Copeland came to be a part of Emerson
Climate Technologies.
Today Copeland employs over 6,000
workers at five U.S. and several international facilities. This case study
features the Ava, Missouri plant which was established in 1997. The Ava plant
machines scroll elements that are later assembled into scroll air conditioning
compressors. Almost half of the Ava location's output is shipped to Emerson
owned assembly plants outside the United States.
Copeland believes in and practices
the importance of employee development to assure company success. Communication
and team work skills are a vital part of their program. In 2010, the Ava plant
had worked seven years and a total of 7.5 million hours without a Lost Time
Accident.
Provided courtesy of de Bono
Consulting, the excellent de Bono materials distributor for The Opportunity Thinker/de Bono for Business since 1994.
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"Be master of mind rather than mastered by mind."
- Zen Saying
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Thinking Organizations SUCCEED! Conference 2010
14th annual Health Work & Wellness Conference
Sept. 29-Oct. 2--Hyatt Regency Hotel, Vancouver BC
Organization health requires effective thinkers. If you can only attend one event this year--this is the one. Ten topics to equip you and your team to think your way through any challenge--thinking performance drives business performance.
Discover the thinking shifts that need to take place in your organization today. Learn to incorporate intuitive intelligence into your business. Strengthen you Innovation Instinct. Recognize how to break the idea-killer habit. Discover how to put in place the four building blocks of a healthy organization. Learn how to drill down on workplace challenges in a more integrative way. Go from 'what were we thinking?' to 'what is our thinking?' Find out how to unleash the power and vision of your company. Lead high performance thinking during meetings. Turn your big ideas into action!
Conference Brochure--PDF Brochure
Conference Website--click here
Lynda Curtin is scheduled to deliver the opening keynote presentation
"Power-Up Your Organization's Thinking"
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| "It is not the same to talk of bulls as to be in the bullring." - Spanish Proverb
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Purchase These School Products at Shutterfly
de Bono For Schools--CoRT 1
and Six Thinking Hats--Posters, Note Cards, Mugs, Mouse Pads
Perfect thank you gifts for teachers and prizes for students. These CoRT products are beautiful. | Shutterfly is the leading on demand printer of specialty products. You can shop with confidence.
They take our professionally designed images and
print them onto these Six Thinking Hats and CoRT 1 products: - Posters--20" X 30", perfect for classroom walls, meeting rooms, and bedroom doors. Frame them and you have an affordable piece of art to remind you to THINK! Price-$39.97 each in full color. Three designs to choose from.
- Mugs--images are printed on white ceramic for a dramatic effect. Price--$14.97 each. Three designs to choose from.
- Note Cards--they come 12 to a package with envelopes. Price--$14.97. Two designs to choose from.
- Mouse Pads--the perfect reminder to THINK before you hit the SEND key. Price--$14.97 each. Two designs to choose from.
All sales of these specialty products are processed by Shutterfly on your credit card. International shipping is available.
They are great quality and they look fantastic! My favorite is the CoRT 1 mouse pad and mug--very swish design thanks to talented graphic designer--Mike Wheary.
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"You can only find truth with logic if you have already found truth without it."- G.K. Chesterton
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Igniting Innovation--Book Recommendation
Through the Power of Creative Thinking by David Tanner
There are many books on the desperate need for innovation in business, but very few that give road maps for institutionalizing innovation. Igniting Innovation expands on Dr. Tanner's wealth of experience in making innovation a driver of competitive advantage in any organization. He was Director, DuPont Center for Creativity & Innovation.
Inside this book you will find all of the elements essential to set an environment for employees to think and act creatively and get profitable results. Everything is spelled out clearly and ready for immediate use.
- Published 2008. 140 pages filled with practical ideas.
- Fast and easy read which makes this book perfect for groups pressed for time.
- Teams focused on innovation will find lots of inexpensive and easy to implement strategies.
$19.95Buy online here-- click |
"Water which is too pure has no fish."
- Ts'ai Ken T'an
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Advanced Ideation Facilitation Skills
Lead Thinking Together Meetings that Deliver Remarkable Results
Receive your own copy of de Bono's Facilitation Handbook at the workshop! It will be a handy reference for years to come.
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Focus on Facilitation: Equip your key leaders with proven innovation tools and processes to facilitate the thinking that needs to take place in meetings in order for groups to arrive at well thought through solutions that can be supported and implemented. There is no other facilitation tool kit like it. It's very practical and powerful.
Twenty nine tools from three well known de Bono methods are blended together to equip proactive business leaders to facilitate a wide variety of important meetings: ideation, project, problem solving, planning, strategy, decision making, improvement.
We can also conduct a customized in-house workshop at your organization. Call Lynda @ 818-507-6055 to discuss your objectives.
Registration Form
Complete Schedule
Fee: $2,969 - Sept. 28-Oct. 1
Includes Six Thinking Hats prerequisite training
Locations: Des Moines, Iowa.
Time: 8:30AM-5:00PM
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"To set up what you like against what you dislike--this is the disease of the mind."- Seng-T'San
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 Six Thinking Hats: A Creativity Process for Results Driven Companies
Save Time - Improve Results - Be Productive
Six Thinking Hats is a time tested tool that boosts creative performance. It proves a framework to sort out six different ingredients in thinking. Each person uses the same tool, at the same time, on the same challenge - focused parallel thinking.
Increase creative and innovative performance by learning how to:
- Break the idea killer habit that shuts down the creative process.
- Generate powerful new ideas that are outside of the mainstream.
- Follow a practical process for idea evaluation.
- Consider a broader range of possible solutions and select the ones that best meet the business need.
- Select opportunities to pursue based on balancing value against risk.
- Develop actions plans to minimize risk.
- Sell well thought out ideas to management and clients with more confidence.
Register Now: Plan to attend with your team for maximum impact back on the job.
Or, have us deliver a custom workshop at your organization. Call 818-507-6055
Fee: $799 - Sept. 28, or Nov. 3
Des Moines, Iowa
Time: 8:30AM-5:00PM
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"A morning-glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books."- Walt Whitman
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 Six Thinking Hats Train-the-Trainer: Learn to Teach de Bono Tools to Others
Develop in-depth knowledge and sharpen your training skills
Imagine having your own in-house experts available exactly when you need them to work with you resolving perplexing challenges - no need to go through a cumbersome process to get budget approval for an outside trainer. Or, perhaps your organization requires a high level of security when working on confidential business challenges - you're never quite comfortable working with an outsider - critical information is held back - crippling the search for fresh new solutions.
Consider training key business leaders that can provide custom training and facilitation geared to your exclusive needs.
Set up an appointment with Lynda Curtin to discuss options, discounts available, and to work with you to plan your project for success. Please don't wait until the last minute as you will need to submit an application fro acceptance into the program along with references.
Learn about our excellent Train-the-Trainer process.
Or, schedule a custom event at your organization.
Application Form
Reference Form
FREE Bonus: attend Six Thinking Hats Train-the-Trainer this week and get Focus on Facilitation included with your certification training for FREE! A $2,975 value.
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Fee: $5,250
Six Thinking Hats, Sept. 28-Oct. 1, 2010
Des Moines, Iowa
Time: 8:30AM-5:00PM
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| "Our life is frittered away by detail...Simplify, simplify."- Thoreau
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Lateral Thinking: Out-of-the-Box Tools for Systematic Creativity
If an opportunity doesn't knock, build a door.
Lateral Thinking: "We need fresh thinking. Our ideas are all predictable. There's nothing new here. We need different thinking. We don't have time to wait for ideas to surface in the shower." If you hear these comments at your company, it's a signal you're ready to learn Lateral Thinking tools to boost your ability to generate fresh new ideas exactly when you need them.
You will learn specific tools to: generate fresh new ideas, challenge the status-quo, broaden your search for creative effort, strengthen ideas to ensure buy-in and shape ideas to be workable within relevant constraints.
Equip your teams with time tested tools and watch innovative solutions surface like never before.
Book Lynda Curtin to deliver a custom workshop at your organization.
Registration Form
Complete Schedule
Fee $799--Sept. 27
Des Moines, Iowa
Time: 8:30-5:00
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"If you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know."
- Louis Armstrong
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Advanced Creativity For Maximum Impact
Blended Six Thinking Hats and Lateral Thinking Tools
Six Thinking Hats and Lateral Thinking tools work perfectly together. One strength of de Bono's methods is their flexibility to work well with each other. Lateral Thinking idea generating tools strengthen the green hat, for example. There are many more powerful links. If you really want to turbo charge your creative ability plan on attending this advanced workshop. Be sure to bring team members with you to enable smoother implementation back at work.
Book Lynda Curtin to deliver a custom workshop at your organization.
Registration Form
Complete Schedule
Fee: $1,399--Sept. 27-28
Des Moines, Iowa
Time: 8:30-5:00
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"It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end."
- Ursula K. Le Guin
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Time to Think: Metro company offers help for gridlock by teaching politicians to think
Strategy focuses on Six Thinking Hats
Dave Price--Staff Writer, May 11, 2010
Video Link--watch the news piece and gain insights to this powerful tool shared by Barb Stennes, CEO of de Bono Consulting--our distributor of de Bono materials. Time required is about five minutes. Congratulations to Barb for an excellent interview.
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The Opportunity Thinker/de Bono For Business/de Bono For Schools
248 W Loraine St., Suite 103
Phone: 818-507-6055
Glendale, California 91202
info@LyndaCurtin.com
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