Minimizing Argumentation & Debate Models - de Bono's Tools Helps Women's Rights.
Despite lip service to the value of women's rights, if a woman speaks up with an idea in a room of guys - it's still quite often that one of the guys needs to repeat the idea before anyone will recognize it has been said.
Many women will not present their ideas in a group situation. Those of both sexes forgo participation because they want to avoid competition and argumentative attack. Many believe this sort of challenging to be a sign of respect. Those who merely refuse to spar in this manner, their ideas go unsaid and unused.
Having de Bono in my back pocket is a handy author-ity to trot out. One of the significant things that de Bono has done for me is to give a name to some of the processes for my innate creative thinking ability and high idea production. With terms, skills and explanations that de Bono has articulated, now other people can understand my motives for what they have so often first assumed was merely "going off on a useless tangent." These suggestions of mine are now seriously considered rather than scoffed at, ridiculed and dismissed. Because with de Bono's structures for putting forth thinking as tools - then the ideas don't have to come from just my little voice in a creative wilderness.
Because of de Bono's work, I have many ways to ask for the thoughtful participation of others. I can offer the benefit of my observations and perceptions by using a de Bono frame explaining my motives for why design, fore-thought or creative improvement is an advantage to do NOW.
I'm curious how or if people have used de Bono's tools in group situations to mitigate sexism. I'm also curious how anyone has used de Bono's ideas to invite participation from those who are reticent or just shy to speak up in group situations.
Many women will not present their ideas in a group situation. Those of both sexes forgo participation because they want to avoid competition and argumentative attack. Many believe this sort of challenging to be a sign of respect. Those who merely refuse to spar in this manner, their ideas go unsaid and unused.
Having de Bono in my back pocket is a handy author-ity to trot out. One of the significant things that de Bono has done for me is to give a name to some of the processes for my innate creative thinking ability and high idea production. With terms, skills and explanations that de Bono has articulated, now other people can understand my motives for what they have so often first assumed was merely "going off on a useless tangent." These suggestions of mine are now seriously considered rather than scoffed at, ridiculed and dismissed. Because with de Bono's structures for putting forth thinking as tools - then the ideas don't have to come from just my little voice in a creative wilderness.
Because of de Bono's work, I have many ways to ask for the thoughtful participation of others. I can offer the benefit of my observations and perceptions by using a de Bono frame explaining my motives for why design, fore-thought or creative improvement is an advantage to do NOW.
I'm curious how or if people have used de Bono's tools in group situations to mitigate sexism. I'm also curious how anyone has used de Bono's ideas to invite participation from those who are reticent or just shy to speak up in group situations.
Tags: dynamics, group, recogition, rights, women's
Add a Comment
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Comment by Franis on December 17, 2009 at 9:26pm -
Hmmm. Australia really is a few decades behind the times.
Anyway, anybody have more practical ideas for helping people speak up who are shy?
Joking around isn't a bad one, as are establishing some rules of decorum. The "no name-calling" and no "personal attacks" are two good rules that protect the interests of everyone and stop the waste of time of arguing and defense.
It's often a good idea to spell out how to show respect, so people understand this is the intention of the speaker. Joking tends to put an intent of respect under suspicion, so it can backfire.
One of the things we used to do in group situations was to assign the people who were not shy about contributing to make a public plea, inviting the contributions of people who were waiting to be acknowledged to speak up.
The other thing we used to do was to ask for intentionally slow down the speed of contributions for a bit. We found that different people had a very different senses of timing about how long of a moment of silence indicated it was appropriate to jump into the conversation. Providing a more relaxed pace induced these people who were slower talkers to make their contributions.
Any other suggestions?
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Comment by Phil Bachmann on December 17, 2009 at 11:20am -
No Franis,
Men and women should be kept together, but with rules to keep their behaviour in check. See the video below for a good example (if you're short on time, watch the last 5 minutes).
Life in the 50s.
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Comment by Franis on December 16, 2009 at 5:05pm
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Thanks, I'm happy to be back home after traveling.
You goof, I'm talking about mitigating, not eliminating! Perhaps you're proposing something like sci-fi-fantasy book called "The Gate To Women's Country" about a culture where men and women have be culturally separated, and pretty much only get together to party and have sex.
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Comment by Phil Bachmann on December 16, 2009 at 9:04am
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Hello Franis,
Lovely to see you back.
I don't know why you would want to mitigate sexism, without sexism there would be no need for men. There would be no need for me.
But it's great to hear how de Bono tools have legitimised creativity in a group setting.
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