DR EDWARD DE BONO'S CORT PROGRAMME

CoRT stands for Cognitive Research Trust, a programme designed by Dr de Bono. Was
written in 1972. While at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, he formed the
Cognitive Research Trust from which the abbreviation, CoRT 1 - 6 is derived.

The CoRT 1 - 6 Programme teaches thinking skills through the use of thinking "tools"
in a formal, focused, and deliberate manner. The programme has a multitude of
applications.

The CoRT Achievement Objective

CoRT 1 Breadth (Keluasan)

Each of the tools encourages you to
broaden your thinking.
Often, we take too narrow a view when we
think.
We tend to judge rather than explore.

CoRT 1 Achievement Objective

PMI How to treat ideas.

Plus, Minus, Interesting
The deliberate examination of an idea for
good (Plus), bad (Minus) or interesting
possibilities.
PMI use eliminates the immediate
acceptance or rejection of an idea.

CAF All the factors we can choose or identify

Consider All Factors that are involved in a situation help us
think more effectively about that situation.
Otherwise, we tend to think only about the
first factors that come to mind.

Rules This lesson summarises the first two

lessons, reminding us of the important
basic principles involved.
Practise PMI on the existing Rules.
CAF of new Rules that may need to
be devised.

C&S All action has a consequence.

Consequences and Sequel Any action has either an immediate, short,
medium or long term consequence.
In some circumstances, action has all
these consequences.
A thinker needs to be aware of these
possibilities.

AGO This lesson teaches the value of picking

Aims, Goals and Objectives
out and defining objectives.
It explains how we should be clear about
our own aims.
It suggests we should also try and
understand the aims or intentions of
others.

Planning There are basic features and processes

involved in planning.
An opportunity to practise PMI, CAF,
C&S and AGO

FIP When thinking, we need to choose from a

First Important Priorities number of different possibilities and
alternatives.
Priorities need to be put into order before
effective thinking can take place.

APC A 'generative thinker' or action thinker is

Alternatives, Possibilities, Choices always interested in generating new
alternatives and finding new possibilities.
Most people are confined to the obvious
ones.

Decisions Because de Bono Thinking is about

making decisions, it provides an
opportunity to use all the other
Breadth Tools

OPV Often, we are trapped into believing our

Other Points of View
viewpoint is right.
A useful thinking skill is to move away from
one's own viewpoint and consider the
points of view of others.
This lesson encourages us to ask the
question, "Why does that person have that
point of view?"
 This lesson does not encourage us to say,
"You are wrong/stupid/a dingbat! I am
right!"

CoRT 4 Creativity
It is quite wrong to suggest that creative
ideas come from inspiration. The CoRT
Programme teaches design thinking and
generative thinking.
Its key concept is "operacy". Dr de Bono
believes thinking should lead to action,
the creation of ideas, the need to do
something rather than argue and debate
critically or analytically.

Dr de Bono believes generational thinking

is a normal part of thinking. It can be
learned, practised and applied in a
deliberate manner.

There are at least two key thinking

processes that free us from imprisoning
ideas:
o problem definition

o suggesting solutions.

CoRT 4 Achievement Objective

Yes, No, Po Yes, No, Po

"PO" is an abbreviation of hypothesis,
proposal
PO is a device for showing that an idea is
being used creatively without any
judgement.

Stepping Stone One idea can lead to another.

De Bono Thinking is about possibilities
and asking the question, "What if?"
This lesson teaches us that we can use
ideas, not for their own sake but because
of other ideas they might lead to.

Random Input The process of generating new ideas

sometimes needs to include the input of
 spurious ideas into our thinking.

Concept Challenge Just because something has 'worked' for

ages does not mean it should be taken for
granted.

Dominant Idea Dominant Idea

In most situations there is a dominant
idea. In order to be creative, to find other
ways and to generate new ideas, we may
have to escape from the dominant idea.

Define the Problem When thinking about anything, we need to

ask, "What is the problem?"
An effort to define a problem exactly may
make it easier to solve.

Remove Faults What is a fault?

Why is it a fault?
When thinking, we need to recognise
faults and remove them.

Combination When thinking creatively, combining the

parts of apparently unrelated items may
be a valuable technique.

Requirements Knowing what is required in a particular

situation may influence the way ideas are
generated.

Evaluation Does an idea fit the requirements and

what advantages or disadvantages could
there be if the idea is applied?

Edward de Bono: Graeme Allan; Social Sciences Department