HISTORY OF SOT and Order of Precedence
The training strategy of the School of Thinking is an original Australian design.
It has been developed and evolved by Dr. Michael Hewitt-Gleeson over the past 40 years. It is partly based on the–“The Scheyville Method”–the unique training method used by the Australian Army to prepare leaders for Vietnam service in the 60s and 70s. SOT lessons have already reached over 100 million people around the world and received wide media support since 1979.
PROFESSOR GEORGE GALLUP, The Gallup Poll, Princeton proclaimed in 1983:
“I believe the School of Thinking’s work in teaching people to think may be the most important thing going on in the world today.”
• In 1979, SOT originated the strategy of not just teaching thinking skills but training teachers of thinking which has since become the world’s largest movement for the teaching of thinking in schools.
• In 1983, SOT originated the method of using thinking hats for the teaching of thinking skills of which Edward de Bono wrote in Six Thinking Hats: “may well be the most important change in human thinking in the past 2300 years.”
• SOT also originated the concept of software for the brain for the teaching of thinking skills worldwide and for raising innovation intelligence. This is the basic brain software taught by SOT – cvs2bvs – and was once described by Jack Welch of GE as “the simplest idea in the world”.
For trainers, educators and those who are interested in these matters, here is some detailed background on the design and development and on the history and effectiveness of the School of Thinking over the past 40 years that has led to it becoming the largest school of its kind in the world.
Australia: Career Acceleration Program
In Melbourne, Australia in 1970, Michael Hewitt-Gleeson designed the generic Career Acceleration Program (CAP). This was a train-the-trainer technology, for converting knowledge into skill. CAP was based on three simple hypotheses: Alternatives, Leaping, Repetition. In training CAP instructors, six principles were emphasised. To become successful trainers they had to master these Six CAP Principles.
Military Training Strategies
With no love or tolerance of war itself, SOT makes practical use of effective military training strategies for virtuosity in the development of cognitive skills. Two primary ‘Scheyville’ Australian military training strategies:
digital training and daily training.
From 1967 through 1974 in Australia and South Viet Nam, Dr. Hewitt-Gleeson studied The Scheyville Method of leadership under the direction of Brigadier Ian Geddes, as part of his Australian military training and service, world-class army officer training in leadership, survival, confidence training, instructional techniques and military arts. He conducted further experiments while serving as an officer/chief instructor in the Royal Australian Air Force Reserve. As a result of this experience he designed CAP which was well received by trainees, trainers and educators for producing measureable results. Since then, continuous, focused development of the training technology in the marketing, business, and public training applications has brought its evolution to its current stage of development.
USA: The Edward de Bono School of Thinking
In New York on 17 November 1979, Michael Hewitt-Gleeson and Edward de Bono founded The Edward de Bono School of Thinking in the USA. Shortly after that, Eric Bienstock and Janie Noble also became Founding Directors. These four directors were the primary stewards and builders of SOT during the first five years of The Edward de Bono School of Thinking from 1979 to 1984.
From the first meeting in New York, EDBSOT went on to establish the Learn-To-Think Project which was to reach over 60 million people and become the biggest program in the world ever to teach thinking skills to education, business and public sectors.
It is a shameful and disappointing fact that two official biographies of Edward de Bono have been published in Australia (one by an English author and one by an Australian author) yet BOTH stories conceal the true story of The Edward de Bono School of Thinking which was co-founded by an Australian working in partnership for 7 years with Edward de Bono himself!
This omission is not only unprofessional but is also a pity for Australian readers because this ‘secret’ story is not only colourful and interesting in itself but is foundational to the biography of Edward de Bono and the story of ‘teaching the world to think’. To hide this story is to wilfully mislead the public record.
In 2010, this story was written under contract from the point 0f view of an SOT student and was based on interviews with three of the four co-founders, Michael Hewitt-Gleeson, Eric Bienstock and Alexandra Noble. The fourth co-founder, Edward de Bono, was invited to participate but did not do so. The blog adaptation has been up-dated and edited by Michael Hewitt-Gleeson and you can read it by clicking here.
Under Dr Hewitt-Gleeson’s direction–using its famous stopwatches and bells–the School of Thinking trained many thousands of people around the US and also installed thinking skills into school districts, corporations and government organisations. Within five years ‘teaching thinking’ in US schools had become, according to The New York Times, the biggest new trend in education.
PAUL MACCREADY JR, Inventor of the Gossamer Albatross and father of man-powered flight (1982):
“When first watching an SOT thinking class in action I was amazed that something so simple and so much fun could be so quick and effective in developing a person’s ‘thinking muscle’. We all, as individuals and caretakers of our precious earth, need these thinking skills.”
Australia: School of Thinking
On 30 May 1988, in Canberra, at a meeting of 700 of Australia’s municipal and federal statespersons, Dr. Michael Hewitt-Gleeson launched the School of Thinking in Australia. He presented the Governor-General His Excellency Sir Ninian Stephen AK, GCMB, GCVO, KBE with a Brainusers Kit. Dr. Hewitt-Gleeson then awarded to the Honourable Robert J L Hawke AK, the Prime Minister of Australia, a special certificate appointing him “Australia’s Number One Brainuser” to symbolise the vast potential of turning-on the power of Australia’s 16 million brains.
The Clever Country
Subsequently, on 8 March 1990, in Brisbane, Australia’s Number One Brainuser, Prime Minister Hawke, decreed: “No longer content to be just the lucky country, Australia must now become the clever country”.
This is now the big chance for Australia’s future – the development of our ultimate natural resource – our human resources. The School of Thinking in Australia has been working to see that this does happen by pushing for thinking skills to be taught to all Australian kids on the core education curriculum.
China: School of Thinking China
In the decade since September 11, 2001 the world has witnessed a dramatic and inexorable shift in the geo-political tectonic plates that are Europe, the USA and Asia.
In big global terms the world has watched as the post WWII position of USA dominance has shifted from growth to decline. We have all looked on as the Euro experiment has come to a shuddering, stalling halt. We have observed the rapid rise of Asia.
In particular the world has seen India assert itself as a rising global power. And, nothing has captured the imagination of the wired global audience more than the phenomenon of the growth of China.
During the past decade School of Thinking China has been researching the Chinese market and conducting projects for private corporate clients in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Beijing.
In 2012 we will begin a nationwide project designed especially for China called ENGLISH THINKING: Learn-To-Think in English, Lessons One to One Thousand.
The Order of Precedence of SOT
• The Patron • Professor George Gallup
• The Founder and Principal • Dr Michael Hewitt-Gleeson
• Co-founder • Professor Edward de Bono
• Co-founder and Vice-Principal • Dr Eric Bienstock
• Co-Founder • Alexandra Jane Noble JD
• The Australian Thinkers:
2005 Professor Michael Georgeff
2006 Professor German Spangenberg
2007 Professor Jenny Graves
2008 Coach Kevin Sheedy
2009 Major-General Jim Molan
2011 Professor Peter Singer
• The Doctors Honoris Causa:
Dr Andrew Vincent DBT 1998
Dr Brian Monahan DBT 2005
Dr John Chambers DBT 2006
Dr Maria Deveson-Crabbe DBT 2008
• The Board of Directors:
Dr Brian Monahan DBT – Chairman
Mr Newell Lock FCA ACIS
Dr Eric Bienstock PhD
Mr David Sharry BA
• Managing Director:
Ms Petrina Gillespie
• Friends of the School:
Dr Paul MacCready
Dr Jack Welch
Prof Murray Gell-Mann
Peter Vidmar, Olympian
Martin Edelston
The Rt Hon Robert Hawke
HE Sir Ninian Stephen
Morton Hunt
• The Dean of the Graduate SOT • Mr Anthony Bertini BA Econ
• The Scholars:
Dr Steven Angelides PhD
• The Chief Instructors SOT:
Dr Eric Bienstock 1980
Mr Leon Mysch 1983
Mr John Tindley BA DipEd 1989
Mr Simon Chen DipDM 2005
• Honorary Chief Instructors CISOT
Mr George Kruszewski – Poland 1994
Mr George Kruszewski – China 2004
Mr Morry Morgan – China 2006
Mr Francesco Caso – Italy 2010
• The Faculty SOT
• The Dean of the SISOT Society • Dr Eric Bienstock
• The Members of the SISOT Society
• The Roll of Thinking Instructors
• The Students
• The Members
• The Client Associates
• The Readers
• The Media
• The Countries
September 16th, 2011 at 2:57 pm
Well, this should be an integral part of every school curriculum. If we are seriously interested in fighting poverty, nepotism, radicalism then this is the tool to return back to.
Regards.
M.Reyaz
April 30th, 2011 at 2:10 pm
The history of SOT is very intersesting. I am looking forward to learning more about thinking as a skill. I want the thinking skills!
March 25th, 2011 at 12:32 am
i want 2 learn about thinkin skills in all aspect of life,like relationship,emotional and lot more.
July 19th, 2010 at 8:06 am
Thank you so much for an inspiring presentation at our Staff Professional day, Michael…looking forward to continuing to be challenged in my own thinking…
January 23rd, 2010 at 7:32 pm
amazed by process thought on thinking can be taught so effectively around d globe. should wanted to become a part of it
August 9th, 2009 at 2:21 am
We are the result of what we were, we will be the result of what we are, and thinking makes it so
June 23rd, 2009 at 1:04 pm
i need more time to learn.
August 17th, 2008 at 2:42 am
hi !
i am an project management student. after going through this concept of thinking . even i intended to develop the skill of thinking, so i am taking lessons lets see how much it helps me…………
July 16th, 2008 at 1:38 am
I am not sure what to expect. I will wait and see with the other lessons.
Colin O.
April 17th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
I wished to add some thinking skills from your interlectuals capacity, and if possible enclose also with some thinking tips and quotes,
wish to learn more from you.
sorry for my inconnvinience.
January 11th, 2008 at 4:13 am
I feel very interested by this “thinking” stuff and wait to see what it is about… but my language is french or portuguese, so i sometimes don’t completely understand the concepts
January 3rd, 2008 at 10:09 am
I was told about ‘de Bono Six Hat Thinking’ in a design lecture and looked up to see how the hell I spelt it, and stumbled across his co-founded creation along with you, so it seems there is more than first meets the eye!
A very interesting story, although the history and ownership of the concept is less important than the application of the concept itself so I’m glad you’ve put the past behind you.
Think I will try out these lessons then!
July 30th, 2007 at 1:05 am
Interesting! If Dr deBono and you are trying to change the world (through thinking habits) then most of the material should really be copyright free, so long as the source is acknowledged.
I appreciate your 10 free lessons. Hope the remaining is reasonable cost.
July 10th, 2007 at 10:26 am
i like to learn but struggle with the language and hope i can understand the conzept.
July 5th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
I feel happyto get introduced to SOT. I am a Retired Principal of a senior secondary school in India. I have read some books of Edward de Bono, Lateral thinking, Critical thinking,Creative thinking. Beautiful Mind, New thinking for new the millineum etc. I have done some work on creative thinking in the school where I worked.Generally People are slowly losing the power of thinking. Nice to know you have started an institute for thinking which is the top power of man. All my wishes and support to you in your work.
With Regards,
P. Vijayachandran.
June 14th, 2007 at 3:30 am
I am very intrested with the history of the school of thinking. I was introduced this website by my lecture at my university. He said that this website is very good for your softskill. In my opinion, the idea of the school of thinking is very amazing. Everyone needs it, especially in amusing mind and situation.
May 28th, 2007 at 10:27 am
I happy to be introduced io SOT. I have read three books by Dr Eward De Bono and found his works lucid, entertaining and provocative.Any institution or programme that caters to human thinking and the training of the mind fascinates me greatly and therefore has my interest and support.I am excited and I am ready to do the lessons and also to share them with others.
May 23rd, 2007 at 5:09 pm
his story her story
Maybe where we are going is abillion times more important than where we have been
and peoples descriptions
of
April 26th, 2007 at 4:44 am
I am teacher of computer since in Poland
I know how important are methods of thinking in process of education
We are living in different patern and often stupid social conditioning
All we should do – free our minds and observe our emotions than we could se everything clearly
April 25th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
CAUSALITY*
April 25th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
Nothing just appear, and a sense of History allows us to appreciate casusality. Thanks for the perspectives.
December 27th, 2006 at 7:01 am
stage school…
Interesting post. I came across this blog by accident, but it was a good accident. I have now bookmarked your blog for future use. Best wishes. Victoria Silvstedt….
December 3rd, 2006 at 4:22 am
i would like to go through the SOT lessons. kindly let me in.
November 19th, 2006 at 6:29 pm
[...] More SOT history … [...]
October 30th, 2006 at 9:05 pm
Thinking skills should absolutely be on the core education curriculum, first actually! To me it is the most important thing to learn…if only we were taught it at school, perceived problem students would turn out to be geniuses! I believe that my life would have been very different up to this point if it was a subject at my school….but it’s never too late, I am so glad I found you…when the student is ready the teacher appears
x
October 28th, 2006 at 12:49 am
This story is really impressing me./
October 27th, 2006 at 5:51 pm
It’s very interested and I’m gratful that something as valuable as this method is has been introduced to me.
Looking forwand to start learning how to develop this skills, too.
October 24th, 2006 at 9:19 pm
I would be pleased if the SOT was included in all the schools as part of the education system, so that our kids could have the correct grounding on how to think quickly and use the power of their brains to the fullest capacity.