Plus, Minus, Interesting

A one-page PMI sheet — Edward de Bono's simple tool for looking at an idea on purpose instead of reacting to it with a gut yes or no. You name the idea, then fill three colour-coded columns: Plus (what's good about it), Minus (what's bad about it), and Interesting (the points that are neither good nor bad but worth noting — the questions and side-effects a quick decision would miss). Forcing yourself to write the Interesting column is the whole trick: it pulls your attention past your first reaction and surfaces what you'd otherwise overlook. When all three are full, you write a one-line Verdict at the bottom — yes, no, or maybe, and why. Use it for any decision where you catch yourself deciding too fast, or run it with a group to get every angle on the table. Print it blank to think it through by hand.

• Landscape
• 1 page
• Planning

Best for: Weighing a decision or idea deliberately — its upsides, downsides, and the notable points in between — before making the call.