Informal coalitions expressed as a de Bono “bonto poem”

On a couple of occasions, I have posted a poem to the blog. These were meant to provide some light relief from my more serious musings about informal coalitions and all things organizational. This post adds a third. It is based on Edward de Bono’s notion of a "bonto poem", which I came across a couple of days ago.

If you fancy a break from the usual ‘thinking’ diversions of crosswords, sudoku or whatever, the bonto offers a potential escape route. It challenges the writer to create a poem that ‘makes a point’ within a strict set of rules – and using just four lines of verse.

The rules for the bonto

The following rules for the bonto are reproduced from Thinking Training’s post on The De Bono Society site:

The first line should be as bizarre as possible
The second line finds a reason for the first line
The third line states the consequences of the first two lines
The fourth line encapsulates the poem and states a philosophical reflection on life
There are only four lines
The first two lines rhyme
The last two lines rhyme
Maximum of seven or eight syllables per line
There must be an equal number of syllables in each and every line!

The poem

I was challenged by Dennis Perrin (of Thinking Training) to produce a bonto based on my work. So – for better or worse – the following effort distils informal coalitions into 32 syllables (there are a few more than that in the book!):

Structured change plans, programmed to fail

Hidden dynamics will derail.

Outcomes don’t match up-front visions?

Try informal coalitions!

Anyone who is overcome by my 'poeticity' – or a glutton for punishment - might also care to look at the two earlier offerings:

• A re-write of Kipling’s If, reflecting on my experiences on the MSc in Managing Change.
• A "found poem", London’s Secret River, inspired by an OD workshop that used this technique as a facilitation tool.

__________

Other posts relating to Edward de Bono include:

• Key influence #2 - Edward de Bono
• A lateral view of organizational complexity (Part 1 of 4)

Comments

[Phil Bachmann]

Thanks for posting the rules, it inspired me now to write one...
Crazies are the sanest lot.
Least they don't pretend their not.
How I look? Don't give a toss!
All should be less serious.