Just like he was the first person to talk about the importance of thinking, Edward de Bono is also the first to talk about values and how they influence our lives (personal, professional…).

With the method of the Six Value Medals, de Bono develops a formal and powerful system to analyse, asses, recognize and manage our value systems.

What Are the Six Value Medals?

GOLD MEDAL:
This medal deals with human values, the values that affect people. Gold is a superior material and human values are the most important values of all in the end. What are the human values here?

SILVER MEDAL:
This medal focuses directly on organisational values. That means values related to the purpose of the organisation (in business this would be profitability). Silver is associated with money. There are also the values involved in the actual running of the organisation, such as cost control. The organisation may also be a family, group of friends or social club.

STEEL MEDAL:
These are the quality values. Steel should be strong. The values are in the intended direction. What are the values of the product, service or function in terms of what it is trying to do? If it is tea, is it good quality tea?

GLASS MEDALS:
This medal covers a number of associated values: innovation, simplicity and creativity. Glass is a very simple material originating in sand. But with glass you can use your creativity to do a lot of things.

WOOD MEDAL:
These are the environmental values in the broadest sense. What are the impact values on the environment, on the community, on others? The values relate to those things and people not directly involved.

BRASS MEDAL:
This medal deals explicitly with perceptual values. How does this appear? How might it be seen? Perception is real even when it is not reality. Brass looks like gold.