5. PMI - Plus/Minus/Implications

PMI stands for 'Plus/Minus/Implications'. It is a valuable improvement to the 'weighing pros and cons' technique used for centuries. It is an important decision-making tool: Before moving straight to action on this course of action, it is important to check that it is going to improve the situation.

Steps to use tool:

1. Draw up a table headed up with: 'Plus', 'Minus', and ‘Implications’. Write down all the positive results of taking the action under the positive column. Underneath 'Minus' write down all the negative effects. In the 'Implications' column write down the implications and possible outcomes of taking the action, whether positive or negative.

2. Consider each of the points you have written down and assign a positive or negative score to it appropriately. The scores you assign may be quite subjective.

3. Add up the score. A strongly positive score shows that an action should be taken, a strongly negative score that it should be avoided

Example:

A young professional is deciding where to live. Her question is 'Should she move to the big city

She draws up the PMI table below:

Plus	Minus	Implications
More going on (+5)	Have to sell house (-6)	Easier to find new job? (+1)
Easier to see friends (+5)	More pollution (-3)	Meet more people? (+2)
Easier to get places (+3)	Less space (-3)	More difficult to get own work done? (-4)
	No countryside (-2)	2
	More difficult to get to work? (-4)	3
+13	-18	-1

She scores the table as 13 (Plus) - 18 (Minus) - 1 (Interesting) = - 6

For her, the comforts of a settled rural existence outweigh the call of the 'bright lights' - it would be much better for her to live outside the city, but close enough to travel in if necessary.

PMI was codified by Edward de Bono.