Seven Levels of Change
The notes and quotes in this section are from the following book:
This is an outstanding book. These notes will cover the basic outline of what is said... but you will want to get the book and read it in its entirety. The examples and details of explanation are well worth the price.Smith, Rolf. The 7 Levels of Change: Create, Innovate and Motivate With the Secrets of the World's Largest Corporations. Arlington, Texas: Summit Books, 1997. ISBN 1-56530-207-9.
Level 1: Effectiveness--Doing the right things
Level 2: Efficiency--Doing the right things right
Level 3: Improving--Doing things better
Level 4: Cutting--Doing away with things
Level 5: Adapting--Doing things other people are doing
Level 6: Different--Doing things no one else is doing
Level 7: Impossible--Doing things that can't be done
Level 1: Effectiveness--Doing the right things
Level 2: Efficiency--Doing the right things right
Level 3: Improving--Doing things better
Level 4: Cutting--Doing away with things
Level 5: Copying--Doing things other people are doing
Level 6: Different--Doing things no one else is doing
Level 7: Impossible--Doing things that can't be done
"Each of the 7 Levels of Change has a corresponding mindshift, a change in thinking, that accompanies it. To do different, to make a change, you must first think different" (5). [This might well be called "critical thinking."]
Level 1: Effective thinking
Level 2: Efficient thinking
Level 3: Better thinking, positive thinking
Level 4: Refocused thinking
Level 5: Visual thinking
Level 6: Lateral thinking
Level 7: Imaginative thinking
"Remember, innovation involves doing things different, and to do something different, you must first think different. Before you can think different, you must think about the way you think -- examine your basic thinking processes" (6).
| "The world we created today has problems which cannot be solved by thinking the way we thought when we created them" (Albert Einstein). |
7 DIFFERENTIATORS IN UNUSUAL THINKERS
Rolf Smith
THE 7 PRINCIPLES OF BREAKTHROUGH THINKING
Gerald Nadler & Shozo Hibino
THE 7 HUMAN INTELLIGENCES
Howard Gardner
THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE
Stephen Covey
"Level 1 changes are about starting new habits... how things work, rules, roles, and focus" (19).
"..the first law of behavioral psychology: Whatever you reinforce you will get more of. Every time you write down an idea you reinforce the importance of having ideas...
"It takes twenty-one days to establish a new habit or to replace an old habit with a new one--a change" (20).
"Put ideas on your mental agenda. Become a compulsive scribbler. Many highly creative people, inventors, and geniuses in history were known for being compulsive scribblers... By recording ideas and insights, the rate of questions, ideas, and change accelerates" (21).
This practice "can be invaluable if you are looking to grow personally and professionally" (21).
"The trouble is that after changing, some people then stay at Level 1 thinking and doing. They don't move to Level 2--it's too big a change for them. It's easy to recognize people who operate primarily at Level 1. They're detail oriented and task oriented, structured, targeted, and conscientious.. They're strong rule followers and black-and-white thinkers." (23).
Use a Day-Timer or time manager. "Write things down, use a priority system... Write your goals in it" (32). Carry it with you at all times and write down every idea you have.
"Another form of Level 2 change is delegating... get help from others, reach outside" (35).
Transition to Level 3... "Level 3 is about moving beyond competency... Level 3 is about improving... move away from the minutiae and look at the big picture" (40).
"Much of our thinking is governed by what we remember. Remembering provides a baseline for our thoughts and ideas to draw from and build on. Unfortunately, people don't remember things very well because they don't remember much of what they hear very long. After listening to a talk or presentation or conversation, the short three- to five-minute period immediately afterward is the time when your retention is close to 100 percent. That doesn't last long. Within an hour it has dropped to about 30 percent. By the next day it's down to about 10 percent, and after that, it gradually dwindles to almost nothing.
"And what do we do? At the end of a class or talk, we immediately get up and leave, blowing the three- to five-minute window of near 100 percent retention. [The key for students is to review your notes and reinforce the information in your mind immediately after class.]
"Studies have shown, and smart student know, that the first and last things said in a conversation or presentation or class are remembered best" (45).
"When you complete a class, talk, session, or meeting... for three minutes reflect on the notes you've taken and the idea connections... Then write down three new thoughts or ideas beyond your notes. This simple habit can nearly double your retention of material covered.
"Another way to mindshift to better thinking is with questions. Thinking is inspired by questions, both in the person questioned and in the questioner" (48). "[Questions] make us pause and reflect and think about what we are doing. "The important thing," said Einstein, "is never to stop asking questions."
"The great Greek thinker and philosopher Socrates taught by asking questions, and through his questions, directed the focus of hist students' thinking, making them come up with their own answers. The Socratic method can be relearned today as a tool for better thinking" (49).
TRANSITION TO LEVEL 4. "While Levels 1, 2, and 3 are about focus--doing the right thing, doing it right, and finally doing it better--Level 4 is about refocus. Taking a look again... The most natural way to refocus is to begin cutting--looking at what you don't have to do..."What can I stop doing?"" (61).
"To accomplish this type of cutting, you first have to look for the 20 percent that is creating the higher yield. Taking Pareto to the next order, applying it twice, you can get extremely focused: 20 percent of the 20 percent (or 4 percent) accounts for 80 percent of the 80 percent (or 64 percent) of the value--the 64:4 rule. So, to really leverage yourself, refocus your efforts by concentrating on the 4 percent for a 16:1 return. Figure out where you 4 percent is and focus on it with a vengeance. Farm out the bottom 64 percent you do. Hire other people to do it--or just walk away from it. On a grand scale, it's just not that important. That leaves 32 percent in between--things that you probably need to keep doing, but not with as much effort.
"This is where classic "out-of-the-box" thinking starts..." (63).
"The negative side of Level 4 changes is that, typically, you have to give up something that was enjoyable or at least comfortable... Generally, Level 4 changes irritate people significantly.
"Another drawback.. is that the 80 percent you are not concentrating on will suffer if it's not delegated to the right hands. There's a challenge to figuring out how much effort needs to be given to that 80 percent that is cut out" (71).
"Noticing things is the fundamental thinking process behind Level 5 (Copying) changes.
"Essentially, all of the hard parts are done... Something that is being copied already works. It is a proven, fielded, operational concept... helps you leap past the first four levels of change" (75).
"... to copy thinking that differs in style or type from your own.. can be a significant stretch" (81).
"Keep your mind open... Roll what people say around in your mind; play with it. Don't bog down in thinking about whether or not you agree" (82).
"Transition to Level 6 [is] a big leap... At Level 6 (different), there is no one and nothing to copy... Level 6 is about breaking new ground, leaving new trails and footprints for others to follow and to copy... It's about leadership--creating forward motion into the unknown" (85).
"Level 6 thinkers and doers are easy to recognize. They're habitual rule breakers. They have a lot of ideas, but many of the ideas are so far out there.. that it causes most people... to view them as nuts" (89).
| "A great thought begins by seeing something differently, with a shift of the mind's eye" (Albert Einstein). |
"We all tend to notice things in terms of categories that we have personally developed and have become comfortable with over time. These categories then function as lenses in terms of what we see and how we see" (92).
"FENG SHIT is the oriental art of placement. If you are stuck in a rut... move twenty-seven objects in your home that have not been moved in the last year. It will enhance your ability to move forward in life, to change" (93).
"Mindmapping is a great tool for understanding a problem and is especially powerful in exploring the issues, challenges, obstacles, goals, and objectives imbedded in a problem, especially when the interrelationships are unclear. Seventy-five to 85 percent of learning is visual, so when we need to communicate big, complex ideas, a visual tool like a Mindmap is very powerful" (97).
For more on Mindmaps, see the following sites:
Mindmap.ch in German, but good illustrations
GoTo.com--Mindmapping
Mind Mapping: A Tool for Enhancing Thinking and Creativity
Learning Techniques - Mindmapping
Mindmapping in 8 Easy Steps article by Joyce Wycoff
"The drawbacks t Level 6 are myriad... It's generally much more difficult to sell ideas at this level just because they are so unfamiliar..." (105).
"Think about some things that can't be done... Then think about what would have to change to be able to accomplish those things. That's how you move toward the impossible" (110).
"The single biggest mindshift you can make is total suspension of judgment. As soon as you say impossible, you are judging... To make this mindshift you have to be willing to play with ideas instead of rejecting or immediately embracing them... This is the edge of the envelope.
"You may have to generate fifty ideas to get one breakthrough... despiet the breakthrough, people will remember the weird ideas.. and how uncomfortable they were with them" (119).
"You're frequently shattering something a lot of people have believed in... The impact of change at this level is huge and has the potential of being unmanageable" (120).
"OOTCHING" means shifting up increasingly steep slopes from level to level in small increments" (126).
"It's easier for most people to make those lower level changes more quickly. The higher you get, the more ootching may be required... Now all you need is an action plan to ootch you toward your vision" (127).
