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The 7 Levels Of Change - Introduction (Part 1 of 9)

September 4, 2007 Filed Under Business, Business Model, Creative Thinking Techniques, Creativity,Facilitation, Featured, Innovation, Myers-Briggs, Personality

Table of contents for 7 Levels Of Change


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. The 7 Levels Of Change - Introduction (Part 1 of 9) 7 Levels Of Change (Part 2 of 9) - Level 1: Effectiveness 7 Levels Of Change (Part 3 of 9) - Level 2: Efficiency 7 Levels Of Change (Part 4 of 9) - Level 3: Improving 7 Levels Of Change (Part 5 of 9) - Level 4: Cutting 7 Levels Of Change (Part 6 of 9) - Level 5: Copying 7 Levels Of Change (Part 7 of 9) - Level 6: Doing Things No One Else Is Doing 7 Levels Of Change (Part 8 of 9) - Level 7: Doing Things That Cant Be Done 7 Levels Of Change (Part 9 of 9) - Bringing It All Together

9.

This is no run of the mill Top 7 list. Prepare yourself for a rigorous review of the greatest innovation field guide in the universe: Rolf Smiths 7 Levels of Change.

Ive since read many books on creativity and different aspects of innovation, but 7LoC was my introduction to innovation and creative thinking. This nine-post series will describe each of the seven levels in detail explain the tools and techniques for each level discuss relations to different creative styles Afterwards Ill tie them together in a comprehensive philosophy for dealing with change and applying innovation. Here are the 7LoC: LEVEL 1: Effectiveness LEVEL 2: Efficiency LEVEL 3: Improving LEVEL 4: Cutting LEVEL 5: Copying LEVEL 6: Different LEVEL 7: Impossible DOING the right things DOING things right DOING things better Stopping DOING things DOING things other people are doing DOING things no one else is doing DOING things that cant be done

Each level is harder to implement that the one that precedes it. Each requires a different level of thinking, inspires a different level of fear, and carries a different set of pros and cons. And there is defintely a relationship between the 7LoC and creative style.

7 Levels Of Change (Part 2 of 9) - Level 1: Effectiveness


The second in a nine-part series on Rolf Smiths 7 Levels of Change, I introduce the first level of change - Effectiveness (Doing The Right Things). Part 1 - Introduction Change is a continuous process. Picture the 7LoC as a circle, each level increasing in degree and difficulty of change. Level 1 is the most basic, Level 7 is the most extreme, and is then connected back to Level 1. Our discussion begins with Level 1, in transition from Level 7. Imagine that your organization is embarking on a totally new business venture, with a brand new set of team members and customers. Youre a pioneer, exploring an area that no one has explored. In order to be effective, you need to establish new processes, forge new relationships, and perhaps even implement a new business model. You have to determine what is right. This is the definition of a Level 1 change - doing things right. You are literally creating a new status quo. Thinking To get effective results, you have to do the right things. To do the right things, you have to practicefocused thinking. Focus on determining the right things to do in a step by step fashion. Think about a new definition for what is right. This isnt out of the box thinking - to the contrary, its thinking that will prototype a new box for the new business. This type of thinking will produce immediate results - youll quickly know whether or not your new processes are effective. The prototype model is tweaked until things settle into a state of equilibrium. Who Certain people gravitate towards Level 1 change. Refer to my first article on KAI - people who do well in Level 1 situations are strong adapters with a need for rules and structure. They painstakingly gather facts and details and can easily focus on the matter at hand. Creating the box is attractive for them, because they need the box to create the rules. Ideas The types of ideas produced at Level 1 are basic, based on what you know from your previous experience. Smith recommends that now is a good time to start thinking about where you produce your best ideas - while driving, exercising, showering, going to the bathroom, etc. Determine what seems to be the catalyst for your best ideas, and start producing more of them. Tools Embarking on Level 1 change provides an opportunity to establish new habits. Smith recommends that writing things down is probably the most effective skill to master at Level 1. This can take several forms: Blue Slips - Blue slips are created by having Kinkos or another local copying store cut a ream of 8.511 paper into eighths. The resultant rectangle is a bit smaller than a 35 card. They are the perfect size to record one idea - a 7-9 word headline and maybe a title. Blue slips are more effective than notebooks because the ideas can be physically rearranged, sorted, and grouped. Post-It Notes - Unfortunately these are no longer made in blue, but Post-It notes can be used the same as blue slips, with the advantage that your ideas can be sorted and grouped on a chalkboard, white board, or even a plain wall. This can be used effectively in meetings and groups that are brainstorming ideas. Journaling - A way to take the ideas youve recorded on blue slips/Post-Its to the next level is to journal on them. After grouping the ideas and considering the relationships, reflect on how they have changed your thinking. What new insights do you have, what has become clear to you. Once youve mastered the skills at Level 1 youll be prepared for Level 2 - Efficiency.

7 Levels Of Change (Part 3 of 9) - Level 2: Efficiency

The third in a nine-part series on Rolf Smiths 7 Levels of Change, I introduce the second level of change - Efficiency (Doing Things Right). Part 1 - Introduction Part 2 - Level 1: Effectiveness In Level 1 we focused on doing the right things to make the new organization work effectively. We established the way to think effectively that this level and introduced a few fundamental tools. So now weve established a new status quo. Your new venture is working effectively - now a different kind of thinking takes over. Level 2 change moves us from effectiveness to efficiency - doing the right things right. To change an effective organization, the first thing you can do is make it more efficient. Thinking To get efficient results, you have to do the right things right. To do the right things right, you have to practice efficient thinking. Level 2 thinkers create a new set of processes and procedures to maximize efficiency, emphasizing structure and logic. Always be prepared - this eliminates potential bottlenecks. Level 2 results are like Level 1, only better. Leaner, more efficient, faster, more economical. Who People who are attracted to Level 2 change are similar to those attracted to Level 1. The same KAI traits - yet more adept at doing things better, conserving time and money, developing more efficient processes and rules. As with Level 1 thinkers they need the box to be effective, but can make the box work better. They are comfortable moving from a Level 1 to Level 2 situation - the changes arent that drastic and are well worth the effort to them. They work to achieve a new status quo - one that is more efficient than the old one. Yet both Level 1 and Level 2 people get nervous with the idea of drastic, disruptive change. Ideas Ideas at Level 2 are about creating new rules to make processes and procedures more efficient. You wont get big-picture ideas from a Level 2 thinker - they are too focused on maintaining the box itself and making it work better. Tools What kind of tools are more efficient versions of Level 1 tools? Day-Timer/Planner - More organized that blue slips. But keep using blue slips and transfer ideas to it I (personally I dont use one, as I am not that organized!) Use Blue Slips Better - Blue slips are best used horizontally. Put the keyword in the upper left hand corner, and limit each blue slip to one idea only. Headline your ideas in 7-9 words. Heres an example:

Handling Blue Slips - Each day or so, take your stack of blue slips and sort through them. The goal is to prioritize - do it now ideas that can be implemented quickly, versus longer-range ideas that need more development. Act on the do-it-now stack, put the others aside and periodically go through them to see what has become more clear.

Level 2 has made your new venture more efficient, but to move forward you have to make changes that go beyond efficiency. Level 3 is improvement, and well tackle that next.

7 Levels Of Change (Part 4 of 9) - Level 3: Improving


The fourth in a nine-part series on Rolf Smiths 7 Levels of Change, I introduce the third level of change - Improving (Doing Things Better). Part 1 - Introduction Part 2 - Level 1: Effectiveness Part 3 - Level 2: Efficiency In Level 2 we focused on doing things right to make an effective organization work more efficiently. We differentiated between Level 1 and Level 2 thinking and improved our Level 1 tools. Fast forward a few months: our efficient organization is humming along but the world is changing. You notice that, even though processes are efficient, they no longer achieve the results you expect. You find that efficiency is no longer enough - you have to improve your core processes. You need to introduce Level 3 change - improvement. Thinking To get better results, you have to do things better. To do things better, you have to practice positivethinking. Ive talked about positive thinking before and here is the change level where it becomes a crucial skill. You need to focus outward on your customers experience, and inward to your enabling processes. You must find out how to tap the creativity of your people to generate new ideas and plans of action. You seek new technologies that improve customer experience, and processes that establish new performance goals. Who

As with Level 1 and 2, people who are attracted to Level 3 thinking are KAI adaptors. But they are less concerned with adherence to rules: theyll keep the box but dont have a problem changing its shape. They may have more affinity for interacting with people - Myers-Briggs types xSFx. Ideas Ideas at Level 3 can be effectively generated by some of the SCAMPER questions. For instance, theFirefly Energy battery answers the question What can we SUBSTITUTE? The revolutionary battery substitutes carbon foam for lead inside the battery to yield a four/five-fold increase in performance. The Taco Bell-KFC restaurant combination answers the question What can we COMBINE? Our front it looks like a single fast food restaurant with two menus - behind the counter its actually an efficient integration of the processes of two different restaurants. Tools Level 3 tools are more geared at helping us think at a higher level than Level 1 and 2. Along with SCAMPER here are a few other tools for personal creativity: Levels of Abstraction - When confronted with a problem, determine the root cause by asking Why? Ask why up to five times to achieve higher and higher levels of abstraction. Once you get the answer to the five whys you can start asking how and how else to focus on more concrete ideas to solve the problem at the root. Refocus the Problem Statement - A more lateral way of rephrasing the problem is to ask the question Do you mean? until you get three yes answers from whoever owns the problem. Hot Wash-Up - A Hot Wash-up is an evaluation technique that can be used at the end of any meeting, event, or project to get a collective assessment of what just happened. After a meeting or event, give everyone a handful of blue slips. Ask everyone to write the keyword Well in the upper left corner and have them answer the question What went WELL for you? Have them right one Well slip for each statement. Give everyone a minute to write. At the end of the minute, have everyone write Value on a blue slip and answer the question What was the VALUE for you personally? What did you learn? A minute later, have everyone write Different on a blue slip and answer What would you like to have done DIFFERENTLY? You can also add two more optional questions before Different - What became CLEAR to you? and What INSIGHTS did you have? The Five Minute Meeting - this is similar to the Hot Wash-up but can be used anywhere during a meeting - beginning, middle, end - to focus and energize the group. The technique again involves having the participants fill out blue slips, but the questions are different: 1. What are the critical ISSUES and CHALLENGES? 2. What INTERESTING or novel ideas do you have? 3. What OPPORTUNITIES do these issues, challenges, and ideas present? 4. What ACTIONS can we take now? Levels 1-3 cover the continuous improvement programs like Lean Six Sigma. Moving beyond Level 3 to Level 4 we get beyond the adaptive efficiency and improvement changes to changes that make a big difference. Level 4 change is Cutting.

7 Levels Of Change (Part 5 of 9) - Level 4: Cutting


The fifth in a nine-part series on Rolf Smiths 7 Levels of Change, I introduce the fourth level of change Cutting (Doing Away With Things). Part 1 - Introduction Part 2 - Level 1: Effectiveness Part 3 - Level 2: Efficiency Part 4 - Level 3: Improving

In Level 3 we introduced the concept of improvement, differentiated from efficiency and effectiveness, and discussed the tools and thinking needed to accomplish it. Together, Levels 1-3 encompass most of what the business world considers continuous improvement and is embodied in disciplines likeLean Six Sigma and Kaizen. As I have discussed before, these types of innovation benefit from accepted systems and training/certification programs. As time goes on, however, the world changes again and you might find yourself at a point where some of your Level 1-3 innovations are no longer needed. Perhaps technology has rendered a process obsolete, or things have been added to your processes that are of limited value. In order to innovate further its time to do away with what is no longer needed, which brings us to Level 4 change - cutting. The transition from Level 3 to Level 4 may induce discomfort, especially amongst KAI adapters, because doing away with things is often painful. It invokes a more severe form of change that moves adapters further out of their comfort zone and into the realm of KAI innovators, who welcome cutting as the first step to transformational change. Thinking To get less results, you have to stop doing things. To stop doing things, you have to practicerefocused thinking. You need to start asking, Why are we doing this now? What purpose does it serve? Is it worth it? Fortunately for us there is a simple principle which guides refocused thinking at the strategic level. It is the Pareto Principle - the Eighty-Twenty Rule. The Pareto Principle forces us to maximize our efforts on the things that produce the most value, and de-emphasize the rest. For us, the Pareto Principle simply states: Eighty percent of the value your organization produces comes from 20 percent of the things you do. So to implement the Pareto Principle, we identify what the 20 is, and find ways to eliminate or outsource the 80. Doblin uses the example of Sara Lee, who, in a Pareto Principle examination of their core competencies, determined their 20 consisted of consumer insight, brand management, marketing and distribution. Part of their 80 was manufacturing, which they decided to outsource. So what happens when you are left with things in the 80 that cant be outsourced or eliminated? Reduce effort to accomplish them. If the things in the 20 are most important, give them your A+ effort. Stuff relegated to the 80 warrant no more than a B+ effort. Who Level 4 change is decidedly midrange. People attracted to Level 4 change have KAIs clustering around either side of the mean of 96 and Myers-Briggs types xSxP. Pareto thinking is especially hard for high adapters, for which the process of eliminating significant parts of the box is especially painful - and some may have a hard time with the concept of B+ effort. It may not be as hard for high innovators, but it is not really that interesting, as they are more focused on blowing up the box and starting from scratch. Ideas Level 4 ideas are generated from an exhaustive refocusing effort beginning with a Pareto analysis. From there you can refocus on cost reduction end elimination opportunities for the 80. The results of a Pareto exercise are maximized effectiveness in the most important areas (the 20) and costs reduced by elimination in the least important ones (the 80). Tools To cut, you need to be able to refocus on a lot of areas. A cutting exercise leaves no stone unturned. Level 4 tools help you diverge across multiple areas to identify opportunities, then converge on the ones that have the most promise for effective results. Sixty Words For Lowering Costs - Much like SCAMPER, this is a systematic menu of ways to rethink the aspects of your processes and procedures.

If Its Dumb, Its Not Our Policy - Ask two questions: What are we doing thats dumb? and What could we stop doing that no one would notice? If you get really adventuresome, send people out to red-tag things that are dumb, as a divergent step to target potential things to eliminate. Leverage Technology - with the electronic tools at our disposal we have myriad opportunity to do away with hard copies of documents, drawings, reports, etc. Move to Adobe Acrobat or whatever to eliminate the cost of duplication and printing.

When you eliminate big chunks of things by cutting, you leave holes and gaps. To enter the world of doing different you can start by filling those gaps by moving to Level 5 - Copying.

7 Levels Of Change (Part 6 of 9) - Level 5: Copying


The sixth in a nine-part series on Rolf Smiths 7 Levels of Change, I introduce the fifth level of change Copying (Doing Things Others Are Doing). Part 1 - Introduction Part 2 - Level 1: Effectiveness Part 3 - Level 2: Efficiency Part 4 - Level 3: Improving Part 5 - Level 4: Cutting Level 4 was a transitional phase. It moved us from Levels 1-3, which concentrated on various forms of improvement, to a level that forced us to focus our efforts on the things we do that matter the most, and eliminate the things that are no longer needed. This creates a series of voids, and what better way to fill the voids than by moving to Level 5 and learning to copy and adapt what others are doing. Levels 1-4 have concentrated on what works or doesnt work for YOU. Level 5 forces us to look outward and determine what works for OTHERS. By focusing outward we see opportunities we didnt know existed, think about problems in ways that weve never thought about them before. But were not going out on a limb, because the things we gravitate towards are proven. There is a huge incentive to copy and adapt, because in doing so youre letting someone else do all the hard work for you - research, engineering, prototyping, testing, and marketing - then reaping the rewards of their efforts. Microsoft is a master at this technique. By copying and adapting the visual appeal of the MacIntosh operating system they created Windows. By copying and integrating the successful features of Wordperfect, Lotus 1-2-3, Harvard Graphics and dBase, they created Office. By copying and integrating the appeal of the Netscape browser they upgraded Internet Explorer. In each case, the Microsoft products seized the market from the competitors they copied, due to the way Microsoft adapted their ideas and integrated them into product systems and suites. KAI adapters view Level 5 as a major change but will accept Level 5 ideas if theyve been proven in the field. This mitigates risk. KAI innovators see Level 5 thinking as a first step that can easily garner widespread approval, in anticipation of higher orders of change later. Thinking To get new results, you have to do things others are doing. To do things others are doing , you have tosee and notice things. You have to focus outward and start seeing what is going on in your industry, as well as other industries. Because copying and adapting isnt always linear and concrete - it also comes from abstract connections with metaphors from other fields. Just as Level 4 is based on the Pareto Principle, Level 5 is based on another broad concept benchmarking. The entire Doblin strategy of innovation effectiveness is based upon applying industry best practices in the areas that make the most difference. But beyond that, benchmarking is a powerful tool that lets us ask: How do people in other fields solve the kind of problems we face in ours? Our thinking becomes more lateral and seeks to create

analogous situations - How is my problem in industrial design like someone elses problem in business acquisition? Who Level 5 change is approaching the wild stuff but not quite there. You might find that Level 5 folks arent as orderly, leaving office paperwork in piles instead of files. Personally I find myself to be most attracted to Level 5 change, and my KAI is 118, so you can place the range just to the right of the mean of 96. Myers-Briggs types may be xSxP moving to xNxJ. Level 5 thinkers are also useful as bridgers who can broker cooperation between the more adaptive and innovative team members. They are good at taking high KAI thinkers ideas and fashioning them into useful solutions. Ideas Level 5 ideas are generated from noticing things - things from nature, things from other industries, things from newspapers/periodicals/books, things from areas of personal interest, things from the imagination. Ideas created from benchmarking need to be adapted to your particular situation, which in of itself generates more ideas that answer the questions: How could we do this here? What will we have to do to make it work for us? Copying can also generate change at all the other levels. If I benchmark some elses best practices for a manufacturing process, I am, in effect, improving my own process (Level 3). If I adapt someone elses technology in inkjet printing to my problem in homebuilding, I am creating something thats never been done before in my field (Level 6). Tools Level 5 tools help us see whats proven and works the best, and helps us create new ideas from lateral thinking. Here are a few not mentioned in the book that I have found work for me pretty well. Doblins Ten Types of Innovation - Weve used this many times before. It is a strategic level best-practices tool for focusing your creative efforts in the areas that make the most difference. TRIZ - TRIZ is a powerful tool developed by G.S. Altshuller in the former Soviet Union between 1946 and 1985. It is a problem solving philosophy based on the principle that most innovations are transpositions of known solutions from other fields. TRIZ practitioners are adept at searching patent databases. There is also a TRIZ contradiction matrix (see the linked website) which uses the results of the original TRIZ patent search to form a powerful linear problem solving tool in itself. Lateral Connections - Use the lateral connections tool on the Arsenal page to move from concrete to abstract, then to more concrete analogies in other fields. Levels 1-5 all have something in common - by and large, they deal with knowns. Moving beyond Level 5 takes us into uncharted territory. The risks, as well as the rewards, are higher, but its not for the timid. Our next installment will focus on Level 6: Doing Things No One Else Is Doing.

7 Levels Of Change (Part 7 of 9) - Level 6: Doing Things No One Else Is Doing


The seventh in a nine-part series on Rolf Smiths 7 Levels of Change, I introduce the sixth level of change - Different (Doing Things No One Else Is Doing). Part 1 - Introduction Part 2 - Level 1: Effectiveness Part 3 - Level 2: Efficiency Part 4 - Level 3: Improving Part 5 - Level 4: Cutting

Part 6 - Level 5: Copying Levels 1-5 were very different but all had one thing in common - they basically used the tried and true. Continuous improvement (Levels 1-3) techniques are well-documented and widespread, the Pareto Principle (Level 4) is generally accepted as fact, and the very essence of copying (Level 5) is to adapt something that already works for someone else. Using Levels 1-5 is liking hiking on a well-traveled trail or driving down a paved road with ready supplies of gas, food, and lodging at the next exit. Level 6 is truly doing different. Its more like forging your own path through the wilderness, or blazing your own trail up the mountain. There arent any amenities, there arent many success stories to build confidence. It pushes most people far out of their comfort zone, as it is a lot riskier, but the rewards are potentially far greater. The risk aspect drives people away from Level 6. Avoiding this kind of change is the foundation ofDoblins Ten Types of Innovation. Doblins data reveals that most attempts at innovation - well over 90 percent - fail, as they generally occur in the category of new products. Doblins innovation effectiveness strategy is focused on Level 5. You can make a strong argument that Level 6 should only be attempted when youve exhausted all your alternatives at Level 5. But there are times when Level 6 is the only alternative - and true disruptive change occurs at this level. The first Apple personal computer is an example of a Level 6 change. Prior to the Apple, computers were big expensive mainframes and complex minicomputers that required arcane operating systems usable only by the adept. They appealed to scientists, engineerings, and programmers as analytical tools. The Apple PC was targeted at a totally different segment of the population - the business user, the home user. It was more user-friendly, less powerful and complex, and a lot cheaper. The Apple PC was a calculated risk - no one really knew if it would appeal to this new market. Thirty years and billions of sales later, personal computer sales dominate the computer industry. What level change is the EEStor ultracapacitor? As far as ultracapacitors go it is a Level 3 change improved materials yielding better performance. But you can argue that it is a Level 6 change as well using ultracapacitor technology to innovate the high performance battery field, in an attempt to obsolete batteries altogether. KAI adapters view Level 6 as far too risky, and rarely find themselves comfortable when confronted with a problem that requires such innovative thinking. KAI innovators crave Level 6 change as necessary to their creative impulses. Thinking To get different results, you have to do things no one else is doing. To do things no one else is doing , you have to practice lateral thinking. Level 6 thinking is focused outward, like Level 5, but it questions many of the assumptions that make Level 5 work. You have to get outside of your comfort zone and look at problems from new and novel perspectives. Unlike Level 4 (Pareto Principle), and Level 5 (benchmarking), there is no one broad principle for effecting Level 6 change. It involves more abstract thinking tools and procedures to generate off-thewall, novel ideas. Abstract thinking is necessary in order to force the change in perspective. Who Level 6 thinkers are the high KAI innovators who are viewed by others as the rule breakers, the mavericks, the ones who have a vital need to implement drastic change. They are predominately MyersBriggs types xNxJ and xNxP. They may have messy offices with piles of papers, they may like to rearrange their workspace periodically in order to create an environment more conductive to their ways of thinking and personalities. They may be habitual jokers and pranksters. They love to talk about the newest thing theyve seen in other worlds, and look for ways to apply it in their world. Ideas

Level 6 ideas challenge the fundamental assumptions of the current situation. How do you get Level 6 ideas? If you notice something in another field that is brand new and innovative, you might want to copy and adapt it to your field even though its too new to be considered proven. That differentiates it from a pure Level 5 idea. As I discussed in Level 5, another similar Level 6 technique involves adapting someone elses technology in a totally different field to solve a problem in my field. Tools Since challenging assumptions is the foundation upon which Level 6 is built, lets start with: Challenging Assumptions - Use this tool to identify and reverse all assumptions associated with your situation to generate novel ideas. FCB Grid - The FCB grid shows us visually where there might be opportunities for focusing on new markets Random Words - Random words and other forms of forced connections generate novel ideas by connecting our problem to the aspects of seemingly unrelated words and images. Mindmaps - Mindmapping was developed by Tony Buzan in the late 60s. Mindmaps depict information in a visual manner, as opposed to tables and charts. A good source for learning mindmapping is here. Use mindmaps to discuss the problem in a freeform visual fashion. Moving to Level 6 has taken us into uncharted territory. Our next stop is the end of the line - Level 7 Doing the Impossible.

7 Levels Of Change (Part 8 of 9) - Level 7: Doing Things That Cant Be Done


The eighth in a nine-part series on Rolf Smiths 7 Levels of Change, I introduce the seventh level of change - Different (Doing Things That Cant Be Done). Part 1 - Introduction Part 2 - Level 1: Effectiveness Part 3 - Level 2: Efficiency Part 4 - Level 3: Improving Part 5 - Level 4: Cutting Part 6 - Level 5: Copying Part 7 - Level 6: Different What separates Level 7 change from Levels 1-6? As diverse as they are, Levels 1-6 share one thing in common - they work in what is known to be possible. Not always practical, not aways easy, and not always concrete - but possible. Level 7 pushes us into the realm of the impossible - what no one believes can be done. But its a transient level - because once you do it, its no longer impossible. You might want to think of Level 7 as Making The Impossible Possible. What do you consider impossible? For me, rock climbing was impossible until September of 2006. Up until then my fear of heights and perspective on rock climbing in general had convinced me there was no way I could do it. But all it took was a guide and some basic instruction and away I went. Rock climbing is no longer impossible for me, but not all rock climbing is created equal - it can be relatively easy or relatively exasperating. I recently joined a local gym that has a climbing wall. The wall is straight up and has routes of various difficulties, none as easy as I had climbed last year. Due to the lack of sufficient handholds I could not even do the easiest route until last week, when my hand strength caught up and I finally figured out an easier way to do it. Now I can climb it with ease. But there are eight other routes that exceed my ability - to me they are impossible. Or they will be until I achieve sufficient expertise to climb them. The key is to develop the mindset that even though something is impossible now, it can be made possible through tenacity, creative thinking, and focused effort. Make the impossible possible and fortune and fame await.

In business, doing the impossible is seldom considered. As risky as Level 6 is, Level 7 is even riskier. But from a creative thinking standpoint its a lot more fun, because theres nothing to lose - free your mind and think of everything that cant be done, but if it could, would change everything. Some examples of Level 7 change: The first airplane The laser The light bulb Open-heart surgery The Cubs winning the World Series KAI adapters view Level 7 as insane, and experience great discomfort with the notion of casting aside all creative inhibitions. KAI innovators enjoy the challenge of Level 7 thinking. Thinking To get impossible results, you have to do things that cant be done. To do things that cant be done, you have to practice breakout, imaginative thinking. You have to totally eliminate any tendencies towards pre-judging your ideas and free your thinking totally. Your motto should be: They said _____ cant be done - but we can find a way to do it. Wouldnt it be great if we had an invisible airplane, like Wonder Womans? We do - its called the Stealth Bomber. It started with the idea of doing the impossible - making an airplane invisible. Who Like Level 6 thinkers, Level 7 thinkers are high KAI innovators, mostly Myers-Briggs types xNxP. They abhor detailed work, challenge structure, and look for ways to evade rules. They are visionaries, bigpicture thinkers, and look for ways to disrupt the status-quo. They create unique work environments and have little patience for bureaucracy. Ideas As discussed above, Level 7 ideas come from unrestrained thinking. Its often a function of asking a series of questions that force you to question what you think you know about the limitations of industry, society, and even science. The crazier the ideas, the better. Its also important to proliferate ideas at this level, because not all crazy ideas can readily be converted into practical solutions. Level 7 ideas are often the results of integrating various positives from several different far-out notions that attack the problem from different perspectives. Tools

Challenging Assumptions - Challenging assumptions was introduced in Level 6 but can also be used to produce Level 7 ideas. Level 7 Questions: What is impossible today, but if were possible would fundamentally change the way we do business? What would solve our problem, but has absolutely no way of being implemented due to (science, laws, etc)? If we cant have _____, what would do in a pinch? Crazy Ideas - I posted this tool last week for the first time. It is probably the most important single tool you can use to generate Level 7 ideas that work. The key is to capture the essence of the idea and move from abstract to concrete.

We have reached the end of the line. My last installment will tie everything together and suggest some practical ways to put the 7 Levels to work.

7 Levels Of Change (Part 9 of 9) - Bringing It All Together

The last in a nine-part series on Rolf Smiths 7 Levels of Change, I bring everything together and discuss how to put the 7 Levels to work. Part 1 - Introduction Part 2 - Level 1: Effectiveness Part 3 - Level 2: Efficiency Part 4 - Level 3: Improving Part 5 - Level 4: Cutting Part 6 - Level 5: Copying Part 7 - Level 6: Different Part 8 - Level 7: Impossible Lets start by assembling a short FAQ on the use of the 7 Levels. Cutting to the chase: Q: How do I use the 7 Levels? You use the 7 Levels by thinking about your problems and determining what kind of solutions are appropriate. Can I solve my problem by doing things better? Then focus on Level 1, 2, and 3. Must I do things differently to solve my problem? Focus on Level 5, 6, or 7. Some problems call for improvement, some call for novelty. Some call for the tried and true, some call for the new and unproven. Start looking at change in these ways: Doing better vs. Doing different Sustaining vs. Transforming Evolutionary vs. Revolutionary Another way is to consider the 7 Levels as a sequential methodology to guide your thinking. Its like an innovation diagnostic procedure. In each installation in this series Ive included tools and techniques to help you answer these questions: Are we being effective? Can we be more efficient? How can we improve? What can we improve? What can we cut? Who can we copy? How do we adapt it to our situation? What can we do that no one else is doing? What is impossible today that, if it were possible, would fundamentally change the way we do business? Q: Do I HAVE to go through the 7 Levels in sequence? You dont have to perform exhaustive analysis for each level but you should at least THINK about each level. You might be able to rule out certain levels fairly quickly. Again, it all comes back to the problem youre solving. Going through the 7 Levels in sequence is methodical but it might waste effort, depending on how well youve defined your problem. In the appendices to the book there are several case histories that illustrate the benefits of the sequential approach. Q: Why dont I have a feel for Level (whatever)? People have different creative styles and personalities. People with adaptive creative styles and MyersBriggs type ISxx and ESxx are drawn to Levels 1, 2, and 3. People with innovative creative styles and Myers-Briggs type INxx and ENxx crave Levels 5, 6, and 7. It would be hard for a person with an adaptive creative style to come up with Level 6 ideas. Or more correctly, what constitutes a Level 6 idea to an adaptor wouldnt necessarily be the same as a Level 6 idea from an innovator. Likewise an innovator would have a hard time coming up with Level 2 ideas that merely improved things. He might try to improve efficiency by blowing everything up and starting over with a new process or procedure. In either case the solutions may not be appropriate to the problem. Q: What levels provide the most bang for the buck?

Consider that as the Levels go up, risk goes up but so does reward. More than likely, Levels 3, 4 and 5 balance the risk and reward the best. This gives something for both adaptors and innovators to like. Level 5 is especially attractive in that what you are copying is proven, and the cost of researching and developing what you are copying has already been borne by someone else. Microsoft has used this strategy time and time again. Focusing on what works is the cornerstone of the Doblin strategy. Q: Can solutions at one Level lead to changes at other Levels? Indeed. The book itself contains a great example of this - the first combination KFC-Pizza Hut restaurants.

Combining two separate franchised restaurants into one was a Level 6 change to the people who came up with the idea - no one had ever done it before. But once they decided to do it, they found many opportunities for Level 2, 3 and 4 changes in process integration and elimination of redundant capabilities and positions. Using the 7 Levels for Fun and Profit Consider what would constitute the 7 Levels for an aspect of your business or activity. Lets take an example weve talked about before - collaboration. The 7 Levels of Collaboration: 1. Effectiveness - I tell you want I need and vice versa 2. Efficiency - I use email to tell a bunch of people what I need and vice versa 3. Improvement - The Golden Rule: I treat you how I want to be treated, and vice versa, so we work together better 4. Cutting - We determine whats most important about our collaboration, focus on it, and cut out the crap that makes it more difficult 5. Copying - We look at how others collaborate and learn from them

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Different - The Platinum Rule: I learn about your type, style and temperament to better understand how you want to be treated, and vice versa Impossible - Telepathy and Empathy to create perfect, instantaneous collaboration

What about these? The 7 Levels of Customer Experience The 7 Levels of Rewarding Our Employees The 7 Levels of Business Model Innovation Start thinking about the Levels of Change in everything you do, in every problem you have to solve. And keep in mind that as the Levels increase, these other things increase as well: Risk Reward Novelty Fear Complexity Uncertainty Disruption Glory Ill be revisiting the 7 Levels in future posts. I hope this series has been as fun for you as it was for me. As Rolf says: Keep Moving Forward!

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