2. The Ingenuity Dimension Solutions

Every challenging situation requires extraordinary ingenuity - because we don't know what we don't know. This is a non-trivial problem to solve!

2. The Ingenuity Dimension Solutions

1. Provisionals: Generate a series of rough, provisional solutions.
2. AGI: Generate and integrate alternatives to the current provisional solution.
3. GPS: Establish the single Goal, Problem and Solution for all stakeholders in all time periods.
4. Pattern Thinking: Instead of compromising or choosing between inadequate solutions, find the repeating pattern across them.
5. RET: Reverse-Engineer solutions from the benefts sought to the solution features required.

2. The Ingenuity Dimension

Ingenuity focuses on individual and collective genius - coming up with smarter, better, cheaper, more sustainable and predictable outcomes.

2. The Ingenuity Dimension

The problem with ingenuity is that it's extremely challenging - biologically - to come up with new outside-the-box solutions and insights.

Deliberately generating and integrating alternative ways of enhancing key dimensions of an evolving solution prototype enables us to escape this physiological constraint.

Applying patterns that resolve the common contradictions between physical properties accelerates things even further.

The Top Five Ingenuity Lever Solutions

Using these levers - independently or in concert - guarantees next-level outside-the-box genuius insights and solutions in a fraction of the normal time.

The Top Five Ingenuity Lever Solutions

1. Provisionals: Force out a provisional solution, no matter how inadequate and enhance it iteratively.
2. AGI: Generate and Integrate alternatives to a starting provisional solution or design.
3. Pattern Thinking: Generate lots of ideas. Find common themes. Find the repeating pattern.
4. GPS: Clarify the Goal, then the Problem and only then the Solution to maximise impact & efficiency.
5. AWAPITA: Focus on completing As Well As Possible In the Time Available, rather than ASAP.

Provisionals Technique

Use the power of provisional solutions to overcome the Peter Principle and Perfectionism.

Provisionals Technique

Provisionals Technique is deliberately adopting very rough and of necessity inadequate solutions ahead of any thought or research.

The power of provisionals lies in their creation of a tangible working solution - that is a lot easier to enhance than an ethereal solution that doesn't yet exist.

Provisionals can take the form of a few descriptive words or a rough diagram or barely-working prototype: anything to trigger of the enhancement phase of the innovation cycle.

AGI

(Alternative Generation & Integration

A way of deliberately and systematically developing lateral, outside-the box solutions.

AGI

(Alternative Generation & Integration

Generate and integrate significant alternatives to a starting provisional solution.

The starting provisional solution defines and is defined by the box one is currently thinking in.

Generating alternatives to it forces one to come up with something outside that box: a solution that defines its own - different - box. Integrating the solution ideas defines a new - more powerful and valid - box.

RET

(Reverse-Engineering Technique

Use the power of reverse-engineering to streamline and guarantee outcomes.

RET

(Reverse-Engineering Technique

Reverse-Engineering (working backwards from instead of forwards to) the ultimate state sought) offers a number unique of advantages.

1. It enables us to ensure that we haven't missed any essential elements out.
2. It enables to exclude the superfluous.
3. It enables us to figure out demanding and complex challenges.

We don't need to abandon Forward Engineering - merely supplement it with RET.

Future Retrospective

Use the gift of hindsight - to reverse-engineer failure, opportunity and success modes.

Future Retrospective

Future Retrospective is a more comprehensive version of the subsequently developed Pre- Mortem, in that it investigates not only the reasons for failure, but also the keys to success, opportunities encountered and the learnings achieved.

The objective is to enhance the project plan and project team preparedness by deliberately catalysing foresight by engaging hindsight in each of the key contributory modes.

AWAPITA

As Well As Possible In The Time
Available/Allocated/Assigned

A powerful and effective alternative to ASAP.

AWAPITA

As Well As Possible In The Time
Available/Allocated/Assigned

Completing something AWAPITA rather than ASAP switches the focus from perfection-as-long-as-it-takes to getting-it-done-in-a-timely-way-even-if-it's-not-perfect).  It enables us to overcome perfectionism, procrastination and multitasking and accelerate innovation and productivity.

It combines well with Provisionals, AGI and fast-cycle, multi-pass innovation.

Pattern Thinking

Generate genius-level insights and solutions, on demand.

Pattern Thinking

A simple technique for finding the repeating patterns that drive the behaviour of the systems that make challenging situations seem so intractable.

1. List the elements of the situation - like issues & challenges - & opportunities and solutions.
2. Look for common themes across the set
3. Look for the single repeating pattern across the set of common themes.

The themes & pattern won't be immediately obvious but will, very quickly, leap into focus.

The GPS (Goal|Problem|Solution)

Simple, powerful, universal strategy model.

The GPS (Goal|Problem|Solution)

1. The Goal Pattern: The single situation-wide goal pattern,
2. The Problem Pattern: The single situation-wide core/root problem pattern.
3. The Solution Pattern: The single simple situation-wide breakthrough solution pattern.

There is a single, situation-wide GPS (Goal|Problem|Solution) Pattern for each & every challenging situation or thing. It can be found using Pattern Thinking or AGI, below.

GBE (Good|Bad|Exceptional)

Simple framework and method for helping people escape the box of mediocrity.

GBE (Good|Bad|Exceptional)

GBE gets people to list current and potential good and bad features and experiences of products and services in a brainstorming way.

Then collaborate to develop good features and experiences against each bad one - with a view to replacing the bad ones with good ones.

The real impact comes from the third step, which is to create a third, Exceptional column/category to bring people to extrapolate and use other techniques to significantly exceed their best previous ideas.

TEASE

1. Target things more accurately or tightly.
2. Enhance: Make things better.
3. Accelerate: Make things faster.
4. Streamline: Make things quicker, cheaper or easier.
5. Energise: Make things more appealing to people.

TEASE

TEASE is one of many Improvement Mode Frameworks that identify the improvement dimensions to consider.

Knowing what dimensions of a challenging situation or thing we can improve, enables us to both identify and focus on those dimensions more easily and precisely.

1. Chose which dimensions will have the biggest impact - independently and in concert.
2. Focus the Ingenuity Solutions at each dimension to generate ways of improving it.
3. Find a combination that works.

Innovation Hothouse

A way of deliberately and systematically catalysing, accelerating and synergising individual and collective ingenuity and innovation.

Innovation Hothouse

Run a succession of 90-second idea generation and recognition sessions to generate increasingly outside the box ideas and integrate and evolve them into simple counter-intuitive dramatic improvement breakthrough solution.

Innovation Hothouse has a number of advantages over conventional Brainstorming techniques, because it allows people to generate ideas in parallel and enables everyone's (not just the dominate personalities') ideas to be captured and built upon, collaborate lively.

The IMP Ideal|Minimalistic|Proposed Technique

Teaser

The IMP Ideal|Minimalistic|Proposed Technique

Details

The IFOES Framework

Teaser

The IFOES Framework

Details

The DCOMRIS Framework

Teaser

The DCOMRIS Framework

Details

The Drîm Flow Discovery Page Contents

A high-level portal contents overview.

The Drîm Flow Discovery Page Contents

1. Intro to Drîm.
2. The Drîm Manifesto.
3. The Drîm Dimensions.
4. The Drîm Principles.
5. The Drîm Solution Library.
6. The Drîm Templates.
7. The Drîm Mindset.
8. The Drîm Method.
9. Implications of the Drîm Framework.
10. Integration with existing frameworks.

How to Improve Flow Dramatically

Every challenging situation or thing is a flow-system. This section covers counter-intuitive ways of deliberately and systematically improving flow.

How to Improve Flow Dramatically

The problem with flow is that we all think we understand it & how to improve it - but there's a lot more to it than we realise.

The primary dimensions of flow are: flow-rate, flow-time, flow-quality, flow-cost & mental flow-state. They're closely related, which doesn't make it any easier to work out how to improve things!

Even the simple insight that end-to-end flow-rate is determined by a single bottleneck - which is obvious to everyone - is seldom capitalised on (people seldom know, agree, prioritise or focus on relieving the bottleneck).

Flow & Other Dimensions

How flow affects & is affected by other dimensions.

Flow & Other Dimensions

All other dimensions are actually flow systems - & all other dimensions are required to improve flow: the dimensions are all recursive & omnipresent:

1. Flow The rate at which flow is improved is a flow system - like the other dimensions, flow is infinitely recursive & omnipresent.
2. Ingenuity The ingenuity process is a flow system | Ingenuity is required to accelerate flow.
3. Change Change is a flow system | Improving flow requires change.
4. Mastery is a flow-system | Mastery is an essential part of every flow-system.
5. Synergy is a flow-system | Synergy is required to optimise flow.
6. Understanding is a flow system | We need to understand flow in orrder to maximise it.

The Universal Human Condition Solution

Multi-Option-Add-Your-Own Diagnostic & Intervention Frameworks

The Universal Human Condition Solution

The universal human condition problem is unconscious incognizance - we're forced to live in ignorance of what we don't know we don't know. This is a signficant physiological problem, because it prevents us from seeing & recognising the significance of what's right in front of us.

The solution to this problem of unconscious incognizance is to generate, integrate & test alternatives to an evolving hypothesis, building a multi-option-or-add-your-own diagnostic & intervention framework, in the process.  Hover here for a little more detail.

The GPS (Goal|Problem|Solution)

Simple, powerful, universal strategy model.

The GPS (Goal|Problem|Solution)

1. The Goal Pattern: The single situation-wide goal pattern,
2. The Problem Pattern: The single situation-wide core/root problem pattern.
3. The Solution Pattern: The single simple situation-wide breakthrough solution pattern.

There is a single, situation-wide GPS (Goal|Problem|Solution) Pattern for each & every challenging situation or thing. It can be found using Pattern Thinking or AGI, below.

REMODIFAGI

A way of overcoming the fundamental Human Condition Problem of Unconscious Incognizance

REMODIFAGI

A more comprehensive version of MODIF for overcoming the seemingly intractable human condition problem of unconscious incognizance:

1. Reverse-Engineered (from the nirvana state)
2. Multi-Option (for quick, reliable selection)
3. Frameworks (to provide both control/predictability and freedom) with
4. Alternative Generation and Integration (to ensure ongoing improvement).

AGI

Alternative Generation & Integration

A way of deliberately and systematically developing lateral, outside-the box breakthrough solutions.

AGI

Alternative Generation & Integration

Generate and integrate significant alternatives to a starting provisional solution.

The starting provisional solution defines and is defined by the box one is currently thinking in.

Generating alternatives to it forces one to come up with something outside that box: a solution that defines its own - different - box.

Integrating the solution ideas defines a new - bigger & more powerful & valid - box.

Pattern Thinking

Generate genius-level insights and solutions, on demand.

Pattern Thinking

A simple technique for finding the repeating patterns that drive the behaviour of the systems that make challenging situations seem so intractable.

1. List the elements of the situation - like issues & challenges - & opportunities and solutions.
2. Look for common themes across the set
3. Look for the single repeating pattern across the set of common themes.

The themes & pattern won't be immediately obvious but will, very quickly, leap into focus.

Pattern Extrapolation

Continue in the direction & pattern of the breakthrough to flush out additional gains

Pattern Extrapolation

Extend the essence of the new insight or breakthrough solution beyond your comfort level - looking for further implications & ramifications to capitalise on the Drîm momentum gained.

The Repeating Pattern Phenomenon implies that any discovery or advance will apply throughout the situation.

Extrapolation is delibertaely looking for other applications, so that they don't need to be discovered or invented independently.

Deep Thought & Practice

Deliberately and systematically accelerate capability by stimulating myelination - the wrapping of myelin around axons in the brain.  

It peaks after 12-16 minutes and drops off after 40-60 minutes.  It's triggered by deep, repetitive concentration at the limits of current capability.

Deep Thought & Practice

1. Break the desired performance into its key steps or elements.
2. Repeatedly and uninterruptedly learn then practice each of the elements independently
3. Slowly at first and with
4. Increasing speed and pressure
5. Combine the various elements together.

Myelin reduces electrical signal degradation and increases the flow of current which strengthens thinking patterns and performance.

Staged Evolution

An agile-esque way of migrating to ideality in stages, over time - and establishing a market leadership position in the process.

Staged Evolution

1. Define the current ideal outcome, product, service or state.
2. Define the current state.
3. Develop a very rough 3- or 4-stage migration from the current to the ideal state.
4. Deliver the first stage - only introducing new ideas that reduce risk and accelerate this stage; add other new ideas to an Ideas List.
5. Return to step 1, using the ideas list to enhance the ideal outcome.

The Drîm Framework

This entire site is designed to help people overcome the unconscious incognizance problem.

The Drîm Framework

The Drîm Framework - developed, specifically, to overcome this problem, comprises:

1. The Drîm Manifesto.
2. The Drîm Dimensions.
3. The Drîm Principles
4. The Drîm Solution Library.
5. The Drîm Mindset.
6. The Drîm Templates
7. The Drîm Method.

MCAYO Drîm Templates

Translating concept into tangible benefit.

MCAYO Drîm Templates

1. Templates provide a thinking & communication structure, while increasing - freedom & flexibilty.
2. Multi-choice templates are quicker & easier to use.
3. The ability to add your own option enables ....
4. Example populated-templates help people get a feel for the finished product ....
5. Guidelines & simple self-tests ensure that we gain the most benefit with the least effort.

MCAYO templates enable us to apply any template, concept, model or framework directly, ....

The Flashcard Solution

A brain-friendly way to present ideas & information.

The Flashcard Solution

A brain-friendly way to discover & learn new concepts:

1. The front of the flashcard (Title, Pictogram & Teaser) provides an overview.
2. The back of the flashcard, provides detail.
3. The tooltips provide a deeper layer of detail.
4. Hovering (or pressing) on the flashcard provides detail.
5. The navigation link (bottom right), links to comprehensive detail.
6. The template link (bottom-left) links the template.

Drîm IMPACT ILLUSTRATIONS

Here are some illustrations of the impact you can expect.

There are always solutions as impactful as these to be found, even - especially - when situations seem intractable, at the start.

Drîm IMPACT ILLUSTRATIONS

We've enhanced the dramatic improvement framework significantly since some of these solutions were implemented - especially in the creating and sustaining change dimension.

So the impact you can expect is at least as significant as what we share below: no matter how intractable your situation may seem.

As you can see, the solutions are deceptively simple - and obvious in hindsight.  Beware the trap of thinking that your situation is different!

MARKETING

Sales-ready leads with over 80% conversion-rate.

MARKETING

Global Distributor: Healthcare Equipment

Solution Overview

1. Targeted dissemination of highly tailored self-diagnostics that enable ideal prospective clients (for whom the product offering is ideal) to diagnose their need reliably and map it into the distributor's product portfolio.
2. Access to the prospective clients is direct marketing via special a interest groups that the most influential of them belong to.

HEALTH

Overweight business person needed a dramatic improvement solution for weight loss - he was prepared to do anything to lose weight.

HEALTH

Weight-Loss

Solution Overview

1. Never say no to tasty or unhealthy food: merely delay gratification for as long as your motivation allows, and hydrate, exercise, attitune and eat healthy food in the interim.
2. Realise that being hungry is not a life-threatening condition, but a highly attractive one (from a weight-loss point of view), because it means that any energy expended will burn fat reserves.

SALES

Dramatic increase in insurance sales across bank branches country-wide.

SALES

Bank: Life Insurance

Solution Overview

1. A simplified, customer-centric understanding of the complex product.
2. A tangible and memorable value proposition - supported by simple graphical illustrations.
3. A simple selection and decision framework. 
4. A small collection of rapport- and trust-gaining techniques.

PRODUCTION

Dramatic increase in production throughput, on lower costs and dramatically reduced rebates and waste.

PRODUCTION

Manufacturer: Exotic Veneer Boards

Solution Overview

1. Identified the press as the bottleneck.
2. Ensured that the bottleneck was never starved (3 ready-to-go jobs, comprising veneer, substrate, glue and pressure|time specifications). 
3. Press switched on first thing and off last thing., to ensure that press utilisation is high.
4. Split shifts - overlapping in the middle of the day, to ensure that the press is always working.

RELATIONSHIPS

Many marriage relationships turned around - all over the world.

RELATIONSHIPS

Marriage Reconciliation|Improvement

Solution Overview

1. Recognise that relationship is the mutual satisfaction of respective and shared needs - and that neither party is clear on even what they really need, never mind what the other party really needs.
2. Simple technique for surfacing respective and shared needs. 
3. Decision-framework for acting on the insight.

PROJECTS

12 week projects completed in 8 weeks instead of 14 - company became very popular with both schools and trade-subcontractor - whose profits also soared.

PROJECTS

Construction Company: School Blocks

Solution Overview

1. Pool task-float on the project instead of the tasks.
2. Agree with sub-contractors to reduce multitasking in exchange for guaranteed ability to start work on arrival.
3. Rolling plan against a check-list of prerequisites (previous steps, equipment, resourcing, materials and information).

OPERATIONS

Backlog decimated within weeks.  Dramatic improvement in Customer and Staff satisfaction.

OPERATIONS

Insurance Company: Standard Claims

Solution Overview

Simple asymmetrical decision-tree and accompanying scripting that asks 6 questions to determine whether we have a potentially valid claim or not.

New claims specialists can use the method reliably on their first week rather than in their 3rd month.

Backlog decimated within weeks.  Dramatic improvement in Customer and Staff satisfaction.

SPORT

This primary school soccer team was being beaten by 4 - 10 goals: mostly to nil.

The win-loss record averaged a 5 goal deficit at the end of the first round, when we introduced our solution and a 5 goal advantage in the second round. 

SPORT

U8 Soccer team

Solution Overview

1. We taught and drilled the players (and their parents!) a simple technique (instead of merely kicking the ball as hard as possible):
   1. Pass square, and run straight (or through) and
   2. Pass straight (or through) and run square
2. This enabled the team to carve up the opposition, and accelerated game sense development.

PROJECTS

The project budget - shortly beforehand approved to grow from 12M to 19M and 11 months to 24 months - was reduced to  350K and 3 months.

PROJECTS

Telecommunications: Billing Platform

Solution Overview

1. Instead of replicating a newly acquired subsidiary's front-end and back-end for the new billing middleware system, develop shims between the subsidiary's front-end and the middleware and between it and the subsidiary's back-end.

2. This was at least a decade before this was a known solution and long before the days of API's.

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

This company owned over 80% of the NZ market but was being losing out to inferior international competitors as it began expanding overseas.

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

Pathology Lab Software

Solution Overview

1. Iterative, detailed working mockups of screens and reports before a single line of code is written.
2. Pseudo coding and code prototyping.
3. Pair design and development practices.
4. Scheduled catch-ups between junior & senior devs.
5. Agreed time allocation between support and new product development.

EDUCATION

The class teacher was phlegmatic about this student who was pretty smart for her age, but disliked reading intensely and was in the bottom reading group.

EDUCATION

Junior School Student: Reading Group

Solution Overview

1. The problem was that the student's interests and maturity exceeded her reading ability.
2. We had the parents read books on subjects and at levels that she was interested in - the student following along.
3. Parents stopped frequently to allow her to read the next word (that she could read), increasing the complexity and number of words, over time.

HEALTHCARE

12 internal and external projects had resulted in patient visit duration increasing and patient and clinician satisfaction decreasing.

HEALTHCARE

Public Orthopaedic Clinic

Solution Overview

Patient flow-sequencing and -streamlining:

1. Interleaving of appointment types at the clinical consultant step in the process.
2. Patients are scheduled at the next available slot for their appointment type with their consultant.
3. Patients' place in the clinic queue is retained no matter how long each process takes.

RELATIONSHIPS

Misalignment and frustration on both sides was reaching concerning levels: both parties thought that the other was being unreasonable.

RELATIONSHIPS

Parent-Teenager Relationship

Solution Overview

1. Realise that the time to direct the teenager's life is long past.
2. Instead of trying to get him to adopt a solution that has a greater chance of succeeding, dedicate yourself to helping him make his solution succeed, including identifying flaws and opportunities within his approach.

Instantaneous change in relationship.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCTIVITY

This company owner was working long days and getting home to his young family after dinner every night.  He turned things around within 2 days.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCTIVITY

Company Owner: Higher Throughput on Shorter Days

Solution Overview

This was what became our standard Defrag Your Brain! workshop - combined with a few scheduling and delegation solutions.

The basic idea is to schedule preferred Interruption Windows and Focus Times - for managers and staff. This enables everyone to get way more done in way less time at way lower biological cost.

Drîm Solutions

Drîm Solutions secure dramatic improvement in performance and fulfilment for all concerned.

Drîm Solutions

Drîm Solutions are simple and (of necessity) counter-intuitive. They take advantage of (rather than fighting) the forces that constrain the situation.

There are four primary perspectives to explore:
Arenas | Dimensions | Domains | Levers.

1. Start with the perspective that appeals to you most.
2. Note the most appealing ideas for your situation.
3. Stop when you think that you have enough.
4. Move to the next perspective only if you need to.
5. Dig deeper on the most promising candidates.

Context (If you're new to Drîm)

A quick overview of the dramatic improvement concept and framework.

Context (If you're new to Drîm)

1. Dramatic improvement (Drîm) is the discipline of deliberately and systematically improving challenging situations dramatically.
2. Drîm is always feasible - the more challenging the situation, the greater the improvement potential.
3. The secret is to use common repeating drîm patterns to find the drîm solutions hidden within challenging situations.
4. This section provides some of those drîm solution patterns in some of the most common arenas.