How to Enrich and Achieve Meaning
Meaning is a what motivates us - our motivations and beliefs and how they inhibit and drive individual and collective performance and fulfilment.
Meaning and purpose - immediate and ultimate - drives all human activity and provides huge untapped opportunity for dramatic improvement.
The challenge with keying into meaning is that it is elusive and not as well-defined, logically grounded, accessible or easy to articulate as we may like to think.
The secret is to recognise that it's fundamentally about our perceived significance within the world we choose to live in - and our value system (what we think is important) and the mental model we have of how things work.
We know that motivation is crucial to behaviour, but struggle to become - and stay - motivated and struggle to motivate others and keep them motivated.
We know that motivation is crucial to behaviour, but struggle to become - and stay - motivated and struggle to motivate others and keep them motivated.
The key to motivation is to realise that it's the link between our perception of meaning and our behaviour - and that different things are meaningful in different situational contexts (Think: Maslow).
The secret to sustainable motivation is to determine and connect with what is most meaningful - to ourselves and others - within the context. And then keep reminding ourselves of the connection.
Our world is the product of our beliefs about meaning.
Our worldview is the product of our beliefs, which, in turn are created by contemplation on experiences and influences in our lives.
Worldview is belief-based, not reality-based. Our beliefs are the our society- and environment-assisted interpretation of past, current and future reality.
The point here is that our worldview is on fairly shaky ground, because beliefs are valuable and reliable only as temporary proxies - avatars - for reality.
Our worldview is the set of beliefs we hold about what is meaningful. Our ability to secure dramatic and sustainable improvement is dependent on the accuracy of our worldview so it's crucial that we work out what our worldview is : how closely our beliefs about reality coincide with that reality - and what we do to improve that alignment.
Meaning is elusive, because it's intangible and varies - between people, over time and situationally. There're many dimensions to meaning, so it's often quite difficult to articulate accurately and effectively.
The matter is further clouded by the worldview problem. Worldview is our perception of meaning - our beliefs about what will satisfy and fulfil us - distorted by Cognitive Biases and Logical Fallacies.
The trick is to deliberately test our worldview:
Past: Does it adequately explain past reality?
Future: Does it adequately predict future reality?
Our worldview is the combination of our values and the model we use for advancing them - adding value.
It's really worth working what our view is - and what the worldviews of others are, to (a) be able to key into and key things to our own worldview and (b) to be able to key into and the key things to their worldview.
It's worth working out what your ideal and actual worldviews are. Your ideal worldview is the relative importance you put on each value. Your actual worldview is reflected in the attention, time and effort you've invested in each one over the last 30 days.
You might be surprised at the difference between the two! So don't be surprised if others are the same!
Connecting the dots between meaning and the desired behaviours, produces motivation: the rocket fuel for dramatic improvement.
Once we've determined what our worldview is and are actively improving its alignment with reality, we can key activities - both ours and others - to it.
It will seem as if the activities - especially the more mundane ones - are totally unrelated, at first. But it only takes a little effort and practice before things start connecting up in all of our brains.
At that point, things start becoming more fulfilling and effortless and a virtual cycle is quickly established. The cycle can be maintained if we remain vigilant - re-establishing the connection every time it gets lost.
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Replace the normal coercive push-system for change that people can't help but resist with a vengeance to a compellingly attractive pull-system for change that they embrace with a passsion.
We resist change only because of perceived or valid concerns: address them and we embrace the change.
Having a perfect solution is of only academic value without the ability to make the change from the old way of doing things to the new way.
The problem is that we are so familiar with the old way that we can follow it automatically, while the new way is unproven, untested and full of risks and kinks.
The solution is to collaborate in creating simple frameworks for identifying and mitigating risks and ironing out kinks - and to give people the opportunity to become adept at the new way, over time, before abandoning the old way.
The trick is to make the new way way more compellingly attractive, appealing and addictive than the old way, in the short-term - for all parties..
A simple diagnostic and intervention framework to help people to target their change efforts.
Diagnose and intervene, surgically at the lagging prerequisite(s) for change.
Resistance to change is very seldom illogical - never mind willful. It's nearly always perfectly understandable - even if it's not totally valid.
Identifying, ahead of time, the full set of potentially concerns that people might have - and providing ways of addressing them to everyone's satisfaction, smoothes the way for and enhances change.
Simple framework to deal with the cognitive dissonance that arises from being faced with new ideas that you aren’t that familiar with.
A series of simple questions to diagnose the origin of cognitive dissonance and respond accordingly.
Do you have reservations about:
If so, raise your concerns and present alternatives.
Instead of coercing people to abandon their existing interests and passions for new ones, key into aligned existing interests and passions.
Ensure that change is closely aligned with people's interests and passions - even if not as closely aligned with the change sought.
Start by introducing change in areas most aligned with the change that people are already interested and passionate about - to capitalise on existing energy and momentum.
It's sometimes even worthwhile to head in the opposite direction to the change sought, temporarily, to gain momentum, relieve pain and stress and foster alignment and synergy.
Instead of trying to coerce people to join the change programme, restrict access to it and encourage them to compete for the opportunity.
Identify and clearly define the Change Trigger point and symptoms and contrast the new response and it's prosequences with the old one and its consequences.
Start small, tight and concentrated and expand outwards only as the value become obvious.
Ingenuity focuses on individual and collective genius - coming up with smarter, better, cheaper, more sustainable and predictable outcomes.
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.
Using these levers - independently or in concert - guarantees next-level outside-the-box genuius insights and solutions in a fraction of the normal time.
Using these levers - independently or in concert - guarantees next-level outside-the-box genuius insights and solutions in a fraction of the normal time.
A subset of the many drîm ingenuity techniques that can be used independently or in concert
Use the power of provisional solutions to overcome the Peter Principle and Perfectionism.
Provisionals Technique is deliberately adopting very rough - and consequently 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.
A way of deliberately and systematically developing lateral, outside-the box solutions.
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.
Generate genius-level insights and solutions, on demand.
Pattern Thinking is a simple technique for finding the otherwise invisible repeating patterns that drive and constrain the behaviour and performance of complex adaptive systems that make challenging situations seem so intractable.
The basic idea is to list the elements of the situation - like issues and challenges, opportunities and solutions and then, instead of comparing them for and raking them on difference, look for similarities and repeating patterns - they won’t be immediately obvious but very quickly leap into focus.
Simple, powerful, universal strategy model.
Identify:
A powerful and effective alternative to ASAP.
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.
Use the power of reverse-engineering to streamline and guarantee outcomes.
Reverse-Engineering (working backwards from instead of forwards to) the ultimate state sought) offers a number unique of advantages.
We don't need to abandon Forward Engineering - merely supplement it with RET.
A way of deliberately and systematically catalysing, accelerating and synergising individual and collective ingenuity and innovation.
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.
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.
The Dramatic Improvement Stories
Dramatic Improvement is ALWAYS possible.
There is a growing list of Drim Stories - from multiple sources
Stories about the Dramatic Improvement Dimensions.
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The Dramatic Improvement Method
The Drim Method is a continuous improvement process for applying the Drim Manifesto and Dimensions to a challenging situation or thing.
It's nearly always better - and possible - to make incremental imrpovements, repeatedly, over time.
Occasionally a paradim shift is required, however - although it's nearly always possible to migrate to the the new paradigm in a staged way.
So, the Drim Method is actually a never-ending cycle, in which the previous solution is the either the next solution requirement or the cause of the current challenge and state.
The Drim Method is a simple set of steps for identifying and applying the Drim Manifesto and Dimensions to a challenging situation or thing.
Move down the flow-chart until your solution is good enough - for now.
Nearly every lever is present in every single situation. Start by looking for the levers that you know best.
It's worth looking for your favourite levers first - because you're pretty adept at seeing them.
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This content is not available for your subscription-level. Please [R]egister or [S]ubscribe to gain access.
Nearly every drim story has parallels with every other drim story - but you have to look to find them.
Stories are fantastic vehicles for conveying, storing and disseminating drim solutions.
Look for specific personal or organisational arena drim solutions to pattern your solution on.
Look for matches between the drim dimensions and your situation, that you can patern your soltuion on.
Develop and integrate a set of solutions for each of the msot relevant Drim Dimensions, using teh Ingenuity.
The Dramatic Improvement Dimensions
The Drim Dimensions are perspectives - opportunity types - for securing dramatic improvement in any challenging situation or thing.
The dimensions are really the top level of a deeper taxonomy - and each dimension contains and applies to every toher dimension.
Feel free to adapt this set of Drim Dimensions to suit your world, toolset and way of thinking - this set is merely one way of looking at things.
We advise you to familiarise yourself and take advantage of this first - as there are many thousands of hours of research, thought and work behind their selection.
Every challenging situation or thing is a flow-system - and so benefits from the application counter-intuitive of dramatic improvement flow-improvement patterns.
Ingenuity focuses on individual and collective genius - coming up with smarter, better, cheaper, more sustainable and predictable outcomes.
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.
Having a perfect solution is of only academic value without the ability to make the change from the old way of doing things to the new way.
The problem is that we are so familiar with the old way that we can follow it automatically, while the new way is unproven, untested and full of risks and kinks.
The solution is to collaborate in creating simple frameworks for identifying and mitigating risks and ironing out kinks - and to give people the opportunity to become adept at the new way, over time, before abandoning the old way.
The trick is to make the new way way more compellingly attractive, appealing and addictive than the old way, in the short-term – for all parties.
Mastery is about becoming - individually and collectively - so good at challenging things that we can do them quickly and automatically.
The problem with learning new things beyond our current capability is that we learn best from (many) mistakes - and opportunities are relatively uncommon, so it takes a long time to achieve it.
The solution is to deliberately identify the most common remaining success and failure modes - and their earliest symptoms - ahead of time - so that we can apply deep practice techniques to grow our capability, at increasing speed, in the face of growing complexity and under increasing pressure, over time,
Deliberately forging synergy from dysergy (lack of synergy) and antergy (anti-synergy) offers huge oportunities, because we are so inept at it.
he problem with creating synergy is that our brains are wired to see conflicts, differences and incompatibilities far more easily than similarities, combinations and compatibilities.
The solution is familiarity with the most common forms of synergy - elusive concepts to the uninformed brain - and how they can be fashioned from the most common forms of dysergy (lack of synergy) and antergy (anti-senergy).
This enables us to deliberately identify and capitalise on synergy opportunities.
Meaning is a what motivates us - our motivations and beliefs and how they inhibit and drive individual and collective performance and fulfilment.
Meaning and purpose - immediate and ultimate - drives all human activity and provides huge untapped opportunity for dramatic improvement.
The challenge with keying into meaning is that it is elusive and not as well-defined, logically grounded, accessible or easy to articulate as we may like to think.
The secret is to recognise that it's fundamentally about our perceived significance within the world we choose to live in - and our value system (what we think is important) and the mental model we have of how things work.
The Dramatic Improvement Manifesto
Dramatic Improvement is ALWAYS possible.
It's a never-ending feast!
Dramatic improvement is eminently feasible in EVERY single situation - without exception.
It doesn't matter how challenging the situation is - or how much time we have - we can always secure dramatically better outcomes and experiences than we are currently securing.
It's perfectly - unavoidably - natural to be sceptical of this claim, but it is demonstrably, unequivocally true.
There are no exceptions: every single situation can be improved dramatically - no matter how intractable it may seem.
The key is LEVERAGE: the more challenging the situation, the greater the leverage opportunity.
Dramatic improvement arises from leverage. Dramatic improvements can only be caused by leverage.
Truly challenging situations are challenging because they're dynamically complex - strong and complex interactions between the situation's elements.
So the more challenging the situation (the greater the dynamic complexity) the greater the leverage - the more dramatic the potential for improvement.
The problem is, WE CAN'T SEE the leverage points – not that they aren't there.
There is always another level of leverage – hidden, in plain hindsight, in the reality beyond the one we can currently see. The problem is that we can't see those leverage points, until we see them, because they are beyond our current capability to see - not because they aren't there.
One of the primary reasons that we can't see leverage points, is because they are counter-intuitive to the previous level of insight. It's only when we see and truly understand them that they begin to make sense.
The solution is to use Universal Leverage Patterns as cognitive scaffolding to find the next level of leverage opportunities.
Although unconscious incognizance prevents us from seeing the next-level leverage points themselves, it doesn't prevent us from seeing the repeating patterns that they follow.
Once we can see the patterns across the challenges we face - and the patterns across the interventions we can think of (especially the counter-intuitive ones) we can use these patterns as templates and exemplars – cognitive scaffolding – for finding the next-level leverage points.
The implications of the Drim Manifesto are huge and apply to absolutely every challenging situation or thing - including things that you have long resigned to be intractable.
Whatever challenging situation you are facing right now can be improved dramatically - no matter how intractable it may seem.
It's normal, if you've tried everything you could think of, to feel that the situation is intractable - no matter what one might try. The Manifesto explains why you haven't any traction so far - and how to change that.
If your current situation isn't challenging - merely boring - it can be improved dramatically as well: if that appeals to you.
This is not the sort of thing that needs hours and hours of research and understanding - there is a fast-track that only takes a few minutes.
A. If you have an hour to invest:
It's worth reading the rest of this Quick Article - and following the advice on each page, as you go.
B. If you have less than an hour to invest:
Just check out the Drim Dimensions section on the next page. Skim the Dimensions, then follow the instructions on the Take Immediate Action flashcard (same image as this one) on that page.
Click the here or at the top or bottom of the page.
How to Improve Flow Dramatically
Every challenging situation or thing is a flow-system - and so benefits from the application counter-intuitive of dramatic improvement flow-improvement patterns.
A set of simple, counter-intuitive steps to improve the flow-rate of any system, process, programme, situation or thing dramatically.
A set of simple, counter-intuitive steps to reduce the cycle-time of any system, process, programme situation or thing dramatically.
Flow-time is related to, but distinct from flow-rate. Flow-rate affects flow-time, but there are other things that contribute to flow-time, including:
A set of simple, counter-intuitive steps to enhance the quality of any system, process, programme, situation or thing - dramatically.
The cost of perfection is infinite, so the objective is to optimise quality, rather than to maximise it.
A set of simple, counter-intuitive steps to reduce the cost of any system, process, programme, situation or thing dramatically.
The opportunity for cost reduction is limited to zero, so the objective is to contain rather than minimise costs to avoid compromising Flow-Rate, -Time, -Quality and -State)
Free up time and energy lost (easily a day a week) in seemingly unavoidable multitasking.
Gain not only time and throughput, but also increased customer satisfaction and accelerated capability and collaboration, in the process.
Here is a starting set of simple techniques for reducing the seemingly unavoidable costs multitasking:
How to Improve Any Situation or Thing Dramatically
Every single situation and thing can be improved dramatically. Here's how.
Simplified overview of the entire website and body of knowledge. It's a good place to start.
Huge gains in speed, time, impact or value very fast with minimal effort or cost.
Halving of things like:
Doubling of things like:
Dramatic improvement is not only possible but feasible in every single situation and with every single thing.
The Drim Manifesto
The FACT: Dramatic Improvement is EMINENTLY
FEASIBLE in EVERY single situation and thing.
The KEY Is LEVERAGE: The more challenging the situation, the greater the leverage.
The PROBLEM: WE CAN’T SEE the leverage opportunities – it’s not that they aren’t there.
The SOLUTION: WE CAN’T SEE the leverage opportunities – it’s not that they aren’t there.
Flow|Ingenuity|Change|Mastery|Synergy|Meaning
Flow: Get more through the bottleneck.
Ingenuity: Generate & integrate alternatives.
Change: Make the new way more attractive in the short-term.
Mastery: Practice early diagnosis & intervention.
Synergy: Satisfy respective needs & aspirations.
Meaning: Connect solution to meaning.
The more you use, the bigger the impact.
Every single situation and thing can be improved dramatically. Here's how.
Go through the steps, until you have a good enough solution - for now.
Our brains grasp, understand, retain and retrieve stories way better than information, facts and concepts.
This section will contain a set of drim stories - and how to code and create your own library of stories to make your drim practice easier, quicker and more effective.
The implications of the Drim Manifesto are huge and apply to abolutely every challenging situation or thing - including things that you have long resigned to be intractable.
Whatever challenging situation you are facing right now can be improved dramatically - no matter how intractable it may seem.
It's normal, if you've tried everything you could think of, to feel that the situation is intractable - no matter what one might try. The Manifesto explains why you haven't any traction so far - and how to change that.
If your current situation isn't challenging - merely boring - it can be improved dramatically as well: if that appeals to you.
This is not the sort of thing that needs hours and hours of research and understanding - there is a fast-track that only takes a few minutes.
A. If you have an hour to invest:
It's worth reading the rest of this Quick Article - and following the advice on each page, as you go.
B. If you have less than an hour to invest:
Just check out the Drim Dimensions section on the next page. Skim the Dimensions, then follow the instructions on the Take Immediate Action flashcard (same image as this one) on that page.
Click the here or at the top or bottom of the page.
Quick Drim Insights
A growing collection of quick summaries, abstracts and insights from deeper within the website.
Every single situation and thing can be improved dramatically.
A quick How to Guide that summarises the entire website and the drim body of knowledge. Choose the level of support that matches your commitment level:
Click Here or the button below to subscribe.
This content is not available for your subscription-level. Please [R]egister or [S]ubscribe to gain access.
Brief notes on how the site works and how to get the most from it.
Quick advice on how to get the most from this site:
A simple for framework for deliberately and systematically improving your career prospects, trajectory, impact, progress and satisfaction.
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A simple, step-by-step guide to improving flow-rate, flow-time, flow-quality, flow-cost and mental flow-state. Everything is a flow-system!
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A set of simple techniques for deliberately and systematically generating next-level genius solutions - and growing individual and collective genius in the process.
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A set of techniques for reducing project duration and cost dramtically, while improving value delivered dramatically - and improiving programme throughput dramatically.
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We all drink the Koolaid of Despair and suffer from Imposter Syndrome and destroyed confidence occasionally. This drim solution will help you get (back) onto the horse of self-actualisation and transendence - every time you get thrown off.
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None of us is perfect - and we all have our dickish moments! This solution is for people who want to accelerate their personal growth into who they reallyw ant to be, dramatically
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A set of simple frameworks for deliberatelya nsd systematically lifting - and continuing to lift your game: whatever that game might be.
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The Drim Framework can be applied to absolutely everything (including itself): what would you like to see it applied to next?
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