Sitting in a meeting wishing it didn't "have to be this way" here? While it takes strength to manage through it, being a champion will help you change it.

Rolf Smith in his book, The 7 Levels of Change: Different Thinking for Different Results" offers seven levels of change... from basic to challenging.

While many of these are "easier said than done," these changes will make a dramatic difference in the way you and your colleagues work.

LEVEL 1: EFFECTIVENESS - Doing the Right Things

• Set priorities
  
• Do what's important first
  
• Focus!
  
• Become more effective

LEVEL 2: EFFICIENCY - Doing Things Right

• Follow procedures
  
• Clean up your mess
  
• Understand standards
  
• Become more efficient

LEVEL 3: IMPROVING - Doing Things Better

• Think about what you're doing
  
• Listen to suggestions
  
• Find ways to improve things
  
• Help, coach, and mentor others

LEVEL 4: CUTTING - Doing Away With Things

• Ask "Why?"
  
• Stop doing what doesn't count
  
• Use the 80:20 rule - Simplify
  
• Refocus continuously

LEVEL 5: COPYING - Doing Things Other People Are Doing

• Notice and observe more
  
• Think before you think
  
• Study best practices - benchmark
  
• Copy

LEVEL 6: DIFFfERENT - Doing Things That Haven't Been Done

• Think about thinking
  
• Combine new technologies
  
• Ask "Why not?"
  
• Focus on different, not similar, non-linear

LEVEL 7: DO THINGS THAT CAN'T BE DONE

• Question assumptions
  
• What's impossible today, but...?
  
• Defocus: Get a little crazy
  
• Wouldn't it be amazing if . . ."
  
• Break the rules!
  
• Where will it take pure magic?