Zoom In — Zoom Out
for organizations
This Domain-Level Guide is designed to be used based on the Core Model. Please refer to the Zoom In — Zoom Out Core Practice before exploring this guide.
overview
In your organizational context, there are numerous things you can Observe. Some of them, like different types of data, are being actively collected for the purpose of analysis. Other things are more accidental in nature, and you come across them as part of your activities and interactions. Some information is accurate and based on hard evidence, while other insights are based on hunches or experience. Eventually, any decision and idea are based on previously collected or perceived inputs, whether you are aware of it or not.
To make the most out of anything you Observe and perceive, you should apply different Zoom Levels. When you explore a piece of information using different Zoom Levels, you enable a broader spectrum of insights to affect any future decision or idea based on it. Each Zoom Level is bound to raise a different set of questions and make you Wonder. With each Zoom Level, you create more diverse ways to Fuse the data with other pieces of information in different contexts and domains.
guide
Zoom Out and Explore any Subject in the Context of Your Predefined Goals
In an organizational setting, the most natural context to consider when you Observe a subject is the goals you aim to achieve.
Exploring a subject in the context of your predefined goals requires you to Zoom Out. Consider how the subject impacts the goal and how the goal affects how you can see the subject.
- Observe the subject in the context of a predefined goal.
- Zoom Out further and explore the subject in a broader context — a goal of a higher degree.
- Consider how the different contexts affect your understanding of the subject and its impact.
- Observe the subject at each level as if you can ignore some of its details. When you temporarily ignore some details, the same subject can trigger new and surprising insights.
Zoom Out and Explore any Subject in Contexts Beyond Your Predefined Goals
Your predefined goals naturally affect how you Observe anything you come across. But the things you observe might also have surprising, unpredictable potential. This potential will often remain hidden until some time in the future. However, sometimes, you can start to expose it even today if you explore the subject in a broader context, beyond your immediate goals.
- Observe the subject in contexts beyond any predefined goal.
- Zoom Out further and explore the subject in a broader context.
- Consider how the broader context affects your understanding of the subject and its impact.
- Observe the subject at each level as if you can ignore its details.
- Record any insight that emerges even if you do not see any concrete use for it at the moment.
Explore the Details of Any Subject
Zooming-In and drilling into the details is a natural part of using data. In the context of Creativity, Zooming-In allows you not only to gain new insights about the subject but also turn any detail within it into an opportunity by itself.
- Zoom In and explore different levels of detail within the subject.
- Consider how each detail affects your understanding of the bigger picture and how it affects your goals and any context beyond them.
- Observe each detail as if it is a standalone subject. When you temporarily ignore its context, any detail can trigger new and surprising insights.
- Record any insight and idea even if you do not see a concrete use for it at the moment.
examples
Example 1
Identifying and managing risks is an important activity in any organization. Risks are naturally raised and addressed in a particular context — concerning a specific goal. Zooming Out, in this case, means to try to Observe the risk in a broader context: to see how it relates and potentially impacts the bigger picture.
When you manage to do so, you might discover that the impact of the risk is different (either more minor or more significant) than you initially considered. You might also find that Zooming-Out actually turns the risk into a potential opportunity.
Even if none of the above happens, Zooming-Out can help you identify new ways to mitigate the risk.
Zooming-In and exploring the details can have a similar benefit. The details might actually change how you perceive the risk and what you decide to do with it.
Example 2
Undesired behavior or outcome of the product or service you provide is naturally perceived as something that needs to be fixed. As the case is with risks, when you Zoom Out or Zoom In, you might discover that the same behavior or outcome is an opportunity as it embeds a hidden value.
Example 3
Many data items can be Observed either as discrete points or as part of a sequence. When you Zoom-Out you might discover trends that are not visible otherwise.
Exploring a piece of data as part of a trend may result in surprising insights that can change the way you understand this data item and its impact or potential in the context of your goals.