Contribution Strategies

CONTRIBUTION STRATEGIES
9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
Capabilities
Knows what things are	Knows how things work and what they do	Takes explicit directions	Accepts and follows orders	Solves clearly defined problems	Recognizes and responds to problems	Synthesizes solutions to new problems	Adapts, innovates, and overcomes	Creates general principles
Education Strategies
QUESTIONS		DEMONSTRATIONS		SITUATIONS		SIMULATIONS		EXPERIENCE
Presentations, Questions, Multiple choice, Matching, True/False		Demonstrations and Performance (Hands-on)		Scenarios, Case Studes, Hypothetical Situations, Models		Simulations, Games, Simplified Experience based on general principles		Real Experience, Sharing, Analysis, and Generalization
Development Strategies
Interest them in how things work.	Convince them to use what they know to do something useful.	Build confidence and get them to direct themselves in the small steps.	Persuade them that they can solve problems, not just perform duties. Show concern for their interests.	Get them to look for the problems they will solve. Develop respect, establish trust.	Get them to make up and try solutions for new problems. Build trust. Make room for learning.	Encourage flexibility and adapting to changes. Appreciate differences, acknowledge partnerships, build mutual admiration.	Encourage leadership and creativity. Appreciate common interests, teamwork, and celebrate contributions.	Appreciate and share plans and procedures derived from principles. Appreciate and share vision.
Production Strategies
Minimize exposure, encourage other interests.	Force or trick them into doing useful work.	Delay giving direction to encourage responsibility, give direction to appease, block dependency.	Compromise for some problem solving. Non-optimal solution; Order them to solve problems.	Find agreeable standards or neutral mediation for determining when problems are adequately defined.	Define interests, establish division of labor, and domain of responsibility (Expertise).	Coordinate with others to handle the tough new problems. Lead projects.	Identify the common good, establish and lead teams.	Establish plans and procedures using principles. Become an emissary of vision.

There are nine levels of contribution. Each level is more autonomous and requires less direction and managing. The tenth level, if there was one, would be "useless" and "doesn't know jack". A person can be at different contribution levels in every skill set. For example, a contributor might be able to solve problems with automobile repair, which is a 4 or 3 level, and might know little about food preparation, which would be level 8 or 9.

You can find a person's general level of contribution or their specific level of contribution in a particular skill area by locating an appropriate description in the "Capabilities" row of the chart.

Basically, when you've identified the contribution level, at any moment there is a choice to go for Development or go for Production. On the left side of the chart (higher numbers) Production and Development are mutually exclusive. Training them takes them away from work. On the right side of the chart (lower numbers) Production and Development are more closely aligned, so that productive activities cause development and developmental activities can be productive.

You can read about the Development Strategy or the Production Strategy in the appropriate rows of the chart and in the column that corresponds to the contribution level. The goal of the Development strategy is always to move the contributor to the next column to the right in the chart.

If you choose to go for Development, there are certain types of educational activities which are useful in helping to train people to be better contributors. The Educational Strategies row lists what type of training is required to learn at each level.