A paradigm is a person's mental model or framework for understanding something. It shapes how they perceive and interpret the world. While paradigms help people understand reality, different people may have different paradigms and see things differently. A paradigm shift occurs when a person changes their mental model or framework to a new way of thinking about something. Major paradigm shifts happen when entire fields or societies transition to entirely new ways of understanding an issue or domain.

1. What is a paradigm?

3. PARADIGM The way you see something, your point of view, frame of reference, or belief.

4. It is the way we perceive, understand and interpret the world. A paradigm is like a map in our head. We assume that the way we “see” things is the way they really are or the way they should be. Does everyone use the same paradigm?

5. Will the left side of the room please stand and face the back of the room I will show the right side of the room a picture for ten seconds and ask you to remember what you saw

7. Will the right side of the room please stand and face the back of the room I will show the left side of the room a picture for ten seconds and ask you to remember what you saw

9. Will both sides of the room please sit back down I will show you a picture for ten seconds and ask you to describe what you saw

10. Frank Koch

11. Frank Koch wrote: Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather for several days. I was serving on the lead battleship and was on watch on the bridge as night fell. Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing of the bridge reported, "Light, bearing on the starboard bow." "Is it steady or moving astern?" the captain called out. Lookout replied, "Steady, captain," which meant we were on a collision course. The captain then called to the signalman, "Signal that ship: We are on a collision course, advise you change course 20 degrees." Back came the reply, "Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees." The captain said, "Send, I'm a captain, change course 20 degrees." "I am a seaman second class" came the reply. "You had better change course 20 degrees." By that time, the captain was furious. He spat out, "Send, I'm a battleship. Change course 20 degrees." Back came the reply, "I'm a lighthouse." We changed course. Steven Covey (in “The 7 habits of Highly Effective People”) tells that story to teach that principles are “like lighthouses.” They are natural laws that cannot be broken.”

12. What is a paradigm shift? A paradigm shift is a way of looking at something differently. We are stepping “outside the box”. When we make a paradigm shift we can see, think, feel and behave differently. Example: Ptolemy thought the earth was the center of the universe. Copernicus believed the sun was the center of the universe. (a paradigm shift occurred)