II. The 4^th Reality – Determining what’s there or not there – “Confront the brutal facts of your reality whatever they might be.” Jim Collins, Good to Great – Why some companies make the leap and others don’t

A. How we see what we see - The “Mechanics of Cause & Effect,” looking vs. seeing; filtering reality

B. Why we see what we see - Cultural conditioning, authority figures, institutions and Gestalt Principles

C. Overriding Cultural Conditioning - Training the mind to think past the obvious

D. Seeing things differently – Cultivating a more “Holistic Perspective”

Main ideas: We see what we expect to see based on our perception of reality. The “1^st Phase of problem-solving is about CONCEPT. A concept is a “…general idea or a class of objects; a thought or general notion about someone or something.” For the purposes of this course, a “concept” is the general or main ideas(s) about the problem; how we perceive it to be.

Every concept we process is filtered through our individual perceptions of reality, re: how we view the world (our mental map) which is shaped by Database of Knowledge and Experience (the “box” we are always being told to think outside of). Although it’s not possible to think outside this “box” it is possible to expand its dimensions. Visual perception is by far the primary vehicle for processing information, and yet the majority of the population has had very little, if any, instruction on how to become more visually perceptive (seeing what’s there or not there).

Key Question #1: The first key question we need to ask is, “What do we perceive?” (the reality of what’s there or not there). In order to answer this question we will need to examine the apparent problem as accurately as possible.

Balancing Analysis & Perception: Phase One: CONCEPT

· Analysis – To begin this process, we will use analytical thinking to attempt to define the problem upfront by gathering evidence and hard data (reports, histories, audits, etc.) and by asking the question. “What are the facts?” The left hemisphere facilitates our ability to analyze what’s there (facts and information); generates ideas about the problem; rationalizes why it exists or is needed; and generate logical conclusions/solutions. With the left hemisphere one can draw upon abstract thinking, analysis, logic and reason, etc.

· Perception – At this point the perceptual mind is not yet ready to define the problem, but is simply trying to determine the reality of what’s there or not there using soft data (observable behavior, the company “grapevine,” prevailing attitudes, etc.) and by asking, “What do we perceive?” The right hemisphere facilitates our ability to see the reality of what’s there and to visualize what’s not there. With the right hemisphere one can draw upon concrete thinking, creativity, the visualization skill to see what’s not there or not there; story telling, metaphors, etc

Relevance: Things and relations are not always as they seem. Before we can begin to solve a problem or seize an opportunity we must first perceive clearly and accurately the reality of what’s there or not there (our concept of the problem or opportunity at-hand) if not, a lot of time, capital and resources will be wasted trying to solve the wrong problem. “Reality for some people is broader than it is for others, because they have looked more, lived more, read more, and thought more.” - Hugh Prather, Notes to Myself

Key Premise #1: Perception creates reality, the more accurate the perception, the more objective the reality; the more objective the reality the easier it is to see things and relations as they are instead of how we think they are or want them to be.

A. How we see what we see (sensory perception) - “The individual is often not consciously aware that new information is being presented and sometimes is unwilling to let it become conscious. Thus at this state a filter exists, which determines whether the input will have any influence on behavior.” - John C. Dacey, Fundamentals of Creative Thinking

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