Leaders, keep your eyes peeled…..

Illusions:seeseeseeeseeseeseeandandseeseeseeseeseeseeseeeseeagainagainag

Compiled by

Andrew LaMere

The mind sees what it chooses to see…….

During this course we explored what it means to see and see again. Using art, architecture, film, and drama, we discovered organizational metaphors in relation to our

perceiving, understanding, and dealing with issues from multiple perspectives.

Many of us subconsciously fall victim to the restrictive lens in which we perceive, understand, and deal with organizational issues. Werhane (1999) states, “Sometimes some of us have one-track minds. We filter all experience through one point of view, and it is difficult to try to change that

perspective” (p. 49). When confronted with a decision, our minds resort to making choices based on previous experiences. Facing a challenge within the workplace or life in general, triggers a response in us where we take the issue and sift it through our “…intentions, interests, desires,

points of view, or biases, all of which work as selective and restrictive filters” (p.49). As we instantaneously run through these ingrained pre-conceived points of view and stereotypes in our mind, our choices become more and more congruent with our desired, yet restricted and narrow

outcome.

Ultimately, the mind sees what it chooses to see.

During the Architecture session, we looked at works by M.C. Escher and discussed how our minds have been trained based on past experiences that a picture (or organizational situation) has “rules” in which to view them. These “rules” are what compose our restrictive lenses limiting our ability to

make the best decisions. Turning the picture on its side showed us that by looking at something from a different angle, although very foreign to our trained minds, can yield results that we never

knew were possible.

The mind sees what it chooses to see…….

The mind sees what it chooses to see…….Lets take a look at more examples:

Here we can see that there are many ways to view this picture. We may see a gold chalice, or perhaps and old couple about to kiss. But what about the woman in the archway, or the man playing the guitar? Having a restrictive lens may prohibit us from seeing what is really there.

Without being open to multiple possibilities or outcomes to a situation, we fail to consider every aspect and viewpoint of an organizational problem.

The mind sees what it chooses to see…….With this example, make an instantaneous decision on what you see. Click to see picture.

Most likely you saw either a man playing a saxophone or the face of a woman, but not both. In organizations, many times decisions are required to be made swiftly. Rushed decisions prohibit us as leaders to review all possible outcomes, and in the process perhaps deny the needs and wants

of every employee and customer. The decision is not authentic in that it does not represent everyone involved.

The mind sees what it chooses to see…….This time I will instruct you to look for a certain object. See if you can locate a woman’s face. Click

to see picture.

Locating the woman's face was probably not difficult. It is very easy to identify something if you are specifically looking for it, however, focusing on reaching a predetermined outcome may have prevented you from seeing the two horses that surround her face. The concept of tunnel vision

within an organization is a form of a restrictive lens. When instructed to identify a specific pattern, our minds put all energy into discovering it, but in the process we may miss the real root of an issue that may be right in front of our face. In some cases, the solution to an issue does not lie

with the accuracy of the answer, but the questions being asked. As leaders we must encourage a wide scope when analyzing situations, and prompt our people to see, but step back and see again.

Imagination and CreativityUsing M.C. Escher and our Architecture session as inspiration, I wanted to create my own example

of an illusion. I visited my roots as an art teacher and dug into all of my old supplies from the classroom. As I recalled the different projects that I did with my students, I remembered one in particular that coincidently revolved around seeing and seeing again. In hopes of encouraging

students to think outside the box, we engaged in two projects that challenged our accepted norms in regards to art.

The first task explored how to use one form of shape as a tool to project another form of shape. In the work on the left, squares were used to show circles. In the work on the right, free-form or

abstract shapes were used to show circles.

Imagination and Creativity

The second project we engaged in was creating Tessellations. Tessellations were frequently used by M.C. Escher in his artwork. I chose to create my own Tessellation using the works of M.C. Escher

and our organizational metaphors as a foundation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tessellation

Imagination and Creativity

To create a Tessellation, began with a square piece of paper approximately 3 x 3 inches. Connect two corners of the inner square to each other with a free-form line. Cut along the line. Attach the portion that was removed from the square to the opposite side using clear tape. Repeat with the

other side of the square. This gives you the template of your Tessellation pattern.

Imagination and Creativity

Once your template is complete, begin by tracing it on a large piece of paper. Once finished, move the template up and to the right, fit it together like a puzzle piece, and trace again. Do not rotate the template, but keep it facing the same direction. Continue until your paper is filled. You may

add detail, i.e. turn it into an animal by adding eyes, mouth, nose, etc.

It’s a fish eat fish world

What do you see?

It’s a fish eat fish world

References

Werhane, P.H. (1999). Moral imagination and management decision- making. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc.