Possibility Space

We live in language

We create our possibility space in language. It’s a metaphor for the place where our ideas are formed, explored and held before they are brought into being through our actions. Every human action takes place in language first, so we need to understand how to use it to get effective action. So much of our life is created and sustained in language. We use it to make promises, get cooperation, resolve differences, fight for our rights, create legal agreements, etc.

We search our mind for what we think (by imagining possibilities) and what we know can be evidenced (by establishing verifiable facts). Both impose limits on how we see the world and engage with it. Language. Negative language can close down possibilities and positive language can open them up. Language is therefore not neutral. It doesn’t just describe things, it can be used to express feelings, think creatively, get action from others and change our ‘perspective’ on reality. Conversations allow us to explore what’s possible, probable, preferable or perceivable for future action. By expanding the ‘possibility space’ in our conversations “NOW” we can generate a range of perspectives from which to choose a preferred option.

To deny ourselves access to our own “possibility space” we are likely to stay in our comfort zone and are less likely to find new and more useful ideas. We can fear uncertainty and unpredictability if when we cross the boundary from order to chaos, both in our thoughts and actions. Life is most productive when lived in the zone of possibility, often referred to as being at the ‘edge of chaos’.

Adopting organic and machine metaphors

Viewing the mind as a Complex Adaptive System and using its concepts as metaphors we can shift our thinking from “building” a new Way of Being to actively “growing” one. The former could lead to a more mechanistic and linear approach to change, whereas the latter enables us to find more organic and consequently more sustainable solutions to our problems. We choose networks or chains, not so much for the results as to live by the values that we hold.

Possibility Space can be seen as a landscape where conversations generate new memes that help them to flow into a “sea of possibilities for us to consider. We can gain insights from a broader or more over-arching perspective, or we can struggle through a desert of constraints where we feel stuck and unable to move on.

There is no one right way of course. We can use metaphors to “take a position” and put our perspective “out there” for feedback. This stance is about embracing uncertainty and suggests provisionality. We should see everything we think and do as being in “draft”.

My suggestion is . . . . . . .

It could have these benefits . . . . . . .

This how I perceive it could work  . . . .

I invite you to share your insights and ideas . . . . .

What possible actions would you like to propose . . . . .

Sharing a possibility space will need boundaries to focus the conversation and recognise that space is not empty and there will be a history in the views and relationships flowing around the room. (See diagram above). It’s vitally important, that all opinions are treated equally and with respect. Often stories can be used to provide context and empathy.

Reading

The Mind Map Book by Tony Buzan. BBC 1993

Future Search by Marvin Weisbord & Sandra Janoff. Berrett-Koehler 1995

The Spirit of Leadership by Harrison Owen. Berrett-Koehler 1999

The Intelligence Advantage by Michael McMaster. Butterworth-Heinemann 1996

The Tree of Knowledge by Humberto Maturana & Francisco Varela. Shambhala 1987