What Do You See? What Do You Imagine? (Part 2 of 3)

[Click here to read Part 1 of 'What Do You See?  What Do You Imagine?'.]

Five members of a management team; five small envelopes, one for each person.  Over the course of several weeks, each team member was instructed to:

• Assemble the contents of her/his envelope.
• List what is known about the contents of the envelope.
• Try to imagine what was missing.
• And then meet in small groups to describe what was seen and imagined.

By the end of the few weeks, four of the team members had seen three of the five sections of a jigsaw puzzle, and one person had seen four of the five sections.  Up until we met as a training group, no one had seen the whole puzzle.  What do you think happened?

What do I see in this section of the puzzle?
(A portion of a Thomas Kinkade puzzle)

As we gathered together to talk about what was seen and imagined, it was mentioned several times that the full picture was not clear or forthcoming.  Yes, by sharing facts (what was known), observations (what was noticed or perceived), and assumptions (what was imagined or speculated), individuals could piece together possibilities...  but no one could accurately describe the final landscape.  Do you find that unusual?

Comparing this new section with the first picture,
Can you imagine what the whole picture reveals?
(A portion of a Thomas Kinkade puzzle)

Some of the facts, observations and assumptions shared were similar, but the majority of what was revealed was unique to one person.  Each section focused on a specific aspect of the overall puzzle:  one person had the sky and treetops; another person seemed to have a country house and trees; still another had several village houses; another, a Celtic cross, a portion of a stone bridge, and water; and one section showed a path leading to a another portion of a bridge.  Do you assume people see things as you do?

The picture is almost fully assembled:
Can you imagine the complete picture... with four pieces missing?
(A portion of a Thomas Kinkade puzzle)

I know I go through the day assuming I see the whole picture: I know what is Right or Wrong by accepting fragments of a news report (no matter what source I read or view); I readily advise people based only on their side of the story...  The list goes on and on!  It is as if my observations and assumptions become facts, and I act -- or react -- on portions of reality!  I choose to move forward based on my personal section of the truth.  And, sadly, I miss the pieces of truth that you are gently holding onto, not even realizing there is a hole in my perceptions.  Our puzzle is incomplete.

Just imagine what life would be like if we relied on each other to share facts, observations and assumptions... in a manner that invited questions to be asked:

• How do you see this situation?
• What has been your experience?
• Why is this important to you?

If we could sift through and agree upon what is known and ask questions to help us understand what was noticed, perceived and speculated, maybe we could imagine a future picture that includes all of what is viewed and experienced.  Together, we could assemble our individual sections and begin to experience a much larger Truth.  What are your thoughts?

May this week present all of us opportunities to see and imagine a picture that includes all pieces of Life's Puzzle!

Larry Gardepie
Dialogue San Diego Consulting