Untangling the Perception Web: An Application

Abstract

If one assumes that the whole question of defining what Checkland calls a relevant system is based upon whatever appears to be significant to people striving to solve a given organisational problem, it seems important to explore the perceptions of those who complain about the situation seen as problematic. The methodology presented her is based on the Gestalt notion of figure/ground, as explained in a previous article, has proven to be, in our own consulting work, quite a powerful instrument in working with people to discover whatever seems relevant in a problem-solving situation. Throughout our experience in working with human systems, we have often been faced with a multitude of different perceptions and ideas about the problematic situations that we have been called upon to facilitate. When people do not agree on the best way to accomplish a given task, they look for some kind of a point of reference in order to assess the situation. It may be their own opinion, that of colleagues or superiors, as well as the operations manual, etc.. In research, this process is called the triangulation technique (Cohen and Manion, 1985). In an organisation in which none of these points of reference is recognized enough authority to rally the opponents, consultants are generally called upon to facilitate the appreciative process (Vickers, 1983) needed to untangle the perception web. As in most approaches, the suggested methodology does not pretend to find a definite solution to the situation perceived as problematic. It rather aims at helping the protagonists find a certain degree of commonality of opinion concerning the goals and means to be investigated.