Multi layered reality and strategy
Published on January 19, 2017
If we like to find a some points in commons with another group of people or another market segment or a different kind of services and we have some characteristics that divides us from them because they differentiate us from them then we may have two chooses in front of us:
- keeping entangled with our paradigms and face the contrast
- or move further to embrace what we have in common.
Any further step will bring us to a higher perspective from which we will be able to see the whole picture but not all the details into it.
The big picture is important because it is the vision while details are important for the execution and ordinary administration.
Sometimes, the two may seem in contrast. In such cases we need to put an extra effort to find an alternative executive way or a different administration process that allow us to match the vision and the goal, both as well - at least on the long run.
Reality is a combination of multiple layer of realities, not just different points of view.
We are used to see a fact or an event from different perspectives. It is possible to look at them from different perspectives and different layers of reality: individual, family, group of peers, company, society, nation, group of nation, world wide, etc.
An example to easily understand this multi layered approach to reality is the sport.
Two teams may have and hard but fair confrontation playing a game in which they are opponents. Both are prepared and willing to win the competition. However the fair execution of the game allows the two team to get out the field and go together drinking beer, for example. At the end of the game both teams are passionate about that specific sport and in a broader view they are supporter of any sport as a value and/or as a tradition. A differently or unfair execution of the competition may lead the two teams to a confrontation outside the game field, as well. However fairness is mainly an idea like role or group identification. As long as, we are not able to free our minds from those ideas that kept us entangled into a particular perspective, role or characterization, as longer we will not able to step-up to an higher layer point of view.
The hardest part of stepping up to an upper level of reality is constituted by the coherency idea. We like to be coherent and we like to be praised by our coherence, indeed. Our reputation strongly depends on coherence, as well.
Why do you friendly talk with our enemies? Are you not one of us? Are you confused?
The biggest problem in this questions is the enemy idea.
During the first world war in which soldier were used to excavated trenches, in some exceptional cases or in special occasions had the opportunity to familiarize with their opponents. Immediately after that experience, shooting each other became a virtual activity. Shoot into the air - I saw you trying to advance, keep back. It takes some time, sometimes few hours, sometimes longer, to forget that experience and fight again for real. On a higher layer perspective, for such special time frame, the enemies were just soldiers like us but under a different colored flag.
The other big obstacle that prevent us to escalate the ladder of the multilayered reality is the fear. Because broadening the vision may expose us to unfair judgments or actions from both parties. War is another way to carry on the diplomacy or much probably the failure of the diplomacy. Once the opponent is created ? usually on both sides ? the backward process is not as easy as because the other side may not accept the change.
It is sufficient the will of one party to start a conflict but to settle down for the resolution, it is require the willing and the effort of both parties. We may have some kind of degree in influencing our party but we may have much less power to influence the other party and usually we have less guarantees about trusting them, as well.
These two obstacles slower or prevent us escalating on higher layer view of reality.
Into the business and the marketing, we are used to co-competition strategy, intending cooperative competition. Another way to say a fair and sane competition like into the sport in which the opponent is not an enemy or an obstacle but mainly a motivation to express our full potential.
Monopolies never maintain the promise to deliver more value than a fair competition into a free market. However, it is not about competition rather than about fair and free properties.
Monopolies lacks of competition but those markets that lack of fairness or freedom of entrepreneurship, like a high costs entering barrier, are not efficient as well.
Conclusion
Looking at the other side of us ? whatever us means at the moment ? like a motivation to improve us is the key to suck the most and the best by the two sides us and not-us.
Recently, some authors and articles pointed out that past great leader were shown signs of contrasting ideas and some traits with psychopaths. Now, put ourselves into the shoes of an author that want to write a biography of a living important personality, possibly influential and powerful. In such role, we need to put some contrast to please the audience otherwise we are going to write a fairly tale, sickly or unbelievable. On the other side we would not cast shadows on the person or her/him personality. Then we resolve this obstacle casting those contrast and traits into the path instead of the person.
Imagine a different story in which the path is quite straight. Contrasts exists in a specific reality layer but not on a higher level. Our hero needs to move up and down between the reality level others people perceiving for the execution and the higher level others people are not able to see clearly to keep the direction. How this person could be perceived by people around her/him? That's it.
Until our hero will not achieve some kind of goals, others people may not be confident nor about direction nor about execution. About the direction, it may seem impossible and about execution it may show some degree of incoherence. Nobody can drive people into an impossible direction. Then the path need to be traveled step-by-step and cast into a zig-zag pattern. This is the way in which almost all biographies are written not because a straight path would not existed at that time but because the path were considered impossible, too much innovative or a goal many others people had failed to achieve previously. However, any goal was impossible before someone did.
Considerations
It is useful or necessary to rely on a great vision?
Sometime. When we need to change few fundamentals to bring forward our plans. Destructuration is not demolition, but it may be easily feared like that especially when fundamentals got into scene. The time may be right to do that changes but many people or the organization are not fully ready, yet. Unfortunately, if we will wait that everything will be ready ? we will never begin, at all. A voyage starts with the first step and vision works as motivation, as well.
It is useful or necessary to announce changes about fundamentals?
Failure happens. Failure is not bad. Failure is bad, if it comes later. As much worst as much later. It is important to create the favorable conditions to announce the change and to drive changes. In theory, preparing the right conditions is sufficient to make proper things happen. In the real word, it is needed a little kick to ignite the change.
Enemies and obstacles are just imaginary excuses for those that fear to start doing.
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(C) 2017, Roberto A. Foglietta, licensed under Creative Common Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike v4.0 International Terms (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).