Perception Semicircles

Based on Britannica encyclopedia, “perception”, in humans, the process whereby sensory stimulation is translated into organized experience. That experience, or percept, is the joint product of the stimulation and of the process itself. On the other hand, “reality” is the state of things as they are or appear to be, rather than as one might wish them to be. It is easier to describe reality by describing the opposite of reality. Illusion is a misrepresentation of a “real” sensory stimulus—that is, an interpretation that contradicts objective “reality” as defined by general agreement.

Each individual has his or her own perception of reality. The implication is that because each of us perceives the world through our own eyes, reality itself changes from person to person. While it’s true that everyone perceives reality differently, reality could care less about our perceptions. Reality does not change to adapt to our viewpoints; reality is what it is: Reality is fact. Reality is truth.

Reality, however, is not always a known, which is where perception of reality comes in. While reality is a fixed factor in the equation of life, perception of reality is a variable.

In sales and marketing, about 72% of people say that the reputation of a company or product can impact their decision to buy or not to buy. Before buying, about 61% of consumers conduct some research online and 43% of those read online reviews and opinions. 4 out 5 consumers will reverse their decision based on reviews they read online. This is hard reality of our time that basically reality is covered, and everyone is pushing their perception of reality (their interest). I believe we need a real reform on how marketing works.

When it comes to leadership, a true leader should make a clear distinction between reality and perception. A leader hears a lot and gets many information from many different channels. The more distance between the leaders’ perception and the reality, the easier she/he makes wrong decision. So now the question is how our perception is formed.

The so-called Ladder of Inference was developed by the American Chris Argyris, a former professor at Harvard Business School, in 1970. In 1992, The Ladder of Inference became popular after being described in the bestseller “The fifth discipline”, which Argyris wrote in collaboration with the American scientist Peter M. Senge.

The Ladder of Inference provides insight into the mental processes that occur within the human brain. It describes the perception starting from senses to the series of mental steps that need to be taken to work towards an action. This human thought process only takes a fraction of a second. That is why people do not realize how they developed a certain action or response; it is done unconsciously. The Ladder of Inference shows how mental models are formed unconsciously. They determine what and how you see and how your thought process and behavior is led. Every person gives meaning to observations and bases their actions on them.

1. Reality and facts: This level identifies what is directly perceptible. You observe all information from the real world.

2. Selecting facts: From this level, the facts are selected based on convictions and prior experiences. The frame of reference plays a role in this.

3. Interpreting facts: The facts are interpreted and given a personal meaning.

4. Assumptions: At this level, assumptions are made based on the meaning you give to your observations. These assumptions are personal and are different for every individual.

5. Conclusions: At this level, conclusions are drawn based on prior beliefs.

6. Beliefs: At this level, conclusions are drawn based on interpreted facts and prior assumptions.

7. Actions: This is the highest level. Actions are now taken based on prior beliefs and conclusions. The actions that are taken seem to be the best at that particular moment.

The video describes The Ladder of Inference in a very well format.

The dangers of climbing the ladder are:

• What we observe or notice is influenced by our past experience and current beliefs. This is called a “reflexive loop.” Another term for this is “confirmation bias” or looking for data that confirms what we already believe. In other words, we function according to self-generating beliefs.
• Our beliefs become “the truth” and we take action on them without testing them. However, because I am aware of the Ladder of Inference, I did not take actions on my beliefs. And, to my delight, the following day I discovered just how well he understood what I had said when he asked insightful questions about how to apply the information to his change project. I also learned that he had had a serious head injury the previous year and was taking care of himself by shifting his attention to various parts of the room.
• The best way to bridge the gap between what you perceive and what things actually are, is by checking in with yourself to understand fully. Use a dialectical behavior skill called “check the facts”— which basically is a mental checklist of the viable facts of the situation.

In leadership, the problem starts when there is an angle of deviation between reality and perception. I try to visualize this in Perception Semicircles for Leadership Decision Making introduced in this paper. There are four levels of deviation between reality and perception as summarized in the following table: 

Perception Semicircles are visualizing the difference between perception and reality as shown in the following figure.

As shown above, the first scenario is called Normal. It is normal to have maximum 45 angle degree between reality and perception. In the world full of distractions and information that amount of deviation is considered as ‘normal’. This amount of difference between reality and perception is fully acceptable and it is based on the nature of our world.

The second scenario is called misunderstanding. This occurs when the angle between reality and perception goes above 45 degree but still less than 90. This is where a misunderstanding occurs. In such situations, there is still a very good chance that the perception can go back to normal. The size of effort to bring the perception to normal is medium. In addition, the possibility of bringing perception close to reality is medium. In this scenario, two parties normally have different tastes, and this can be the cause of deviation of perception from reality. This scenario is shown in the figure below:

The third scenario is called mistake. This scenario occurs when the angle between reality and perception goes above 90 degree but still less than 135. This is where usually a mistake occurs. In such situations, there is still a chance that the perception can go back to normal. The size of effort to bring the perception to normal is relatively high. In addition, the possibility of bringing perception close to reality is low. In this scenario, two parties normally have different visions, and this can be the cause of deviation of perception from reality. This scenario is shown in the figure below:

The fourth scenario is when the angle between reality and perception goes above 135 degree but still less than 180. This is where a delusion occurs. In such situations, there is almost no chance that the perception can go back to normal. This is due to the fact that the both/either of parties are benefiting from the delusion. Such scenario cannot happen naturally but there should be a motive to blur the reality and replace it with the deluded perception. The size of effort to bring the perception to normal is very high. The size of effort to bring the perception to normal is relatively high. In addition, the possibility of bringing perception close to reality is very low. In this scenario, two parties normally have different values, and this can be the cause of deviation of perception from reality. This scenario is shown in the figure below:

The following four scenarios are summarized in the following table.

So, how exactly do you untangle perception from reality?

• First, uncover any issues or problems that needs to be avoided in the future. Really get to the heart of what’s bothering and what is needed to shift or change.
• Next, consider how the problems and issues can be perpetuated. Brainstorm as many of these types of contributing factors, however small or insignificant they might seem. Pay particular attention to key words or phrases.
• When you have exhausted all areas of the past experiences, ask if there are any other stakeholders that may be involved and uncover the past issues or problems as well.
• Then, evaluate the new stakeholders’ responses and underline any uncovered issues that appear more than once.
• Find as many ways to support the key needs and avoid past issues and illustrate it comprehensively.

To conclude, there are almost always differences between reality and perception. The art is to first understand how our perception is formed. Ladder of Inference developed by the American Chris Argyris, a former professor at Harvard Business School, in 1970 is one of the best tools. Then, it is important to know how to act to minimize the differences. Perception Semicircles for Leadership Decision Making is a proper tool to guide how to act.

Disclaimer: This article is purely my ideas and reflect and represent my personal views.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.