xDynamic Change Tool

Possibility Space

Possibility space is real. It's the place where our ideas live before they are brought to life through our actions. Language is all important in this process of activating our intentions.

The world we inhabit is contructed in language. We use it to settle our differences and express our feelings.Organisations too are contructed and maintained through language and the meaning we give to it.

"Every human act takes place in language"
Humberto Maturana. .

The zone of change offers space new possibilities
When we search for new possibilities we tend to stay in our confort zone. We stay with what's familiar and predictable. To explore further afield takes courage, curiosity and communication.

But we have an incredible capacity to imagine and generate ideas. But change only happens when hose ideas are activated. This might seem obvious, but so many of us accept the need for change in our heads but don't do anything different to bring it about. It's called The Knowing-Doing Gap.

To create possibility space we need to use language to bring forth a new reality, not just describe one that already exists. This requires free expression, creativity and freedom of thought.

The key mechanism is dialogue
Bringing forth a new reality requires a collective activity that enables a range of ideas to be shared. This enables the possibility space to be expanded and reflect the diversity of the 'community' involved.

Understanding what makes Dialogue different from discussion is therefore vitally important. We can all imagine what it would feel like to win the Lottery and what we would do with the money, even though we have not won it. Each person's view feeds off the views of others and this will shape our actions should it actually happen us.

There are range of tools and techniques that can help us explore our possibility space. They include all the Bottom-Up Tools listed in this website - such as Future Search, Brainstorming, Environmental Scanning, etc. Organisations that wish to engage their employees and stakeholders in shaping the future of the organisation will want to search the possibility space using techniques for Whole Systems Change.

Communication actually happens in the space between people, independent of any sender or receiver. If the space can be designed then it is less important who actually turns up because those that do will get what they cam e for. They all come with intentions that they pay attention to.

Miracles come from the design of the possibility space. Methods such as Simu-Real can deliver profound change because they create a space that reflects the relationships in that space. Possibility space is not empty. . It's about designing relationships. Tools such as CLEAR-FOCUS can create a breakthrough in communication that impacts on relationships.

In many encounters at work the space of possibility is closed down by a boss who defines asituation and relationships so clearly that there is no room for new ideas to emerge.