Two Realities

As mentioned in earlier chapters, normal assumptions lead us to see as others do. We think the same things, we do the same things, and we get similar results. But the assumptions associated with excellence lead us to see, think, and act differently. Each set of assumptions leads to a different reality.

Table 4.1 shows two different approaches to organizing human behavior that lead us to see two different realities. The list on the left contains the assumptions of normal organizing. The list on the right contains the assumptions associated with excellence. I call this second process positive organizing.

The items in the left-hand column describe normal behaviors that result from normal assumptions. The items in the right-hand column suggest what people and organizations are like when they are performing very well. They reflect the findings from two new fields: positive psychology and positive organizational scholarship. Researchers in these fields ask, “What are things like when they are at their best?”