Learning to see like a Horse
Posted by Danny Morris
February 25th, 2009 | No Comments »
Tsukuba, the Japanese science city outside Tokyo, showcased an exhibit of the world as seen by different animals. A simulation of a horse’s eye view was one of several which could be seen on video screen. In the words of Peter Schwartz:
“Most interesting was the horse. Since the eyes are mounted on the side of a horse’s head, the sharpness in the video screens was exactly opposite that of a human being. Humans see peripheral objects, at the corners of our eyes, as blurred and distorted; but we see the centre in sharp focus. Horses, at least according to this Japanese representation, see the peripheral as sharp. When they look, at the centre, the place where their eyes meet, the image is distorted and elongated”
During an economic slump leaders are forced to radically rethink their focus. Inspiring visions of growth and development are undermined by rapidly morphing and uncertain external forces. The future that once seemed bright can suddenly appear blurred, unclear or even catastrophic as in the case of Lehman Brothers in 2008.
So, how does this relate to how horses are purported to see? Schwartz again:
“…the horse has a built-in width of vision that we lack. Even though it moves forward its attention is toward the side. Scenario researchers train themselves to look at the world as horses do; because new knowledge develops at the fringes”.
A troubled economy (in this case a troubled global economy) eventually challenges the status quo in any organisation and effective leaders are those who grapple with change and create a new norm. An important means of doing this is by examining the knowledge developing at the fringes of the organisation.
