"I don't know who discovered water, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't a fish." -- Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980) Media critic & writer
Something to consider:
Just like a fish can't see the water it's swimming in, you can't see the world immediately in front of you. It takes someone with a different perspective to point it out. These people can see opportunities that you can't see. They can see pitfalls that you can' t see. They can see them, ironically, because they aren't staring at them every day.
Recently a colleague of mine was hired by a real estate firm to help them transform their organization. One of the things that made her so attractive was that she DIDN'T have a real estate background. She had a background in transforming schools. As a result, she wasn't blinded by an insider's perspective about how the real estate industry should work. Rather, she brought an outsider's perspective of how it needed to work in order to survive.
Something to try:
1. Sit down with a sharp person from another industry.
2. Describe the details of a project you're working on (include your challenges).
3. Ask them to point out opportunities you might be missing.
4. Switch it up and do the same thing for them.
5. Recognize that someone else can often see the opportunities/challenges in front of you a lot easier than you can.
Question: How do you uncover your blind spots?
Related Stories: | Topics:Leadership, Marshall McLuhan, Business, Real Estate, Real Estate Sector |
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Recent Comments | 10 Total
May 3, 2005 at 2:19am by Sachin Arora
Well, there r some really good ways to cover ur blind spots:
1.Daily introspection or as i like to say it SELF-EVALUATION, at the end of day.
2.Taking time off from work , say a week in abt 6 months, & discover other aspects apart from the daily grind(read same old schedule).This rejuvenation technique is exemplified by Bill Gates, in the form of his 'Think Week'.
3. Meeting people with different back ground than u, to get a macro view.
4.Last, but not the least, attend networking seminars or GURU conferences where nted ppl in ur field give 3-d views abt the work climate.
May 3, 2005 at 3:36am by Jerome Bertrand
Ok. Fine. But in English please.
I just cannot figure out whether words are shored for the ype or are just plain mistaks;-)
Will you give us a hint the next time?
Thankyou very much in advance.
An avid, european, FastCompany.com reader.
May 3, 2005 at 3:44am by Roger Kerk
It is so true that the fish didn't discover water. It is indeed a very common and valid point about people and their daily life. That's why many would refrequently feel burn out or stuck at work. I agree with meeting and talking to more people. But I also think everyone should first of all have a balance yet interesting lifestyle. Secondly, always think out of the box. Thirdly, try seeing all obstacles as opportunities.
May 3, 2005 at 10:59am by Sue Pelletier
I have a rather annoying habit of reading everything with a "how could this apply to my work?" attitude. I've gotten great ideas about business-to-business publishing from everything from medical journals to the Wall Street Journal to novels. And I love to hear how people in other fields work--I think every executive should be required to learn how airline pilots handle on-the-spot problem-solving, for example.
It's hard at first, but the more you think outside the fish tank, the easier it gets.
May 3, 2005 at 1:17pm by Travis Dee
Off Topic:
I find it really annoying that you break these relatively short posts into two pages. The first part of this post, before the break, is 16 lines. The second part, after the jump, is 10 lines.
Shouldn't jumps be reserved for a really long post? I realize you're probably doing this for the advertisers, but it's just a pain. Really.
May 3, 2005 at 2:15pm by Danny C.
It helps if the fish - and the other occupants of the reef - are open to critical thinking from land-dwellers. Organizations tend shut down critical thinkers simply because they haven't "breathed through gills" before.
That is, unless the organization paid for the consultant's views.
May 3, 2005 at 3:51pm by Walt Kania
I agree with Sue Pelletier. Stop reading about your own business or industry. Study something else entirely. I'm a writer, but I've swiped business ideas from a paving company, a golf pro, and a commercial bakery.
It also helps to cast a naive eye on things, as well. That's why immigrants can succeed in starting up and running a business in a country they don't really know. They tend to see opportunities and possibilities as the are -- without automatically conforming to pre-conceived notions about what is 'right'.
May 3, 2005 at 5:37pm by jim wilde
Ideas are EVERYWHERE. Partner with someone in your organization with a comletely different job. Scan mags and books - go Ideascaping!
http://www.advancinginsights.com/mybiz/?q=creative_consumers_are_everywh...
May 3, 2005 at 11:59pm by Kevin Grainer
Re: Postings
Wow, Well articulated ignorance can sometimes be confused as intelligence, I mean that respectfully
Here it is... We all have psychological blindspots
Blind spots are defined as what others see that you can't see
What does everyone know about you, that you don't know
The only way to correct a blind spot is corrective feedback, invite it
Remember: the best advice stings a little when you get it, don't be hyper-sensitive
Feedback is the only way we grow...
April 12, 2007 at 12:28pm by Madeleine Van Hecke
A great idea that I heard is about what to do when you (or someone else) says something like: "That will never work." Think to yourself: That's great! Because you can then ask: "Why won't that ever work?" and the answers to that question will show you the assumptions that you or the other person is making. Then you can see whether or not those assumptions hold water. Since assumptions often blind us to other possibilities, and are also some of the hardest hidden beliefs to discover, this trick is helpful.