Eyes Wide Open
Both my parents were trained in the visual arts. As a child, my father would sit me down, set a mug or an apple in the center of the table, and entreat me to draw “what I saw, not what I knew”.
He knew, of course, that the artistic efforts of children are based on simplified elements of the object we were trying to represent. All trees resemble lollipops. The sun is the yolk of an egg in a Lego blue sky.
Fast forward 35 years, as an adult problem solver, the directive is still relevant. How do we, as adults and as leaders, “open our eyes” to address the issue actually see, rather than the one created by our preconceptions. How do we set aside our impatience, comfort-seeking, or even laziness to get to the truth?
We need to use our senses as we do three fundamental things…problem identification, problem solving, and acknowledging the emotion in change.
Problem identification, what’s the real problem? More formal methodologies refer to root cause analysis. Thinking about what we see rather than what we know encourages us to set aside our biases and let our senses tell us what’s really happening.
It may take longer, but it’s more accurate. Ask questions. Pay attention to the data or the body language or whatever is presented to you. Capture what you see.
With problem solving, keeping our eyes open means a willingness to entertain alternative ideas, the vogue vernacular for a time was “thinking outside the box”. Simply pausing long enough to ensure that everyone is working towards answering the same question is a great start.
The third challenge is frequently the most overlooked. With every change we make there is an emotional shift–for ourselves and for others.
Emotions ignored, in the moment or for decades, tend to find their way to the surface. We are best served to search them out and keep current with them even if they are uncomfortable.
Reflecting on what is, rather than what used to be or what we wished was, enhances our perspective. It enables us to be more present to the moment…and maybe even be comfortable with it.
