Seeing the Whole Picture
Article | Accountability Insights
Most people have experienced working with someone who blatantly refuses to See It. Such refusals generally reflect a person’s unwillingness to hear the hard things—the tough messages, the difficult feedback, or the reality of different perceptions. Without a strong commitment to hear a message “as is” (not what you think it should be), you risk missing information that could make the difference in whether you achieve your desired results. Organizationally, the price we pay for not hearing the hard things can be extremely high. Here are a few guidelines for seeing the whole picture:
| • | Realize that all perspectives, points of view, and perceptions have value when it comes to seeing more of reality. | |
| • | Tough messages, difficult feedback, and hard to understand perspectives can make us defensive. However, that’s precisely when you most need to overcome your natural urge to close your mind and shut your heart. | |
| • | Most teams and organizations have taboo topics, sacred cows, blind spots, and/or elephants in the room (otherwise known as obvious truths that are being purposely ignored) that must be openly discussed and addressed to make greater progress. | |
| • | When you hear someone’s opinion, interpretation, or belief about a work-related matter and you don’t like, explore it rather than ignore it. Another person’s beliefs are based on his or her experiences. Those belief-shaping experiences are part of the whole picture you need to see. | |
| • | Always keep in mind the following adage: the more you know, the less you see; the more you see, the less you know. |
To learn more about seeing the whole picture and its role in Creating a Culture of Accountability in your team or organization, we invite you to join the Accountability Community by visiting www.partnersinleadership.com, where you can review actual client case studies that illustrate the impact on results of seeing more of the whole picture.
See It, Creating a Culture of Accountability, and Accountability Community are all registered trademarks of Partners In Leadership, Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.