KNOW YOUR BLIND SPOTS AND HOW TO APPROACH THEM

29 Oct KNOW YOUR BLIND SPOTS AND HOW TO APPROACH THEM

Stop, Start And Continue is a tool used in strategic planning and many companies. During this exercise, ask your team to tell you 2-3 things you need to stop doing, start doing and continue doing. This can help reduce the blind window and provide feedback on how everyone is working together and what they can do to improve.

As human beings, we are designed to have blind spots in the human body. For example, the back of your neck – we would need to use two mirrors to see or have someone tell us. The same applies when interacting with others. We also have blind spots in our behavior and those can be the greatest area of opportunity to increase our level of consciousness. Blind spots can do a lot of damage when it comes to leadership. They not only impact the leader, but they also affect the entire team.

HOW TO APPROACH THE BLIND WINDOW AND WHAT TO LOOK FOR:

When approaching the blind window, here are 5 aspects to look for:

1. Actions vs. Values – When a person is doing something in reality that goes against their values. For example, when someone says one of their core values is family and traveling 250 days out of the year.

2. Disproportion/Disparity – Markedly distinct in quality or character. When someone is accelerating an issue or bringing a situation out of proportion. For example, if the results of a company did not hit the budget for one month, people may think it is a disaster and the company may go out of business.

3. Unrealistic – When a person has unrealistic goals or is very aggressive about pursuing certain objectives that are known as unrealistic. For example, excessive workloads for certain employees or expecting a job to be done with limited resources. The misconception, in this case, is that there is information available, but the interpretation is not aligned with reality.

4. Repetition –The act or an insistence of repeating or being repeated. For example,  when someone is recurring a topic over and over again.

5. Assuming – When a person does not have the complete picture of a situation and assumes the missing pieces. It is a very common thing we do. So when someone is making an assumption, you can simply ask “Is this something you’re asking the other person or is it something you think is happening?”

REACTIONS TO POOR MIRRORING:

• Discredit the person giving feedback.

• Persuade the listener to change his/her point of view during or after the mirroring.

• Diminished the importance of the topic being discussed.

• Seek support to sustain his or her arguments – when a person is feeling threatened.

• Change the subject.

• Make a joke; ironic responses.