Do You See What They See? (Part 4)
Posted on November 25, 2015 by Reginald Jackson Sr, One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.
Awareness of your blind spots makes a difference in the way you see the world, and yourself! Once you're aware, you can access tools toward change.
We all have blind spots. Those are the things about ourselves and our behavior we can’t see. Just like driving a car, there are certain places where we aren’t able to see other vehicles around us. Before making a lane change, you need to turn your head to see what’s there. Otherwise, you could cause an accident.
If you’ve been driving long enough, there may have been a time or two (or more) when you truly believed the lane was clear. Surprise!
If you’re like me, you’ve had to apologize to an unsuspecting driver minding his/her own business, who found that you weren’t paying attention. It’s also possible you have been the unsuspecting driver and had “that car” merge into your lane. Either way, a warning is usually given by honking the horn, swerving, or worse! Unfortunately, most of us don’t have someone honking a horn at us when our own personal blind spots show up, and we “merge” into someone else’s lane.
Blind spots can occur in a lot of places, in a lot of ways. Basically, a blind spot is something you’re unaware of that points to a gap, or an area of weakness. For example, not realizing the mixed messages you send when communicating; verbally or otherwise.
Sometimes, people don’t get what you say. It can also happen when you listen to others. What you hear may not be what was actually said. Another example is the way we (unknowingly) react or respond to someone or something. It can cause a shift in the way we act, or feel. You may refer to it as being “triggered”. Although you recognize when it happens, you may not be aware of why it happens. Better yet, how do you recognize it beforehand?
For now, let’s focus on communication.
When driving, the best way to manage your blind spot is to turn your head. That gives you the opportunity to see if there’s anything there. However, the blind spots in question are completely different. To become aware of those blind spots, some feedback is required. Feedback can either be in the way of a formal assessment tool, or from someone you know and trust. Although this method is less scientific, it can be quite beneficial.
If you communicate through email, have someone proofread your messages. This can be especially helpful in the workplace since a lot of communication is done this way. Many times, the tone of a message or the words you use can be received in a way you didn’t really mean. As far as verbal communication is concerned, the words we use are also very important. Having that friend or colleague as your “audio/visual mirror” may save you from alienating your audience. Of course, you also need to be open to the feedback!
Try using three simple steps; identify, specify, modify. The first two steps will come from an outside source. The third step is the action you will take to address the blind spot(s).
•Identify – create awareness by bringing the gap to light
•Specify – understand how your message is received by others
•Modify – make necessary adjustments to your message using the feedback you received
It is always a good idea to keep the feedback loop open so you can continue to close the gap. Doing so will bring you one step closer toward answering the question, ‘do you see what they see’?
