Some vision problems have nothing to do with needing bifocals.
We all run the risk of thinking our own lens, through which we view their business and all of life, is the only one. This kind of shortsightedness can lead to losing one’s way and even to damaging collisions.
Having the ability to use other available lenses, to gain additional perspectives, helps to carry your organization into the Next Level and keep you at the apex of Predictable Success.
Also in the building of business relationships your CRM system can help you see what is happening in the business now and for re-focus your business vision.
In his book, The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working, Tony Schwartz talks about three corrective lenses.
The Reflective Lens
Is what you’re seeing a reflection of facts, or is it distorted by a different kind of story you’re telling yourself? Emotions are as real as other facts, and we should never shut ourselves off from them, but we need to be aware that sometimes they can cause us to assume inaccurate meanings if we’re not careful.
The Reverse Lens
What does the situation look like through the eyes of the person you perceive as your antagonist? As Schwartz says, “One of the most powerful ways to reclaim your value when you’re triggered is to find a way to value the person who triggered you.”
The Long Lens
Tomorrow won’t necessarily be as bad as today, no matter how bleak things look right now. It doesn’t hurt to keep a memory tucked away of an earlier time you felt like you were fighting through whitewater, and how you eventually moved out into calmer waters. You can do it again.
Having a peer group to bounce things off of will reinforce the habit of using all three of these prescriptive lenses. My entrepreneurial minded clients who are members of TAB, The Alternative Board, gain great benefit from the perspectives of other members.
Also businesses that have effective CRM Systems can gain a much quicker and thorough vision of how the business is performing, where the opportunities are pointing and the ability of your staff to connect with customers to generate memorable experiences. You can see one example below.
More on management dashboards, here.
For similar book resources and link to Tony’s book, The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working, go here.
What lens could you benefit more from?
