The Competitive Advantage of Seeing What Others Don't

What does the view look like from where you are right now?

Jim Haudan in 'The Art of Engagement: Bridging the Gap between People and Possibilities' explains how people across an organisation 'fly' at different levels. He suggests 1000ft, 15000ft and 35000ft. 

Because we're flying at different altitudes, we have different views and perspectives.You'd know it from being in an aircraft:

• On the ground: you can see the airport and the tarmac as you're taxiing to the runway;
• Up in the air: up to a few thousand feet up there, you can make out towns and cities, roads and patchwork quilts of fields and farms; and
• Cruising Altitude: way up there, at 35,000 feet you're getting the big picture and a broad perspective stretching way over the horizon.

Just above here is a visual I use with teams to get them thinking about these different levels. You can write your thoughts in the clouds!

Relax and enjoy the flight; these levels are normal, natural and a part of everyday. But sheeesh it's hard when you're trying to bring people together to align to a strategy, implement a change or adopt some new ways of doing things!

We're so biased to see things that reinforce our beliefs that we need to take some deliberate action to see things in another way... in a way that other people may not see. 

Gary Klein in 'Seeing What Others Don't: The remarkable ways we gain insights' suggests:

"our insights stem from the force for noticing connections, coincidences, and curiosities"

So think about where you're seeing things from, and are you allowing enough connections, coincidences and curiosities in? Ask yourself:

• How does the view change if you climb up, up up?

• What's different if you zoom down and get a closer view?

• How do things look from where you are if you're 'on the ground'?

• What perspective, view or angle are you missing out on from where you are now?

• What do you need to do so you have a broader (or narrower) view?

• What might you have missed?

Klein says further: 
 

"people who can pick up on trends, spot patterns, wonder about irregularities, and notice coincidences are an important resource."

Seeing things, connecting the dots and making sense: this is the true competitive advantage of being able to see what others don't ...and I reckon that's a must-have skill for the uncertain future of work.