How often do you get reminded that you can’t see everything?
We can capably do projects on our own.
But adding what someone else sees, is how to reach all new levels.
Here’s an example of how this home for me:
Picking out wallpaper border
I was in a big box hardware store, standing in one of the many aisles, looking up at a huge wall with what seemed like hundreds of options for wallpaper borders. You know, the thin strips that you put around a room at counter level.
The choices were overwhelming.
My Mom was with me, so I spoke out loud as I applied some criteria to narrow things down:
- something with yellow because that is a bright colour for a kitchen
- something with a line along the bottom to anchor it
- and not something with roosters or chickens
That got me down to a handful.
And then, my mother very confidently walked up to one of the rolls and declared that it was the winner. When I asked her why, she said that its floral pattern would match my cupboards.
This completely blew me away!
I had no idea why she thought it would match – but she was right
I knew that my cupboards were painted white.
What I couldn’t recall in that moment, standing in the store, was how the cupboard doors opened. Did I pull from the bottom? Did they have push springs? Were there handles? I had no idea.
But clearly my Mom did.
When we got back to my new apartment, I finally saw what she saw and it was incredible. She had noticed, in her one visit, that my cupboards had small knobs with enamel inserts, that had tiny flowers painted on them – which of course, matched the border.
In our preparations, I had see dimensions and lines. She had seen flowers.
I’m sure that all would have been fine if I had done the project on my own, but incorporating her perspective, took the project to a whole different level.
The same lesson at work – asking for what others see
The same lesson happens when I share a slide deck with a colleague who suggests more context that helps the flow of the introduction. And when I show a SWOT analysis to a coworker who adds one more item to the opportunity list.
Practice getting the benefit of what others see
Here’s an exercise to help you strengthen your collaboration muscle:
- Today, identify a project that you are capably handling all on your own. Maybe it’s a report, or an article.
- Then, list 2-3 people to reach out to.
- Through the week, show each of them what you’re working on, and simply ask them what they see. It can be a specific ask – “Do you see any typos?” Or a general ask – “Do you see a key message coming through?”
- At the end of the week, notice what was easy and what was hard, and how you adapted with more visibility on your project.
