We only know what we know and unfortunately, we don’t know what we don’t know…!
If you want to improve your results or level up your business, then you need to uncover your blind spots. And doing so can be tricky.
One misconception that most leaders share is that they know what’s best for their employees and company. As they say, “what got you here, won’t get you there!” In order to experience consistent growth, you need to develop a culture of collaboration where your team feels safe bringing you suggestions or issues they recognize; when appropriate.
I have consulted dozens of companies over the years and it’s very common for the management and employees to feel scared to bring issues to the executive team or owner. When you develop an environment where your team feels respected and heard, you will actually build trust and have an army of soldiers who are paying attention to what needs to be done for you.
The common mistakes I see are:
1. Lack of Communication – there is not a clear channel for communication especially to hear new ideas or discuss bottlenecks in the business flow.
2. Lack of Engagement – in my experience, most companies are not conducting engagement meetings such as Monday meetings with their teams to get everyone on the same page, focused and driving at specific goals.
Rather than having a lot of meetings where you just firehose a lot of information at your team, try having a weekly meeting where you focus on developing a skill. One great example is listening to calls with clients and evaluating how you can grow. Take turns having your sales team listen to each other’s call and give each other feedback so they can discover what they don’t know or hear on their own. Find ways to provide your team with immediate valuable takeaways and watch what they do!
3. Lack of Vision – if your business has turned into chasing numbers and trying to make sales then you’re going to feel it in your employees attitude and performance. You need to have a mission statement and a shared vision for why you are doing what you are doing. Get clear on the path of your business and invest in knowing what your team members are there. When you do, it gives you the fuel to motivate them and understand where they need help.
Most of us spend the majority of our time focusing on low level problems. We don’t recognize or take the time to understand the real issue and therefore get stuck managing the side effects.
Here are 3 simple steps to help you identify and improve your blind spots:
Step 1: Set aside 30 minutes each week and review your progress. Ask yourself how you feel about what you’ve achieved. Review what obstacles were in your way. Notice what you didn’t accomplish and why. Then ask yourself, what was the real problem that stopped you from getting the results you desired? Hint: It’s never about the task at hand. It’s always a behavior or attitude that’s blocking you in some way.
Step 2: Have at least 2 people you turn to for objective advice. This can be a business coach, a business partner, or a friend. Just make sure this person is educated in the subject matter and can provide you with positive objective evaluation. Whether you’re trying to solve a problem or simply want to challenge yourself to grow, more minds are better than one!
Step 3: Get clear on your vision. As problems arise, we tend to lose focus on why we’re doing what we are doing. Be sure to check in on your vision regularly. Share it with your team and make sure everyone is on the same page. This will help you to work efficiently as a team and you will avoid getting too deep in the woods on problems, as well as, make the experience more enriching.
Challenge yourself this week and find out where you have a blind spot. Maybe you’re putting a lot of energy into a low level problem rather than cutting the snake off at the head. Maybe you’re feeling stuck or uninspired. Whatever your purpose, when you improve your mindset and thinking, the rest will follow!
If you need help understanding what your blind spot is, send me a message. I will be happy to help you clear some cobwebs and start performing at the next level!
