Driving back from a client earlier this week, I suddenly noticed beautiful fall trees along the side of the road less than one half a mile from my house. It hit me that I must have been driving by these trees for a while and didn’t notice yet I specifically looked for a tour in Japan to see the fall leaves. I could have completely missed what was right in front of my nose!
How often do we miss things at work? Do you pay attention to who you walk by in the morning? How about the waste you pass up? How about system errors ignored? And the list could go on……
One tip to implement this week:
As my former ProVisors (a group of high-quality trusted advisors) colleague told me recently – you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. She had to put her membership on hold and is trying to work out the obstacle, and she really misses being a part of such a high-quality, well-connected group. The same holds true for our workplaces. What are you not noticing or appreciating on a daily basis? I bet it could be a long list.
Pay close attention this week. Look as you walk. Pay attention to what you walk by – people, waste, process changes, equipment, systems notices (visual systems, error messages etc.). You’ll be surprised as to what you might be missing. Perhaps you are driving by fall trees also. Keep your eyes open and you’ll find opportunities.
December 19, 2016