Can't Seem to See the Big Picture

Is "Done" all that matters?

Boss: “Did you finish the report?”

Employee:  [No response]

[10 minutes later]

Boss: “Just checking. Did you finish?”

Employee: “Sorry. In a meeting.”

[10 minutes later]

Boss: “The Division Head needs this ASAP.”

Employee: “DONE!”

How many times have you received the reply “DONE?”

Is that a good thing?

Being responsible is a good thing.

So what’s not so good about this exchange?

A colleague, who leads a non-profit in the health sector, was on a search committee with me. He told us, “What you don’t want is the leader whose every interaction sounds like this: ‘did you it?’ ‘Yes, did it!’”

Stuck in the Trees?

Have you fallen into the myopic approach that my colleague warned about?  

Have you convinced yourself that this is simply “holding others accountable?” 

Certain people gravitate towards this type of dysfunctional behavior. 

I know I do.

As a 10-year kid, I remember a counselor saying something like, “You can miss the forest out there because you’re caught in the trees.” I’m 44 now and still often miss the forest. 

“Hyper-focus can be an asset,” according to WebMD, and hyper-focus can be unhealthy too.

Remember the report prepared for the Division Head? If day after day “accountability” is solely focused on the question “did you do it?” it could result in repeated reporting that takes the division head 15 minutes to read and another 10-minute conversation just to understand. Is that success?

Or if the report is done well, but the customer meeting was cut short to get it DONE, is that success?

"You're focused on the fallen tree blocking your path."

Hyper-focus, or what is commonly called tunnel vision has impacts people beyond simply spending time on the right tasks.

Consequences of Hyper-focus

When leaders engage in hyper-focus over time, here's what this can look like:

• Ignoring important details outside of their focus
• Neglecting important relationships or communication with others
• Limiting creativity and innovation
• Becoming overly perfectionistic and nitpicky, leading to paralysis by analysis
• Neglecting self-care and burning out due to excessive focus on work
• Struggling to adapt to changes or unexpected situations

Consider this quote: 

"As leaders, it's crucial that we recognize the danger of hyper-focus and missing the big picture. We can easily fall into the trap of oversimplifying complex issues and stereotyping people and situations when we only see one side of the story," as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie points out in her TED Talk. "By seeking out diverse perspectives," Adichie continues, "and actively challenging our own biases and assumptions, we can broaden our understanding of the world and make more informed decisions."

Zooming Out

Effective accountability involves asking the question, “Did you do it?” But that’s not the only question that should get asked.

If that's the only question you ask, your focus is too narrow. You're focused on the gnarled oak or the fallen tree blocking your path.

Zoom out. 

Keep zooming out. 

A little more. ;)

Zoom out until you see the entire forest. 

Effective accountability takes into account the bigger picture. 

You may look at the gnarled oak or you may dig down deep into the earth to the root causes of a single problem. But then you’ll take a few steps (or more) back to view the situation of the entire forest.

The Big Picture 

After a team was more than a little out of sync following a challenging activity, Cindy Balazs, a corporate trainer, asked three simple questions:

• What happened?
• So what?
• Now what?

"This can help you zoom out to see the big picture."

These three questions help us focus on what matters. If you're stuck in the trees, this can help you zoom out to see the big picture and then focus again on moving forward.

When I answer these questions, I like to pause and give a brief answer for each.

Can you imagine the conversation above between the boss and the employee continuing with these questions? 

This is after the boss celebrates success, of course.

Boss: “What happened?

Employee: I completed the report. I had to rush the last part because I had a last-minute meeting with a client.

Boss: So what?

Employee: The content of the report is correct. But if I hadn’t rushed it, I think it could have been sequenced better.

Boss: Now what?

Employee: I’ll let my team know that I will forward your requests and ask them to put together a first draft. That will ensure we don’t get sloppy.

Accountability involves functioning together, creating something and ongoing growth. This broader view of accountability sets us up to see the beauty of the whole forest—and in fact the entire world God has created. 

"The big picture doesn't just come from distance"

This broad view doesn't appear overnight. As Simon Sinek says, "The big picture doesn't just come from distance; it also comes from time." If you take the time, you can see sets of interconnected roles and how we have the potential to grow and nurture the one another, taking care of the tasks and people that have been entrusted to each of us. 

It may be that you’re reading this thinking, “Josh actually my problem is that I don’t get anything "done!” OR "My people don't accept responsibility!"

If that’s you, rest assured that we will address this challenge as well in this series “Accountability Matters.”

For those of you like me, who have either joined “Hyperfocus Anonymous” or who should join it because you tend to miss the big picture, consider the following exercises.

Wrapping up

Effective accountability goes beyond just asking the question "did you do it?" and involves taking into account the bigger picture. It requires asking questions like "what happened?", "so what?", and "now what?" to focus on what matters. It also takes time and effort to develop a broader view of accountability and see the sets of interconnected roles and how we can grow and nurture one another. 

Below I invite you to take a deep breath, reflect on your own experiences, and commit to practicing effective accountability for ongoing growth and success. 

Remember, accountability matters.

***** 

Your Turn

Now, it’s your turn. The steps below will never take longer than reading what came before. Make sense? This post took about two minutes to read, right? “Your Turn” will take less than two minutes.

1. Breathe. 

Yes, that's right. Breathe. We’re moving fast these days. All of us. Most of us. Slow down. Before you go on to number two, close your eyes and take four deep breaths.

2. Write. 

What words describe your visceral response to “Hyperfocus,” “Getting lost in the trees,” and “Done?” Another way of asking this is, “What are you experiencing in this moment?” Get out a writing pad, your phone, or a piece of paper, and write down a few words. 

Go Deeper

“Growth is a piece of cake.” Not! I won’t lie; this section won’t be quick. Sometimes it won’t be easy. It may be gut-wrenching and soul-searching. You are worth it.

1. Select a recent activity.

What was the most recent activity that you completed that involved some energy? Did your team complete a report? Did you clean your house and host guests? Attend a networking event?

Choose the activity then reflect.

 2. Reflect. 

Ask yourself—and anyone a part of the activity—the questions below. Go back to your team and say, “Hey guys, you got 5 minutes on the break or a quick convo?” Or go back to your spouse. If you’re in the US, you can talk to your dog. Yes, I realize we Americans are different!

What happened? [Briefly describe it]

So what? [What matters from this? What did you learn?]

Now what? [Name one thing that you can do as a result of what you learned]

 Just for Fun, Just for You

Do you take life too seriously? If so, this section is for you. And me. Sometimes it will be directly related to the exercise. It will always provide a transition from heavier work to the rest of life.

Dab.

Yes, Dab. This is about having fun.

Just for fun, I dabbed while riding bikes with one of my kids. Do you know what the guy on a motorcycle did who was going in the opposite direction?

He took his hands off the wheel and dabbed right back at me!