Take a look at the whole picture. Is something missing?

We all know what we know, and what we don’t know, isn’t important. Ha! Have you fooled yourself into believing that your viewpoint is so vital, that other views just don’t matter?

I believe that our intelligence and judging systems – our minds – are great “right” making tools. No matter what happens, we are right, we are complete, and we have what we need to know.  Our minds support our state of equilibrium – even if we are in a state of pain! Our mind will tell us when we did the right thing, and we have confirmed our sense of rightness.

Dr. Marilee Adams, author of Change Your Questions, Change Your Life offers this success question (one of twelve that she recommends): What am I missing or avoiding? Your mind may not want you to ask this question.  Look anyway.  What isn’t being looked at?

I have changed the direction of a number of business meetings by asking this question, to myself at least (“What is missing?”), noticing what else is important, and then asking a relevant question to the group.

Most people in meetings pay attention only to what is presented to them.  Few people scan for the missing parts. If a presentation appears to have internal coherence, sloppy or lazy audiences may accept the idea as complete.  I like to look for the missing parts. 

Imagine a jigsaw puzzle with some of the pieces missing. If enough of the pieces are there, you might see a ship at sea, or a beautiful landscape.  Your mind can complete the picture for you.  A nearly complete picture may seem complete if you aren’t paying attention.  In a business meeting, we may not even notice that some elements are not there.

Pause.  Scan the material.  Look for missing jigsaw pieces. Is something important not being considered?

A good presenter can place a group or audience into a form of hypnosis. If we like what we see, we tend not to challenge the presentation. Many people stop asking critical questions.

Take a look at what you have been shown. If you were putting your money on the project, wouldn’t you want to see all the factors involved? Your input may make a difference to your organization.

If you are looking for work, think about what the company is telling you.  Is the picture complete?  Perhaps something important has been intentionally left out.  What questions can you ask?

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Do you have a clear vision of what you would like to do in five years?

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Tell me about your career change experience (research for my book): http://bit.ly/7YhcMK