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| What Am I Missing? by Steve Vaught |
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My
son was back in town visiting from Denver so we decided to while away the
hot, humid, Sunday afternoon at Hollywood’s latest Batman blockbuster, “The
Dark Knight.” I decided to spurge and purchased tickets online for the matinee
at our local IMAX® theatre. Big movie – big screen, was my rationale.
While I’ve certainly seen a number of the traditional IMAX® movies over the years, I’ve never taken in a feature-length production on the multi-story screen and immersive surround sound. This is going to be awesome!
The opening scene is a spectacular fly-over shot of “Gotham City”. Yeah, this is what IMAX® is all about! However, as the movie progressed, the story was told through a variety of different scenes: back story, quiet dialogue, pensive moments and, of course, action. But the image was always the same size, huge!
Most troubling were the action sequences - it was as though you were part of the action. It sounds good, but mostly it was disorienting. We tried to sit as far away from the screen as possible, but it was still too close. Everything was a blur. I had no perspective on what was happening and know I was missing key information about the scene and perhaps the entire movie. It was frustrating.
Business owners and leaders can fall victim to a similar experience in their work lives. They can become so entrenched in the day to day workings of their organizations that they lose perspective. They’re “too close” to have any real perspective.
Are you missing…
• Ways to do things differently?
• What your customers are saying?
• Industry trends?
• What your competitors are doing?
• Ways to improve?
• What’s going on in your marketplace?
• Potential opportunities?
A “yes” answer to any of these means you’re “too close to the screen” to gather all the information necessary to effectively lead your organization. It’s an easy trap to fall into – especially for entrepreneurs who started their business from scratch. It’s a safe and comfortable place be: working in your business and not on your business.