1. Are you a “corporate optometrist”? By Steve Lundregan
What would a “corporate optometrist” do? Real eye doctors help people see
everyday, right? You don’t have to be an eye doctor to help others see.
Consider your own role. Whether you are the CEO or an analyst in a big firm or a
start-up, how much of your time is (or could be) spent helping others “see”? Unless
you can do it all yourself, I bet the answer is “a lot”.
Organizations are full of talented, busy people and because of that we often don’t
have the perspective we need. If we did, most of us are quite capable of solving even
the most complex problem--if we frame and inform it properly. If there were such a
thing as a “corporate optometrist”, they would help others see what they can't see
on their own. Whether it's getting the big picture right (e.g., a strategist framing the
situation), or applying it to the task at hand (e.g., a lean six sigma specialist
employing DMAIC), our roles as leaders or individual contributors often involves
helping others “see”. In fact, if decision makers don’t “see” for themselves what you
want them to do, what are the chances of them owning and implementing your
intended solution? The truth is, many of us already do what eye doctors do, and we
just don’t frame it that way.
I'm not claiming this to be an original idea. According to Emerson, "where there is
no vision, people perish." This “vision” thing has been around a while. My twist on it
is to see “vision” as everyone’s job. Today, the ability to see things differently, more
clearly, or through the eyes of others is necessary at all levels of any organization
serious about pursuing excellence. We have the tools, and we have the skills. What's
missing is how we “see” the opportunity. Reframing your view of your own role is a
start. Think like a “corporate optometrist” and help decision makers “see” the goals,
priorities, innovations, and improvements that matter to them.
Try it and I promise you will “see” the difference you make!