You Can’t See Beyond Limited Perspective On Your Own.
by Leslie Jones, SpiralMethod Founder
We all have blind spots. Those places that are so close, we can’t perceive them ourselves. Just as with the blind spots that occur when you’re driving and someone encroaches on that space you cannot see in your side-view mirrors, if left unexplored, our blind spots can cause collisions and all kinds of problems within businesses and relationships.
Yes. Even with the decades of personal work and professional development I’ve done, I have my own blind spots.
One that comes to mind is my tendency to assume that people are highly trustworthy—that they will act in the best interest of all parties, follow agreements, be proactive in their communication, care for me, etc. I assume others also possess the principles I value and attributes I’ve worked hard to hone in myself. Even as I write this, I see how faulty this line of thinking is! Although it may sound admirable to see the best in everyone, this type of blind trust caused me to make choices that (in hindsight) were not in my best interest. Of course, I can’t discern this blind spot on my own. I need a method for seeing beyond my limited perception to illuminate the areas that elude my field of vision.
No matter how far you’ve traveled in life, no matter how successful or how high you’ve climbed, you may experience obstacles that keep you—and your company—from achieving a higher level of success. Awareness of your potential blind spot and its impact on your life and the lives of the people you employ and serve is the first step to overcoming the impact that blind spot can have.
How is our leadership or the culture of my business creating obstacles for engagement and contribution?
SpiralMethod uncovers these unperceived limitations and moves leaders to engagement and contribution. When we’re willing to admit that we cannot see our weaknesses—when we feel safe enough to drop the mask and get real in a way that, perhaps, we haven’t been able to achieve before—then and only then can new possibilities arise. And when one person steps forward with this type of vulnerability, it gives permission to others to become vulnerable.
SpiralMethod opens the door for this type of rigorous authenticity and intense honesty by creating a safe container for human connection that we all crave. Spiral creates a circle of trust and provides rules that meet the needs of the group, company, or organization. In this way, Spiral brings clarity to those blind spots so that individuals and groups can acknowledge and move beyond them. And without this type of rigorous honesty, growth to full potential can’t occur.
What’s your blind spot? If you’re hitting a wall, experiencing conflict within your organization, or feeling the frustration that your company is stuck and not reaching the potential to fulfill your vision, you may need more than a side-view mirror. You may need a new tool to see the obstacles and transcend them. It may be time to Spiral.
