blind spotMuch as we don’t like to admit it, we all have blind spots. There are things we’d rather not see and things that we just cannot.

How many times have you been in a meeting when a disagreement breaks out over something you’d never noticed before?  You wonder what you’ve missed and how you could not have seen it.  Occasionally you might even wonder what they are talking about because the issue is still invisible to you.

Our blind spots are a reflection of ourselves and our view of life and work.  You’ve probably experienced the “my kids are angels” parents who can’t see that their offspring are actually little devils.  When it comes to looking at our NFPs or committees, it is possible that we are peering through those same rose-coloured glasses.

If that’s the case, then how can you correct or improve something that you can’t see?

An American organisation called Bridgespan undertook a survey of NFPs comparing the answers of executives with those of their management teams to see if they held the same view of different elements of their organisation.

“They found that the executive directors’ scores were considerably higher than their emerging leaders’, signaling potential blind spots in a few areas:

  • the extent to which an organization clearly communicates its priorities;
  • the degree to which decision roles and processes are well understood; and
  • the degree to which an organization can implement change.”

If you think policies and procedures are clear, and your mission is powerful, but your team does not, you can expect difficulties ahead.

So what can you do about it?

Clear your blind spots by:

opening lines of communication
  • seeking feedback on what’s working and what isn’t
  • setting the precedent for asking questions by modelling that behaviour with your teams.
  • Paying attention to the information coming to you and not dismissing it simply because it doesn’t match your perceptions.  

If you’re not on the same page, your NFP is losing the power that motivates your people to achieve great things. Take your blindfold off and take a good look around you.