Observation: A Critical Leadership Skill

Leaders know that observation skills are critical to success, in any dimension. They work hard to develop their own and to identify the ability in their people.

Leaders rely heavily on the observations of others to test their own impressions and to add to their body of knowledge on whatever topic is on the table. Observation is learning as you go, not something you sit down to do. And each experience adds to your knowledge pool, making you a major asset to your organization, your industry, your family, and yourself.

While it’s such a valuable skill, it’s surprising how little value many managers place on it. Time and time again you will see people leave a meeting with the claim that it was a waste of time. When pressed, they will say that they learned nothing, that the meeting was inconclusive, that they were not the right person to be there, or that they felt gagged.

One suggestion: The next time you find yourself in a meeting that feels like a waste of time, promise yourself that you will get at least 3 pieces of information from that meeting: Insights, Opinions, Facts, Observed Behavior, that may be helpful. at your job. Then apply those elements to your relationships. It works, most people don’t. Most people do not become effective leaders. For most people, they don’t even know that observation is a highly prized skill.

If you want to be in the top ten percent of whatever you do, work consciously and hard on developing your observation skills. It will be worth it, I guarantee it. If you want to be world class at anything, you must develop the skill of observation: seeing the world around you, and seeing it every day, in every way, and making observation a habit of thought. The price of success is taking a step forward: looking at the world in all its varieties, learning from it, and taking that accumulation of inputs and putting them to use in decision making, in enhancing intuition, in building relationships.

Ten Critical Behaviors and Thinking Habits for Building Accurate Observation Skills:

Evaluate people – observe people

Clarity: seeing the world as it is.

Curiosity – ask why

listening skills

Willingness to set aside personal prejudices.

Willingness to seek input from others.

Looking for new experiences and possibilities.

Be comfortable with ambiguity

Knowledge of people’s behaviors and attitudes.

Self-awareness: knowing precisely your own behaviors, attitudes and personal abilities, and how they affect others.

It’s easy to get so focused on our own work that we don’t really see the forest for the trees, even if we’re invited to the highest ranger station in that particular forest.

A personal story:

I was hiking in the Phoenix Mountain Preserve and going down a steep, rocky, narrow trail. Approaching me from below was a young woman, baseball cap pulled low over her eyes, dark sunglasses, hydration pack, and headphones. I stepped aside to let her pass (hikers ascending have the right of way). I said “Hi” and she walked past me, inches from touching me, not recognizing me! Wow, two people, close enough to touch, no one else around, and not even a nod.

What does this have to do with observation skills? A lot. This hiker was so in her own zone that nothing around her could enter her consciousness. The birdsong, the green of spring, the warning sound of a rattlesnake, the crunch of boots reaching for her, the beautiful blue sky, none of it could penetrate her “her zone.” I see that a lot. Mountain bikers, hikers, runners, all focused on their journey, oblivious to their surroundings except what’s right in front of them, and in danger of missing out on all sorts of messages. Observation? Other than your own heart rate, miles traveled, calories burned, goals achieved, time elapsed, mountains climbed, Gatorade intake, how you feel, you could be in a dark tunnel. It’s a shame for them: they miss out on all sorts of critical inputs that could help them grow, develop, and enjoy the process of getting fit.

To the extent that we close ourselves to the unknown; of things that would challenge us; of the things that make us think; of things that are not in accordance with our beliefs; From things that can stimulate our senses, we create our own little cocoon, that safe place where we can exist without being affected by all the things that swirl around us. Some people call it focus, I think not.

As suggested. We all need to gain or regain our sense of wonder at new things. Take a different route to work, buy a different newspaper, listen to a different news show, run through unfamiliar territory, hike through the woods or mountains, without your IPod, try a different routine at the gym, eat what you’ve never had before. before. And observe with all your senses. Acquiring observation skills is an active and exciting process. It is best achieved by feeling, as if for the first time, the world around you and then seeing more of what you saw last time.

Try it today. Become an active observer of life, and achieve greater success, in whatever way you define success.