We often talk about the importance of understanding your natural strengths. But it is equally as important to understand your blind spots or blockers. We all have them. No one is exempt. Blind spots or blockers are those patterns in our behavior that we do not always see, but can have a big impact on our relationships and career.
Blind spots are a funny thing. Sometimes we see them, sometimes we don’t. They can often hide in our response to pressure and stress. Perhaps you are a no-nonsense person who gets results. Your boss or Board loves you. You have been handsomely rewarded for your ability to make things happen. You have an amazing team that helps you achieve success. The problem is the higher the stakes the more difficult it is for you to let your team do what they do best. You find yourself starting to micro manage. You delegate, but then take it back if it takes too long or at the first sign of failure. Your team gets frustrated and feels that no matter what they do it’s not going to be right. You in turn become frustrated wondering why your team doesn’t take initiative. Instead of developing a team of leaders, you have inadvertently developed a team of followers. Your sense of urgency and need for control get in the way. Oh, that thing… That’s how blind spots work.
Maybe you are a different kind of leader. You are kind, compassionate and supportive. You have an ability to bring people together. You contribute to a positive and optimistic work environment. You always have time to listen. Your team loves you. But you have a tendency to let issues with your direct reports go on longer than they should before addressing them. Having difficult conversations is not your favorite thing to do so you let your strong belief in people take over your better judgement. You truly believe that it will get better, that they’ll turn it around just given time – so you wait. In the meantime, their performance deteriorates, the customers are affected and your P&L suffers. Not addressing difficult issues in a timely manner has caused much larger issues. Oh, that thing… And your blind spot rears its ugly head.
Blind spots are not always easy for us to see, but once we are made aware of them we can be prepared for the responses that we will most likely happen and prepare accordingly. Understanding our blind spots and learning to monitor them can have an impact on our capacity to change, grow, and effectively adapt to our work environment and to each other. The more we are aware of – oh, that thing – the more effective and successful we will be.
Do you know what your blind spots are?
- Reflect on those areas that seem to be an ongoing issue. Could your blind spots be in play?
- Those that work closest to you have the most day-to-day experience with you. Ask them for their feedback. What do they see?
- If you’ve taken one of our assessments, review the results again. Are there clues? If you don’t have a copy of your assessment results, shoot us an email and we’ll send it to you. We’d be happy to point out the areas that could be potential blind spots for you.