Some team members only see what is in front of them.
They focus on the small details, the short-term, the issues that are directly at hand, and the actions that must be taken immediately. They don’t look up and connect the dots. The bigger picture eludes them.
This limits their ability to take on a leadership role.
Good leaders insist on expanding the awareness of every team member about the long-term strategy, goal set, and vision. They don’t want worker bees.
They need everyone to understand the implications of their work on the desired outcomes of the enterprise. By broadening the perspective of a myopic team member to see the bigger picture, leaders prepare them to make a larger contribution in the future.
To encourage big-picture thinking, leaders have several tools at their disposal.
First, they must involve small-picture team members in strategic discussions where they must confront the long view and the plan to get there.
While these team members might have little to say at first, a consistent diet of strategy conversations will encourage them to contribute and begin connecting the dots.
Asking a narrowly focused team member to map their work to long-range goals is another beneficial move.
Doing this on paper or a whiteboard and leaving the visual behind reinforces the need to understand the implications of their work. This exercise also lends itself to exploring the possible unintended consequences of their everyday choices, further expanding their view.
To get their head out of the sand, leaders sometimes ask a myopic team member to benchmark results, goals, and vision against other enterprises or similar companies.
This encourages them to assess the impact of their work compared to those at competing organizations. Learning about a competitor’s everyday practices and what makes them “best practices” also leads to a broader view.
A team member’s success is all about connections. Everything they do to connect to other people, to the work at hand, and to the big picture enhances their ability to succeed.
Keeping the big picture in mind opens the eyes to what is possible. We don’t trust anyone to lead who can’t envision the future.
