Everyone has a blind spot in their eyes. Located in the back of the eye, there is a point on the retina where the optic nerve joins. This point has no color or light receptors at all. The lack of light receptors at the area where the optic nerve joins the retina results in a “blind spot.” The optic nerve is actually an extension of the brain, and extends all the way to the back of the brain. The average person with two eyes open doesn’t notice their blind spot because both eyes help each other and cancel the blind spot when the brain fuses the two images from both eyes together.
In addition to having a visual blind spot, every person also one or more professional and personal blind spots. Those blind spots are problems that a person deliberately chooses to ignore. Unlike our visual blind spot which is neurological and unavoidable, professional and personal blind spots is a form of willful blindness… the human propensity to ignore the obvious.
Think you don’t have a personal or professional blind spot? Think again. Every business and every person has blind spots. We see it in businesses, large and small. That is how BP was caught by surprise when their oil rig in the Gulf exploded. That is how the investors in Bernie Madoff’s ponzi scheme were shocked when his investment house of cards felt apart. That is how investors and bankers alike were blind-sided by the collapse of the real estate market despite repeated warnings of a bubble. If you think the average person doesn’t have blind spots, consider those who leave bills unopened, smoke cigarettes despite the warning labels or lay out in the sun for hours baking but believing the UV rays won’t harm them. Those are all blind spots.
In Blind Spots: Achieve Success by Seeing What You Can’t See, author Claudia Shelton argues that it is what a person doesn’t see about themselves that holds them back from achieving their true potential in professional and personal relationships. If the bad news is that every person has at least one blind spot, the good news is that there are ways to identify and even eliminate most blind spot(s)… much the way our eyes cancel out our visual blind spot by working together. It takes some courage to see our willful blind spots, but it is doable. Here are 10 steps to identify and begin eliminating your blind spots.
1, Ask yourself
Be brutally honest with yourself. Where are you falling short? Do you have a low credit score? Perhaps it is time to recognize that your blind spot is in money management. Review your spending habits. Ask yourself a few simple questions about your purchases and expenses. Do you have a budget? Do you pay bills on time? If this is an area of weakness, don’t be an ostrich and stick your head in the sand. No one is good at everything. Get help for those things that you don’t do well. If paying bills on time is your weakness, hire an hourly bookkeeper. That is cheaper than paying late fees and higher interest rates for loans due to bad credit.
2. Ask someone you trust
Even if you try to be ruthlessly honest with yourself (and let’s face it, most people aren’t) ultimately, you won’t be able to see into all of your blind spots. You will need others to help you see yourself clearly. Get advice from a friend, rabbi or pastor or family member who knows you well. If you’re not sure why you aren’t getting the promotion or raise you want, ask your boss, HR department or trusted coworker to help you identify problem areas you may not recognize. Note that this needs to be someone who will feel comfortable telling you the truth. Prepare yourself to hear things that may not be pleasant.
3. Learn to see from other people’s perspective
When other people express different opinions than yours, try to understand their point of view. Often they can see something that you can’t. Seek first to understand and then be understood.
4. Read diverse kinds of materials
Just like different lenses can give you different views in a camera, different kind of reading materials can give you different ways to see life. Things that are not obvious through one “lens” may be clear when seen through a different “lens”.
5. Make friends with people from different backgrounds than yours
Although it is good to get feedback from people who know you, it may not be as effective if they all come from the same background as you. There may be blind spots that affect an entire culture. In those cases, even people around you from your same culture may not be able to help you. Seeing your life through other cultures may allow you to discover cultural blind spots. Other perspectives may be enlightening.
6. Consider your own thoughts
There are times when blind spots occur because the mind is on autopilot. Many thoughts pass through the mind unnoticed. Watch your thoughts, and be conscious of what and how you think. By doing so, you can identify negative thoughts that may result in a blind spot in your attitude.
7. Learn from role models
Learning from other people’s lives so we don’t repeat the same mistakes is an excellent way to learn. It can save one from a lot of time, energy and pain, and reveal ways others have overcome problems to which they were once blind. Learning about other people’s blind spots is a good way to recognize one’s own blind spots.
8. Find a mentor
A mentor can greatly help with personal or professional growth because of their experience. Their wisdom and experience may also help you uncover your blind spots more quickly.
9. Just ask “How can I improve what I’m doing now?”
There is power in this simple question. By asking how you can improve what you are doing, you invite people to give you constructive feedback. There may be areas in which you lack something you do not notice or realize.
10. Keep a journal
Sometimes we have epiphanies about personal or professional blind spots only to forget them later. This wastes a lot of time since you’ll need to rediscover them. One way to stop this cycle of recurring blind spots is to keep journal where you write such revelations and thoughts related to personal and professional growth. Reviewing this journal periodically will keep these discoveries top-of-mind, and help you to keep those issues in focus.
Good luck in your search for the ‘invisible’ issues that keep you from seeing yourself clearly and achieving your goals.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“The eyes are not responsible when the mind does the seeing.” Publilius Syrus
© 2011 – 2012, Keren Peters-Atkinson. All rights reserved.
