Schlagwort-Archive: Blind Spot

I do not see anything, …

There are many reasons not to notice circumstances. Without the appropriate view to the happening it is asked too much, to observe anything at all. Since this defective vision does not happen deliberately, referring to aspects of the current situation is a crucial pre-requisite, in order to better jointly recognize connections. The right moment for additional descriptions is the statement „I do not see anything, ….“

NikkoNSee

For better understanding, we can look at the reasons for blind spots.

  • … because someone or something interferes my view.
    In front of a wall that has neither door nor window, with best intentions it is not possible to see, what is behind the wall. For better insight there are no other ways than striking a breach into the wall or to look behind it from a higher view point or by smartly walking around the barrier.
  • … because I carry blinkers.
    The own field is the basis for certain findings. However, sometimes your own experience is a bar to see. The internal convictions work like blinkers that do not let through any attractions, which take place outside of the professional field of vision. In such a case it is crucial to irritate people in such a way that they turn their heads into the desired direction and register new points of view.
  • … because I suffer from some sort of visual impairment.
    As long as the view is not sharpened by formative experiences, although you can see the happening, yet you cannot recognize the relationships. This blur leads to false conclusions and thus to an incomplete picture. In this case additional explanations are needed, in order to receive a high-contrast and meaningful picture.
  • … because it is too bright or too dark.
    Favorable lighting conditions are a requirement for a clear view. If one is dazzled by too much information, then this flood outshines the own horizon. If one receives too few inputs, then one stands in the dark and has no visual aid. In such cases the crucial information should be made available in a manageable quantity, in order to have something recognizable
  • … because there is nothing to see.
    If someone does not see anything, this can also be due to the fact that there is nothing to see at all. If empty words and abstract terms are used that do not state anything substantially, there is also nothing to recognize. In this case it is worthwhile to make abstract messages more understandable.
  • … because I may or should not to or because I have to shut my eyes.
    Internal information that is classified as secret has to be treated confidentially. They cannot do anything else than closing their eyes and not speak about it. This does not mean that there is nothing to be seen, but for legal reasons you are forced to keep silent about it.
  • … because I can’t do it.
    There are cases, in which one does not refer to it, since there are no proofs or simply no words to talk about it. An interactive discourse can provide clarity. In these cases for the aspects that you couldn’t express previously are jointly developed and documented.
  • … because I do not want it.
    The reasons, why someone does not want to show something, reach from the current personal mood to professional reasons. Lacking acceptance or commitment create a personal distance that leads to the fact that someone shut oneself off. A simple way to cover this is to say „ I do not see anything, … “. For this reason you should not forget to analyze, whether there are reasons for a not-wanting.

Bottom line: „I do not see anything “ is not a statement that you should simply accept. It has to be the starting point for discussing the reasons of this apparent blindness. As soon as you become aware that there might be many reasons, it makes sense to investigate and bring some light on the issue. Eventually you will be seeing more.

The unnecessary blind spot

The bigger a project, the more people are involved, the interim results and milestones are created, the more coordination is necessary and the higher the costs are. A lot of effort goes into the reporting for the decision makers and the committees. Unfortunately, the project team rarely determines the target group profile. These characteristics of the deciders have a large influence on the effectiveness of communication. The resulting, unnecessary blind spot leads often, despite good results, not to an adequate appreciation.

DerblindeFleck

Many push the fact to the back of their mind that the workload of the project is today less than fifty percent technical problem solving and more than fifty percent communication. The reports have a special function, since they introduce and explain the results. Thus, they contribute crucially to success and failure. Misunderstandings and wrong classifications undermine objectively good results. A main reason for the unsatisfactory presentations is the misconception that a good solution is already sufficient, in order to be successful.
Imagine the inventor of an all-purpose knife for the kitchen that no longer blunts. He shows short videos, in which the knife is used to cut vegetables, fish and meat like butter. As a special effect, he tested his invention under continuous use in a slaughterhouse for four weeks. The video shows butchers ramming the knife several times into pigs and cutting them into pieces, even though the target group consists of housewives, not butchers. With his objective demonstration of the efficiency of the knife, he awakes inadvertently murderous scenarios within the mind of the public. Accordingly, the presentation fails to have the desired effect.

An important element during the preparation of a presentation is the consideration of the individual characteristics and conceptions of the respective target group. This requires an early profiling. The creation of the profile is possible without larger effort, if you use the correct structure (e.g. self-image http://ow.ly/wsIjz).

With the clear understanding of the target group, the following aspects can be achieved.

  • You provide the target group room for their associations, by limiting yourself on information according the interests of the target group. The nominalization of specific activities creates connection points to their everyday experiences, e.g. the cutting of vegetables, the carving of meat.
  • The connection of the results with the experiences and convictions of the target group facilitates them to integrate the messages into their understanding. Generalizations and classifications elicit many thoughts, e.g. food is also a feast for the eye; the cold kitchen thrives on cutting.
  • The use of examples out of the experience areas of the listeners activates their presumptions and existing explanations for cause and effect and links them to the presentation. Thus, role models supply a variety of associations, e.g. the most important tool of star cooks is the sharp knife; good food becomes a successful dinner with a good knife.
  • With the definition of crucial terms, you prevent that the listeners use their imagination in the wrong direction. They create a basis as objective as possible, e.g. the knife functions in all areas of the kitchen; continuous tests did not produce any indications of wear.

These aspects are especially valid, if it comes to the abstract topics of the economy. In these areas, the danger to misinterpret a presentation is big, since the range of interpretations goes quite far. Terms, such as goals, results, satisfaction, economics etc. are interpreted differently by the listeners. It is important to understand the attitudes of the target group in advance and to incorporate indispensable explanations based on these insights. Reports, tailored to the respective target group, ensure that the results can be appreciated accordingly.

Bottom line: The profiling is a simple approach, in order to prevent the unnecessary blind spot, the fuzzy target group conception. This way, you convey more effectively your interests and results.