Zoom Out for a Better View

Zoom Out for a Better View

The eclipse this week had all us looking up…and out. Instead of staring at a screen, most of us spent at least part of the afternoon sky gazing as the moon passed between Earth and the sun, creating a view that won’t be seen for another twenty years. We forget that our blue planet, as huge as it may seem to us, is part of a much larger system. It’s a micro view versus a macro view.

Too often at work (and in life, if we’re honest), we get stuck in that micro view, particularly if we’re tackling a problem. We focus on all the little issues, small changes, immediate challenges. The things that are jumping up and down right in front of us. We look at everything through a microscope. And then we rush to make a quick adjustment or decision. Which often doesn’t work out all that well.

Maybe it’s time to get out the telescope and zoom out. Way out. Systems-thinking out. If there’s a problem, don’t think about the problem itself…think about the system surrounding it. If you have a production challenge, it’s easy to look immediately at your workers or equipment. Something must be fixed now. But what if you examine the entire system and realize that your process puts one step in the wrong place? As a result, workers are backtracking or duplicating actions. Simply trying to work faster isn’t the solution. Taking a macro view – zooming out – will show that the system needs rearranging. Change those steps and the process will move more smoothly, and faster.

I want to challenge you to take one challenge you have at work this week and apply a systems lens to it. Zoom out from the immediate squeaky wheel and see if there’s not a better solution to be found when you look at things from a distance. Think of it as eclipse-watching.

Stay Sharp,

Holly Hayes, President & Founder
ISI Consulting