A story:
I was hiking in the Phoenix Mountain Preserve and coming down a steep, rocky, narrow path. Approaching me from below was a young woman, baseball cap pulled down over her eyes, dark sunglasses, hydration backpack, and IPod firmly stuck in her ears. I stepped aside to let her pass - hikers ascending have right of way - I said "Hello," and she went past me - within inches of touching me - without seeing me!! Or at least without acknowledging me!! Wow - two people, close enough to touch, no one else around, and not so much as a nod.
Just what does this have to do with observation skills? A lot. This hiker was so into her own zone that nothing around her could enter her consciousness. The birds singing, the green of spring, the warning rattle of a rattlesnake, the crunch of boots overtaking her, the beautiful blue sky - none of it could penetrate her "zone." I see that a lot. Mountain bikers, hikers, runners- all with earpieces firmly in place. Intent on their journey - oblivious to their surroundings except for what is right in front of them - and in danger of missing all kinds of messages. Observation? Other than their own heart rate, miles covered, calories burned, goals met, times elapsed, mountains climbed, Gatorade consumed, how they feel - they could be in a dark tunnel as far as any further observation is concerned. Too bad for them - they miss all kinds of critical inputs that could help them grow and develop and enjoy the process of gaining physical fitness.
I see that behavior in all kinds of places. I call it the cocoon behavior.
To the extent that we close ourselves off from the unfamiliar; from things that would challenge us; from things that make us think; from things that disagree with our beliefs; from things that can stimulate our senses, we create our own cocoon - that safe place where we can exist unaffected by all the stuff that swirls around us. Some people call it focus - I think not.
.
If you want to be world class in anything, you gotta develop the skill of observation - seeing the world around you and seeing it every day, in every way, and make observing a habit of thought. The price of success is shedding the cocoon - observing the world in all its variety, learning from it, and taking that accumulation of inputs and putting them to use in decision making, in using our intuition, in building relationships.
A suggestion. We all need to gain or regain our sense of wonder about new things. Take a different route to work, buy a different newspaper, listen to a different news show, take a run over unfamiliar territory, hike in the woods or mountains - without your IPod, try a different routine at the gym. And observe through all your senses. Gaining observation skills is an active, exciting process. It's best accomplished by sensing - as if for the first time - the world around you, and then seeing more than you saw the last time.
Try it - today. Become an active observer of life - and gain greater success - in whatever way you define success.
Written by Andy Cox, President
Cox Consulting Group LLC, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph: 602-795-4100; Fax 602-795-4800; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com WEbsite: www.coxconsultgroup.com Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com
Copyright 2007 All Rights Reserved
No comments:
Post a Comment