Getting a different perspective

Sometimes you need to get a different perspective to see a problem or opportunity clearly.  I was thinking about this just recently when trying to figure out a challenge at work.

You see, as you work in an organization with its culture, processes and unspoken expectations, some calcification sets in.  You, and your team members, engage in a collective acceptance of what is, and what is not, happening.  To a certain extent, your thoughts, actions and perceptions are shaped by what you do day to day, until at some point there's almost a demarcation - places where you can and can't go effectively.

The power of a defined culture and well-described business processes is that it means that everyone has a general acceptance of "how" things should be done.  Usually I am a firm believer in processes and culture that simplify how work is done and make an "end to end" process more effective.  However, sometimes those processes and cultural expectations take on a life of their own, and become more important than what's getting done.  To step outside the culture or process and examine it from a different perspective is important and even necessary.

What happens is that the culture and process become so predominant that your thinking is guided by them, and you miss opportunities for change or new growth because they don't fit the process.  You have on blinders that allow you to see the processes and teams as they are, but you don't see the possibilities that could exist through small changes in the process or the culture.  At some point the culture literally guides your actions - you almost sleepwalk through your work.

Here's an idea  - work within the culture, but don't hesitate to question it.  Step aside and watch the processes, expectations and culture within your firm and try - carefully - to make the appropriate changes necessary to remove the blinders and help people see what's possible.  Hold a "stand-up" meeting that is only 5 minutes long - just to focus on the most important and vital stuff.  Allow the most junior person to run a project.  Bring someone from outside your team, or possibly outside your organization, to watch how your team works and make suggestions.  Let your interviewees sit behind your desk while you sit in the visitor's chair.  Become a customer of your process. 

Find a way to get some different perspectives about the way your culture, your process and your team work.  You may be surprised at what you find.