I read about a truck that was using chains to hold down its load it while driving on the road. The chain broke, and it caused a catastrophic accident.

Organizations have a lot in common with chains. Imagine every link on the chain represents a different area of an organization. Human resources could be a link, leadership could be a link, and the products/services could be one. And just like a chain, if there is a little crack in a link in an organization, it could cause a catastrophic event. And sometimes, it is a major break that leads to the catastrophic event.

When you don’t see the cracks in the chain, it is considered a blind spot. Another kind of blind spot is when you think you see something, but nothing is there.

All organizations have blind spots including in military, government, health care, religion, and business. For example, after the 9/11 crisis took place in the U.S, it was found that warning signs were ignored. And more recently with the catastrophic event that took place in Israel, data showed that something big was being planned, and they missed it.

How Organizations Develop Blind Spots

One of the things that all organizations have in common regarding blind spots is that someone usually sees something but is ignored. So, how do organizations develop blind spots? Here are three different ways.

1. Clueless

Sometimes leaders and organizations are clueless – meaning they are missing what is in front of them. Decades ago, the Bernie Madoff crisis was one of the biggest losses of money in financial services in U.S. history due to fraud. Some people saw it, and even raised their hands and yelled out, but they were ignored. The leaders were clueless.

2. Convinced

Some people are just convinced they are right. This can be due to Groupthink. I read about a hospital that lost a $64 million lawsuit. The hospital is one of the premier hospitals in the U.S., but the jury found the hospital guilty of doing something they deemed inappropriate and harmful to a patient. But the hospital was convinced that they were right. Even after the verdict was announced, the leadership said, we were right. This is a sign of a blind spot and being too convinced.

3. Cocky

When you are cocky, it means you are overconfident due to your successes. Many of you who are a little bit older may remember the store chain Circuit City. Circuit City was the electronic capital of the U.S. in the 80s and 90s. They had a chance to buy out Best Buy when Best Buy was small for $30 million dollars, but they ignored it because they thought Best Buy was not a threat. That is an example of a business being cocky.

Organizations miss blind spots by being clueless, convinced, or cocky. The takeaway from this is you are probably missing the point and going to experience the consequences.

How to Avoid Blind Spots

So, when organizations are trying to avoid blind spots, how can they do better? Here are four ways that we could all do better as leaders.

1. Always assume there is a blind spot.

Remember that chain that I showed you? We should always assume that there is a crack in a link somewhere in the chain. And once you acknowledge that, you will start to look more diligently.

2. Seek honest feedback from staff and customers.

Your staff and customers are usually the ones who can tell you where cracks are forming. You can find this out through interviews, surveys, or private conversations, but seek feedback from those around you.

3. Make use of the expertise and experience of those outside of your organization.

Blind spots are the hardest to spot when you are inside the organization and closest to them. Those who are farther removed can see them faster. This could be outside peers, outside consultants, or even outside friends who are not as close to the situation as you are.

4. Utilize the four-box tool to test your assumptions as a leader.

The four-box tool allows you to look at where you might have cracks forming and determine how aware you are of them. Your worst risk is where you have low awareness of the blind spot and a high risk for a crisis. The more you talk about this, the more your team becomes comfortable with looking at the specifics of your organization.

Every organization has blind spots. They are not unique to you or me. The key is to make yourself more aware of them and try to catch them before they become a crisis.

To learn more about how our team can assist you in identifying and avoiding blind spots in your leadership or organization, contact us.

Jay Desko is the President & CEO of The Center Consulting Group and brings experience in the areas of organizational assessment, leadership coaching, decision-making, and strategic questioning. Jay’s degrees include an M.Ed. in Instructional Systems Design from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from The Union Institute.

Blog