Are you paying attention to your blind spots?
A few weeks ago I got a chance to talk with a staff team about their individual strengths and how those strengths work together to create their overall team dynamics. As we were talking, we got into a great discussion about how your strengths can also lead to your greatest blind spots.
Here are a few things about blind spots:
You can’t see them! Seems obvious, but YOU aren’t in the best position to see your blind spots or to know how they are affecting the team.
Your greatest strengths can also do damage to your team dynamics.
You tend to think that everyone values the same things you value and that everyone is good at the same thing that we are good at. Not true!
A few months ago I shared my results from the Strength Finder 2.0 test. I’ll give you a brief description, but if you want more information, I recommend that you buy the Strength Finder’s book. It’s a great tool to have on your shelf.
What I really want to talk about are a few of my blind spots. This isn’t all of them, but I hope this discussion will encourage you to become more aware of your own blind spots.
Strengths & Blind Spots:
#1 Maximizerr
This basically means that I always see how something could be improved. When I look at something or experience an environment, I’m thinking about how it could be done better.
The Blind Spot: I can come off as critical…maybe even arrogant (ouch!). Thinking that I know how to make things better. When I am leading a team, I can crush their enthusiasm over an event by giving feedback and making a list of how to make it better BEFORE celebrating and letting everyone know how much I appreciate a job well done.
When I asked my teammates where they saw this blind spot show up, one of them told me that it can be discouraging to work so hard on an event and have me move too quickly to evaluation and problem-solving instead of taking a moment to let everyone celebrate and relax from a job well done.
#2 Strategic
#3 Responsibility
For me this means that when I’m given a responsibility for something I take full ownership. I’ll work long and hard to complete it and do it to the best of my ability.
The Blind Spot: BUT! Sometimes I don’t share well. If I own it, even if my workload is too great, I have a hard time giving it up. (Especially if I don’t trust you to follow through to the extent that I would.) This can be very frustrating for those around me who want to help me.
But I think my greatest blind spot is that I hold everyone to a tough hard-working standard. My team has told me that sometimes they feel like they can’t tell me when they need a break. Yikes! That’s not good.
#4 Focus
I can see through a lot of “stuff” and decide where I want to end up. I like to set goals. I like to break projects down into steps that lead to a clear end result.
The Blind Spot: Once I decide where I’m going, it’s hard to get me off of that path. I’m not easily distracted, even when the distractions are important. I can be annoyed when I’m interrupted and impatient with distractions.
The biggest weakness for me is that I can be so focused on the end that I miss out on the people and their needs along the way. This has been pointed out to me before, and I hate when I do this!
#5 Achiever (Yes, I have major blind spots in this area. For another time!)
My Challenge To You!
1. Get into a discussion with your team. You don’t have to take the “official” test. It’s helpful, but you know your basic strengths. Talk about them with your team.
2. Then get into an honest discussion about your possible blind spots. Ask for real input. Ask for specific examples.
3. Do something about it! Once you are aware, you’ve got to put some reminders, some mental cues, some friendly accountability into place so that you don’t allow your blind spots to become a WEAK spot for your overall team.
March 2nd, 2010 at 7:56 pm
I literally laughed when I read your first blind spot because I thought “That’s why I feel such a connection with her!” Even though on my Strength finder that wasn’t one of my 5..it probably should have been! I have to remind myself on a regular basis not everyone is like me and likes seeing all the ways it could be better. I am working on learning to look for what IS going right as much as much as I look for what needs to be improved!
Thanks for sharing with us!
March 2nd, 2010 at 8:14 pm
Hi Helen,
So true - it’s hard to remember that not everyone is motivated in the same way that I am too. I’m motivated by improving and evaluating. Some are motivated by gratitude and celebration. There are a million different ways to lead and motivate our teams. Good to remember!
Thanks for reading & sharing!
K
March 2nd, 2010 at 8:58 pm
My Strengths Finder results were analytical, arranger, maximizer, learner and command. I was surprised I didn’t have strategic, as strategic thinker is my Right Path profile. I took that (RP4 & RP6) recently but haven’t gone over it much since then.
I share the same blind spots as you with maximizer, as well as not celebrating enough and missing people and their needs by focusing more on the project/task. For analytical, the SF book nailed it when it says I “do not necessarily want to destroy other people’s ideas, but you insist that their theories be sound.” The problem is, that can totally seem like I’m destroying their idea and them if I’m not careful. The blind side of “command” is probably obvious
We’re doing peer evaluations now (like 360s), so I’m sure much more will come to light!
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:12 pm
Nick,
I had my staff, my peers, my boss, and my family participate in my 360 review 2 years ago. It was one of the most helpful things that I’ve participated in. I bet you will really get a lot from that process.
I’m pretty sure that Reggie has command - so yes, I know the blind spots! Ha!
It’s such a good habit to be evaluating yourself and to be learning. I love learning about my teammates too. I think it has helped us grow together as a solid team.
K
March 4th, 2010 at 2:03 am
My strengths are
1. Relator
2. Belief
3. Empathy
4. Developer
5. Futuristic
The blind spot I am really struggling with right now has to do with Empathy. Because of how much I worry about how people are going to feel in reaction to my decisions, it’s really hard for me to make some of the tough “Director” decisions that I need to make.
I also have to watch out for my Relator because I tend to have a few very deep relationships/friendships and exclude others.
It’s also really hard for me to live in and enjoy the present because I am always thinking to the future. Although I am really good at focusing on the WINS every Sunday, I am barely ever satisfied because I have a future ideal picture of what our environments will one day be like.
March 4th, 2010 at 11:54 am
Hi Erica,
I wish I had a little more Empathy! It’s such a great relational quality to have. It sounds to me like you have a great awareness of your blind spots. The team that I was working with had a lot of Relators on their team. They are in the start up phase of a church and we talked for a good while on the importance of being aware that their tendency will not be to widen to circle and be inclusive. If you’re aware of it, you can put things in place to overcome those blind spots!
Hope you’re doing well. Your baby is growing like crazy!
K