Clarifying “What Is”

Now the you have defined the challenge, it’s time to clarify what is. There are three steps to this process:

• Become a “Fair Witness”
• Pull back the camera
• Sort for impact

Become A “Fair Witness”:

I like the example Erika Andersen uses:

“If you point to a white house and ask one of Heinlein’s Fair Witnesses (Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert Heinlein) what color it is, he or she will say, ‘It appears to be painted white on this side.’”

Think about this. Realize your perspective on “what is”. Just because you see a house that appears to be white does not necessarily mean all sides are white. You can only state the house is white if you’ve viewed all sides to confirm.

In a nutshell, do you state things as you’d like them to be or how they really are? I know I’ve been guilty of stating things are the way I’d like them to be. In these cases, I haven’t been a fair witness.

Pull Back The Camera:

What is your role? Are you watching what’s going on? Are you the “director” who understands how all the parts and pieces interact?

If you’re watching, you might only observe a subset of the big “picture”. For example, you might assume that your business is struggling because resources aren’t carrying their weight.

By playing the role of “director”, you should be able to pull back the camera to realize that the reason the business is struggling may have very little to do with the resources. Maybe you don’t have proper systems in place. Maybe your culture is stifling. Maybe people are motivated to do a good job.

Sort For Impact:

After being the fair witness and pulling back the camera, you can now sort for impact. Which factors mean more than others? Focus on what’s most meaningful.

These guiding principles are highlighted in Erika Andersen’s book Being Strategic.