Are you seeing things as they are, or do you envision them as they could be?  It can be difficult to expand the view beyond what’s right in front of you at the moment.

The same work, done the same way, with the same tools, and the same expectations, may lead to the exact same results. That’s great if you are thrilled with how things are going.  It’s definitely wonderful when you can get your business into a success groove like that.

For most businesses today, however, market circumstances and technology are disruptive. When the same work is done the same way, with the same old tools, coupled with the same expectations, historical results are rarely achieved. The groove becomes more like a rut that you can’t escape.

Seeing things through a new lens is where evolution begins.  I’m not talking about ‘rose colored glasses’, since Elton John is the only person I’ve seen pull that off.  The lens I’m thinking of is crystal clear, but it also has a wide angle. It offers a means for seeing things sharply that were not in your original field of view, more like wide-angle binoculars.

The moment your team says words that sound like “We’ve always done it that way…..” or “Our market just works that way; it’s different here…..” it is clear that a shift in perspective is overdue.  In fact, the moment you hear such words, it should set off fire alarm bells in your brain.  If you don’t react, it won’t be very long before the market sees the flames.

Seeing things as they could be begins with asking “Why?”, not just once, but over and over again.  Don’t settle for any answer that doesn’t unveil the root cause.  Once you get that deep, it’s time to look around for new tools that provide a fresh approach.  The constraints that bound you to the “old way” could well be gone!  In fact, odds are a whole new buffet of possibilities awaits.

So, look up and scan around, since that’s the only way you’ll begin seeing things differently.

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