How to Spot & Sort Blind Spots Before Getting Tied in Knots & Receiving Blots

“Every leader has a blind spot”—Robert Shaw

Blind spots Often Lead to Blind Alleys and Dark Valleys

(This is a sequel to the blog published on 27 March 2022)

 

 

“Hi Krishna! What a coincidence! I was just thinking of calling  you. It’s been ages since we last met and discussed the problems you were facing in starting your grand Academy for Earth, Oceans and Space Studies – AEOSS - to usher in the dawn of a new era of wisdom  in,  as you put it, an economically, socially and even legally backward community.

 

“Oh, look at me! In my excitement to hear about the progress of your grand project, I’ve not invited you in. Come on in and tell me about the progress of the AEOSS project.”

 

“Guru, it is doomed and I am facing the darkest gloom. My own family and some prominent leaders in the area have filed a suit against my decision to donate a part of the ancestral land to the Institute. The court has given a stay order. Now, it will be a long drawn out legal battle. The project is as good as dead.

“I am not in a mood to return to the corporate world. My wife has taken up a job as a teacher in a town nearby. And, I’m joining hands with a relative who has modern farming operations and an orchard. We are planning to start a packaged food processing company. I will be the CEO of the company. The idea is to help farmers avoid distress sales of perishables.

 

“Guru, I’ve come to you for guidance so that this venture too does not meet the same fate. I don’t know why my ideas, mooted to help people, get bogged down in controversy and face opposition from the very people I try to help. Perhaps, there are some fundamental flaws in my thinking and I’m open to course correction. In the past, with your help, I overcame several weaknesses and did well in the corporate world. I would have been well-settled in the grooves but for these fancy dreams.”

 

“My friend, do not get upset or angry. We have to talk turkey and take drastic steps for you to succeed with your new plans. To be ruthlessly honest. it’s not only ‘fundamental flaws’ coming in your way but MENTAL flaws that are causing havoc.”

 

“You mean I’m crazy? That I’ve lost it?”

Blank Look Indicating No Data

Sensing and Processing to Obtain Targets and Scores

 

“Not just you, but most of us suffer from these special types of mental flaws called BLINDSPOTS. And, they are responsible for innumerable conflicts between, individuals, families, communities, organisations and even nations.”

 

“What’s this? Your new discovery? I had heard of blind spots in the eyes but not in the mind or in thinking.”

“Blind spots in thinking do exist and can be quite dangerous and damaging. Training and coaching can strengthen known weaknesses. But one scientist observes that ‘blind spots are personal traits we don’t even know about’. These are weaknesses we are not aware of.  Quoting from Psychology Today magazine, there is no shame in having blind spots. Everyone has them……….our brains are simply not wired for accurate self-evaluation……….That is how the people we love can seem like sabre-tooth tigers or selfish jerks when we are angry or resentful. And, that when the conflict starts.”

 

“Guru, this is Greek and Latin to me. Can you please tell me in a plain way how these hidden,  unknown demons arise and go into action without our awareness?”

“Of course. An eminent psychologist, Vinita Bansal, explains succinctly as follows: There are lurking gaps in how we see ourselves (or our actions) and how others perceive us leading to inadvertent blind spots. The blind spots are also created by the biases of different people. Another eminent  psychologist, Emily Pronin, has explained the ‘bias blind spots’ caused by recognising the impact  of our biases on the judgement  of others, while failing to see the impact of biases of one’s own judgement.”

“Guru, it seems that most of us have some biases or the other and everyone suffers unwittingly from blind spots. But, is there a simple way to uncover our own blind spots and reduce the damage?”

 

“Yes, there are several ways:

• The foremost is to raise self-awareness and emotional intelligence. Many people boast that ‘I am a very hot-tempered person’. Now, that misplaced pride in the wrong aspect strengthens the blind spots. 

• Seeking feedback on one’s own behaviour for aggressive, vengeful or other negative traits is also helpful.

• Participating in sports and business events can provide learning from others.

“Another highly effective way is to study corporate and leadership failures. One learns more from failures than from successes. Learning from

• experience is a very expensive way, but learning from others’ experiences is economical and more effective.

• Making purposeful and serious efforts to analyse our own mistakes can reveal many blind spots like arrogance, volatility, aloofness, distrusting nature, overcautiousness, even mischievousness (remember there’s a child in every adult), perfectionism, eccentricity, vengefulness, insensitivity, et al”

 

“That sounds like a total transformation agenda and a continuous pursuit. Isn’t there a simple framework from which one can get guidance?”

 

“There are many, but one very effective and widely used one is the JOHARI Window. Two psychologists, Joseph Luft and Harry Ingam, have created a four quadrant frame/window: they are

• known to self 

• Known to others 

• unknown to self 

• unknown to others

“The quadrant known to others not known to self is the ‘blind spot’. Many times, our loved ones tell us about our unsocial, awkward habits and gestures. One can also get help from coaches and mentors. Or even hiring a wise old person to observe and tell odd things can reveal many blind spots. A story about a top executive having an assistant to “slap him” when he attempted ‘social texting during working hours”. He got many slaps.

 

“And finally, Bollywood puts it eloquently in a song – 

mana anjan hain tu mere vaaste 

mana anjan hu main tere vaaste 

tu mujhko jaan le, main tujhko jaan lu

taal se taal mila. 

Know each other and keep in step.”

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