What are you noticing?
I’ve heard this question a couple of times in the last few weeks, and I’m noticing that it may well be one of the most powerful and important questions…
For me, for teams, for us all.
If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you may be noticing that the leaves are changing to stunning yellows, oranges, reds, and browns before they gently drift to the ground — or are harshly blustered from their branches.
Or you may not be noticing this — with your head down, on your daily commute, in back-to-back meetings, juggling ever-changing priorities. Wow, it’s dark again already (and rainy) outside… phew… there goes another day.
Whether you are or you aren’t noticing the colours of the leaves this autumn,
I’d like to invite you to start simply noticing. It’s such an amazing skill to experiment with and practice.
For example:
When you’re in a conversation, are you mainly focused on making your point, or are you listening to learn about your colleague and their perspective?
When you’re making decisions in your team, do you ask questions to gain support for your position, or do you actively support the arguments or ideas of others?
In meetings, do you participate equally — or take too much or too little “air space”?
When you’re in conversation, making decisions, or attending meetings…
What do you notice about yourself?
What triggers you?
When do you zone out?
And are you open — or skilled — at sharing your noticing from time to time with a colleague or teammates, so you can learn together from what you observe?
I’m noticing that noticing is really a fundamental skill — both for self-development and for developing collaboration as a team skill.
What are you noticing?
Right now… about yourself, your conversations, your team’s decisions, the meetings you attend, and what you’re learning with your team.
If you’d like to “notice” how skillfully your team is collaborating — in conversations, when making decisions, in meetings, and through peer coaching —
Why not try our Individual Skillful Collaboration Assessment?
It’s built around the practices that support collaboration in these everyday workspaces — and our working days are full of them.
It’s free, and you can find the link here.
P.S. If you’re in the autumn months wherever you are, I hope you take a moment to notice the beautiful leaves.
