Like I do most days, I sat in my car in the parking lot before the workday commenced listening to an audiobook (John Hattie - love his stuff!). I usually get to the building with a few minutes left in whatever chapter I’m on, so I’ll finish it up before going in to start my day.
This morning, I saw a tree that was really whipping around in the wind. I hadn’t felt any wind buffeting my car as I drove in, or seen little dust devils spinning across the road, but the tree was really getting blown around.
Ready to face the wind, I climbed out of my car and…nothing. No gale forces pushing my door back at me or missing my hair. My sport coat didn’t blouse out as I had halfway expected.
I was perplexed. The tree was clearly being disturbed by something.
I looked at other trees nearby and noticed that they weren’t bending and swaying. I more closely examined the tree and took note that only the branches on one side were swaying about.
I walked closer, into a part of the lawn to which I’d never really paid attention and saw the big HVAC unit that was venting air directly on the tree. I felt a little foolish. I’d never even noticed the huge piece of machinery just a few dozen yards from where I parked nearly every day.
It all got me to thinking. Thinking about moments when I thought I was seeing one thing, but something else was going on. Thinking about the times when I’ve missed that great big thing that’s been disturbing the person I’m working with. Thinking of the moments when closer inspection made me better able to deal with a situation. Thinking about the times when I needed to see the big picture, the whole picture.
Being awesome isn’t about instant awareness. It’s about thoughtful awareness. It’s about making your observations meaningful and having a positive impact because you took the time to see the whole canvas before you started painting.
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