You know the cliché: you can’t see the forest through the trees. One manifestation of this in the workplace is that when people are severely overworked, they can get distracted by minutia and miss the important things.
One of the best antidotes to the forest-trees issue is to keep your important goals at the top of your mind. If you are feeling sidetracked and are struggling making decisions, you can ask, “How does doing this help me achieve my goals?”
Then it becomes relatively easy – if it helps you, do it; if it doesn’t help you, then reevaluate.
When you stay focused on your goals it also diminishes the impact of distractions. You’re more aware of the important issues in your day and less likely to succumb to the unimportant.
One of my clients was working on a high-profile project. As the project gained steam, the forest-trees syndrome kicked in. She started asking her direct reports dozens of questions about things that were not relevant to the project and took her eyes off the vital aspects of her project.
Leaders know they shouldn’t micromanage, but there are times when it’s worthwhile to stay tuned into your managers. This is especially pertinent if they are dealing with important and time-sensitive initiatives. In these situations, pay particular attention to any changes in attitude. These shifts can be “tells” to distractions and other potential problems.
“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”
– George Bernard Shaw
Header image by Lana Kravchenko/Pexels.
