Not-noticing

2/3/2016

'What are you not noticing?’ What an odd question. How can I notice what I’m not noticing? It sounds, feels, like a paradox. I first heard this question during a Gestalt workshop posed by the legendary Malcolm Parlett. And then, next: ‘What are we not talking about?’ So now we’re supposed to talk about what we’re not talking about?! Weird. Mind-bending. An intriguing adventure.

I took part in a workshop with Tuku Mukherjee. He drew a black dot in the middle of a blank sheet of flipchart paper. What did we see? 'A black dot'. What did we not notice? The white background. Or you may have tried the selective attention test where you are invited to watch a basketball game and count the number of bounces or passes. How is it that we miss the gorilla walking by?

Such insights and ideas sparked the start of my own journey into not-noticing. What am I not noticing? It has profoundly influenced my leadership, OD and coaching practice. What are we noticing? What is captivating us, holding our attention? What have we become fixated by? And, What are we not noticing? Who or what is lying in the background, hidden in plain sight?

Our noticing is filtered by e.g. language, beliefs, values, assumptions, cultures, paradigms, interests, experiences, expectations and emotional states. Not-noticing enables us and our clients to focus, simplify and make sense of the world. Yet it can blind us to all kinds of insights, ideas and possibilities. Noticing not-noticing can be liberating and powerful. What are you not noticing?

106 Comments

Terrence H Seamon

2/3/2016 08:35:18 pm

The video of the moonwalking bear (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahg6qcgoay4) is one of my favorite examples of this selective perception phenomenon.

Nick Wright

2/3/2016 08:36:42 pm

Thanks Terry. Excellent. The first time I saw this test on TV, I had to rewind and replay because I couldn't believe I had missed it! All the best. Nick

Tsufit

2/3/2016 08:38:31 pm

Love the sign, Nick. I "noticed" it, 'cause the sub-title of my book, Step Into The Spotlight! is A Guide to Getting Noticed. Tsufit http://www.SpotlightSecrets.com

Nick Wright

2/3/2016 08:39:26 pm

Thanks Tsufit...but what did you not notice..? ;) All the best. Nick

Suman Singh

3/3/2016 06:12:01 am

As usual, a beautiful write and a unique topic. Will include it in my paper. Thanks

Nick Wright

3/3/2016 07:47:56 am

Thanks for such encouraging comments, Suman. Which paper will you include it in? I would be very interested to hear any feedback. All the best. Nick

Priya Ramesh

3/3/2016 07:52:00 am

Love it!!!

Nick Wright

3/3/2016 07:53:28 am

Thanks Priya! All the best. Nick

Matt Perelstein

3/3/2016 07:55:56 am

I don't know. I never noticed! :)

Nick Wright

3/3/2016 07:57:17 am

Well, Matt... At least you noticed that you didn't notice! :) All the best. Nick

Dave Annets

3/3/2016 09:03:24 am

Notice: If you Notice this Notice, you will Notice that this Notice is not worth Noticing!

Nick Wright

3/3/2016 09:04:16 am

Hi Dave. I notice that you noticed the notice. I'm curious. What didn't you notice? All the best. Nick

Gill Parkin

3/3/2016 09:05:01 am

That is such a great question - thanks for making me think!

Nick Wright

3/3/2016 09:06:39 am

You are very welcome, Gill. It makes me think too! Question: what are you not thinking that could be useful think about...? ;) All the best. Nick

Ian Henderson

3/3/2016 04:20:24 pm

Great article as ever Nick. I am reminded of the quote by R D Laing who said, "The range of what we think and do is limited by what we fail to notice. And because we fail to notice that we fail to notice, there is little we can do to change; until we notice how failing to notice shapes our thoughts and deeds." Read that one again!!! But often it's what we are not noticing that has a huge impact. In NLP parlance that would go down as a deletion and we delete so much in our lives.

Nick Wright

3/3/2016 04:22:23 pm

Many thanks, Ian - and what a great quotation from Laing! All the best. Nick

Michael Edwards

3/3/2016 07:14:46 pm

I just started a business opportunity last May. I was completely new to how business worked on the owner's side of things when I began. I noticed that it's easy for me to become discouraged when i feel my mentors and others don't believe in me.

Nick Wright

3/3/2016 07:18:06 pm

Hi Michael. It sounds like you are aware of what discourages you and, knowing that, it enables you to take action to address it.With best wishes for your new business. All the best. Nick

Sahra Moreno

3/3/2016 09:08:28 pm

Appreciation, simple things like, "thank you" or "excuse me."

Nick Wright

3/3/2016 09:10:10 pm

Hi Sahra. I'm curious. Are you saying you're noticing a lack of appreciation? All the best. Nick

Nick Wright

4/3/2016 08:46:58 pm

...or, maybe, that you filter it out when people say 'thank you' or 'excuse me' so that you don't notice it..?

Matthew Beauregard

3/3/2016 10:15:17 pm

A good nudge. Thank you for the question, Nick! Now for a pulse check.

Nick Wright

3/3/2016 10:16:20 pm

Thanks Matthew. A pulse check..? All the best. Nick

Kazuyoshi Tsuyukusa

4/3/2016 11:15:03 am

Yes, what am I not aware of that could not only solve, but even dissolve the problem?

Nick Wright

4/3/2016 11:18:29 am

Hi Kazuyoshi and thanks for the note. Yes, it's possible that a solution could be staring us or the client in the face, so to speak, without us noticing or being aware of it. I've found that this can be one of the benefits of working cross-culturally or with supervision from someone in a different culture or field of experience. A person who looks at the situation through fresh eyes will often notice things that are, in effect, invisible to us. All the best. Nick

Marcie Dunnet

4/3/2016 11:19:31 am

Very thought provoking.

Nick Wright

4/3/2016 11:23:18 am

Thanks Marcie. I'd be interested to hear about any thoughts it provokes for you! All the best. Nick

Susan M. Arneson

4/3/2016 01:10:43 pm

Great question; it bypasses my usual thought process and challenges my curiosity and awareness. One thing I'm not noticing pretty often is my anger. Even when I do notice it, I find it challenging to honor the anger, despite my belief that anger holds an important and proper place in life. So yes, thanks for the question!

Nick Wright

4/3/2016 01:14:42 pm

Hi Susan and thanks for posting such an interesting and honest response. One thing I find useful is to notice what emotional states I'm noticing in others, especially if there are recurring patterns, and then to ask myself if what I'm noticing is a projection of my own emotional state that, for whatever reason, it lying outside of my own awareness. All the best. Nick

George Anderson MSW, BCD, CAMF

4/3/2016 04:56:03 pm

Nick, I am noticing that Executive Coaches who are trained in psychotherapy are more effective in leadership or skill-focused coaching. This means that mental health professionals can assist already healthy and productive individuals to increase their personal, relational and spiritual well-being.

Nick Wright

4/3/2016 05:01:23 pm

Hi George and thanks for the note. It's an interesting proposition and one which, until a year ago, I would have agreed with! Psychological insight can be a powerful resource in coaching contexts. Having said that, I've worked with some very impressive process coaches over the past year who aren't necessarily qualified in psychological fields and who achieve amazing results. It would be interesting to hear more about what advantage you believe psychotherapy training provides and what assumptions underpin that. One final question: in noticing the significance of training in psychotherapy for leadership or skills-focused coaching, what are you not noticing..? ;) All the best. Nick

Marcie Dunnet

4/3/2016 05:02:27 pm

Without even contemplating it or worried about grammatical errors, I'll just let it spew. haha. What I don't notice is what I don't want to notice or maybe what I choose not to notice. For instance, I'm not a political person, but everyone around me seems to be. What I don't notice is how that is internally affecting me or my children. It makes me NOTICE by not noticing that I might not be such a good role model. With the question you have posed. I think you have made an excellent point. What are we not noticing? If we start to seriously evaluate that, it could be very helpful to our well-being. Another example:
I notice that I'm gaining weight. What I'm not noticing, is that there are a lot of people in my life that look up to me for my character and kindness. Which matters most, right? and while my weight is definitely important for health purposes, it is way more important to notice the positive, social changing behaviors of mine that affect others around me.
Thanks for encouraging me to think outside the box and notice things I might not notice :)

Nick Wright

4/3/2016 05:08:51 pm

Hi Marcie. Thanks for sharing such honest and interesting examples and reflections. I think you've articulated well what kind of things can influence our not-noticing and what the potential personal, social and political benefits can be of noticing our not-noticing and choosing to address that. I also notice - since we're on the theme - your comment about what value judgements we make about what we notice and, conversely, how our beliefs and values likewise influence what we notice (and not). All the best. Nick

Nedra Chandler

4/3/2016 08:44:48 pm

Thanks Nick. I like it. On related thing, makes me think of Deb Tannen's research on large percentage (70 percentage-ish) of all communication is transmitted non-verbally. So we might ask more often and notice what's not being said...

Nedra Chandler

4/3/2016 08:45:36 pm

And still notice the 'dot' and what is actually being said too! Ha!

Nick Wright

4/3/2016 08:50:18 pm

Hi Nedra and thanks for the note. Yes, it's interesting how much we rely, culturally, on what we hear in communication and, in doing so, perhaps fail to notice what we are seeing or sensing intuitively. I have the privilege of working with deaf people who often notice all kinds of things that I miss, including in myself, because they are focusing on visual rather than auditory cues. I find it fascinating and revealing! All the best. Nick

Aremin Hacobian

5/3/2016 12:33:14 pm

Interesting topic Nick Wright, thanks for sharing! The Gestalt approach is fascinating, and I hope more OD Practitioners take the time to study it. The concept of what is figural (at the forefront) versus what is in the background really helps understand a client interaction. As an OD practitioner, to your points above, it is important to understand why the client is focused on a certain issue but also be working to identify other critical factors not readily apparent or being discussed.

Nick Wright

5/3/2016 12:35:51 pm

Hi Aremin and thanks for the note. Yes, Gestalt concepts of 'figure' and 'ground' can be very powerful in an OD role and context. Edwin Nevin's book: Organisational Consulting: A Gestalt Approach is a classic text in this area. All the best. Nick

Marcie Dunnet

5/3/2016 12:37:43 pm

My ten year old asked me to repeat the question and with serious contemplation said, "My class misbehaves on a regular basis and it is the same kids over and over again. I do not notice what the teacher is doing to try and solve this really annoying problem. The kids not misbaving are the ones who suffer".

Nick Wright

5/3/2016 12:41:39 pm

Hi Marcie. What a great response! It makes me wonder what the teacher is noticing (paying attention to) and not noticing in that context. It also shows something of how different people in the room, in different roles and from different standpoints, often notice and not notice very different things. Thanks for sharing. I hope the classroom situation gets resolved! All the best. Nick

Dr. Ingrid M. Hayes-Burrell, DBA

5/3/2016 04:28:56 pm

Good article and thanks for pointing out the filters/variables we may be missing on a daily basis.

Nick Wright

5/3/2016 04:35:09 pm

Thanks Ingrid. I'm discovering that noticing what I'm not noticing demands conscious effort, a bit like forming a new habit. I pause periodically, especially if working with a client and find myself or notice the client thinking a solution is 'obvious'. In that moment, I may ask myself and/or the client: what am I/are you/are we not noticing? Or: what is holding our attention? This is where I find insights from Gestalt (e.g. figure/ground and field) very profound and useful.Here's a link to an excellent article on this topic - a must-read for OD practitioners, that you may find interesting? http://www.elementsuk.com/libraryofarticles/fieldtheory.pdf All the best. Nick

Vinay Kumar

6/3/2016 06:17:07 pm

Good point made here. An OD practitioner needs extremely strong observation and listening skills in order to make an impact in their work and life.

Nick Wright

6/3/2016 06:19:32 pm

Thanks Vinay. Yes, I think we need strong observation and listening skills. And also strong reflective skills. For example: What am I observing? What am I noticing? What am I listening to? What am I hearing? And then...in noticing and hearing what I am noticing and hearing...what am I not noticing and not hearing? I hope that makes sense! All the best. Nick

Mandy Worrall

7/3/2016 08:46:09 am

Notice as yourself, then try notice as if you were someone else, not even the client. Empathy is known to occasionally blind.

Nick Wright

7/3/2016 08:50:24 am

Hi Mandy and thanks for the note. Yes, I sometimes pause to 'observe' myself and the client, as if from a third party position while we are working together, in the moment. What do I notice about myself? What do I notice about the client? What do I notice about the dynamic between us? I may invite the client to do the same. I also sometimes pause to imagine what somebody I know who is very different to me would notice as significant in this situation. This is where supervision can be very useful. All the best. Nick

Sandra Paolini

7/3/2016 08:51:46 am

I love this question. Thanks for your thoughtful post. It reminds me a question a spiritual teacher once asked: What is it you're afraid to know about yourself?

Nick Wright

7/3/2016 08:53:22 am

Thanks for your encouraging feedback, Sarah. I love the question you posted. It reminds me of a question I sometimes ask in coaching: 'What's the question you are really hoping I won't ask you?' All the best. Nick

Peter Rodgers

7/3/2016 10:17:58 am

Sandra as an alternative what if you asked"what is it that you know to be true for you?"

Jane Keep

7/3/2016 10:10:45 am

Interesting conversation. I feel its more about awareness. We are all sensitive aware beings naturally and we feel everything - but we either choose to do this or not. We can choose to deny, bury, distract, and not to be aware, or we can choose to be aware of our senses, and of everything around us, and within us. Ive learnt to live life deepening my awareness all the time - as a forever student as there is so much to learn in life and so much to learn about ourselves and understand about humanity. Through my own awarenesses of me in life I also learn about humanity. It now means I can feel what is going on in different environments and as I work, and in 1:1s etc. The more I listen to my own body the more my awareness deepens too. If I have a day when Im not feeling so aware then I know Ive choosen not to be aware or I am distracted/to busy/racy etc. When we choose to be aware we can realise the filters, ideals, images we have too.

Nick Wright

7/3/2016 10:16:35 am

Hi Jane and thanks for sharing such useful insights. I agree that awareness is key: how to grow in awareness in the here-and-now. This means being willing to explore our defensive routines (which can create subconscious 'choosing' to not-notice) - which is where supervision can be very useful - as well as learning to pay different attention to ourselves and our environments. Your reflections reminded me of insights in Eugene Gendlin's book: 'Focusing: How To Gain Direct Access To Your Body's Knowledge: How to Open Up Your Deeper Feelings and Intuition'. Have you read it? All the best. Nick

Sibylle Chaudhuri

7/3/2016 10:18:59 am

Thank you for your food for thoughts. I think what many of us don't notice are our emotions and how we react to certain events in our life.

Nick Wright

7/3/2016 10:20:40 am

Hi Sibylle and thanks for the note. I wonder how far not noticing our emotions is a cultural as well as personal phenomenon. What do you think? (Or maybe I should ask, how do you feel as you think about that?) All the best. Nick

Chafik Rhazi

7/3/2016 10:21:28 am

Interesting question! Well I guess that it has more to do with the awareness level. the more higher one is on the scale the better it is for his realitiies and perception of his surroundings and environements. That requires a lot of in depth work out on one's own behaviour toward reaching one day the ultimate truth!

Nick Wright

7/3/2016 10:24:12 am

Hi Chafik. Yes, learning to be aware of what we are not normally aware of can increase what we perceive and it takes discipline and practice! I think it starts with a spirit of curiosity. What do you think? All the best. Nick

Chafik Rhazi

7/3/2016 10:21:22 pm

Hi Nick, I am of the same opinion. The SPIRIT should be heading towards CAUSE and not EFFECT . Kind regards Chafik

Beatriz Holguin Ponce

7/3/2016 02:15:38 pm

Thanks Nick, great questions! To be able to focus on what we are not usually focusing our attention is a great skill, not only as a leader or as a coach, but as a human being.

Nick Wright

7/3/2016 02:22:33 pm

Thanks Sarah! Yes, I agree it is quite a skill. I have a friend who is trained as a Gestalt therapist. When we go for walks in the countryside, he will sometimes stop walking, pause, and ask something like, 'What are you aware of...here and now?' 'What are you noticing?' I build on that after a moment with, '...and what are we not noticing?' It helps create a sense of awareness in the here and now, to become aware of how much within and around us lies outside of our awareness in any given moment. I'm not advocating that we try to be aware of everything all the time (apart from being impossible, it would drive us crazy!), but it's a good and useful skill to practise. All the best. Nick

Steve Kopp

7/3/2016 02:16:09 pm

I'm aware that I can sometimes count the bounces and miss the gorilla. One of the ways I work to expand my focus is by shifting perspective. If I have an awkward session, after the client leaves, I'll sit in his or her chair, put myself in their shoes, and try to imagine the experience of being in that seat for several minutes. Or will literal move, and see the room and the people from another angle.

Nick Wright

7/3/2016 02:25:18 pm

Hi Steve and thanks for such an honest response. I sometimes miss the gorilla too! I really like your idea of physically moving into different spaces rather than simply using the imagination. In my experience, shifting position or stance physically can raise insight into awareness that lies outside of our normal reflective reach. All the best. Nick

Coaching Development

7/3/2016 02:26:21 pm

That's a great question for a coach to ask themselves or their client!

Nick Wright

7/3/2016 02:26:54 pm

I agree! :) All the best. Nick

Jessica Sweet, LICSW

7/3/2016 02:43:28 pm

This is really interesting. It becomes more obvious to see the white background when your white background changes and you can compare it to what you had before. That happens when you make a transition - such as travel to a new culture. Culture shock is an experience that says "what the heck?! all the white background that I thought just WAS isn't really fixed." So I find in coaching, mini experiments that attempt to change your life circumstances or point of view help you to see what you're not seeing.

Nick Wright

7/3/2016 02:47:43 pm

Hi Jessica and thanks for sharing such stimulating insights. I love your description of culture shock as 'what the heck?!'. I have had that experience many times! It's a great way of challenging our implicit and explicit personal and cultural assumptions, beliefs, values etc. It's one reason why I blog and network with people from different countries and sectors and who work in different roles. It can be uncomfortable to encounter radical difference and challenge from time to time but the 'wake up!' benefits are well worth it. All the best. Nick

Sagar Simon

7/3/2016 04:39:47 pm

What I am noticing is believing a thought colors everything, I or you have to live out of that belief. When you do not believe that thought all that has been in the background surface and background becomes foreground. He should understand me, I am tense, cur off, frustrated without that thought I might notice where he does understand me, I might notice I am more relaxed open available.

Nick Wright

7/3/2016 04:42:57 pm

Hi Simon and thanks for the note. What you are describing here reminds me of Gestalt notions of 'figure' and 'ground'. What we notice, what we pay attention to, what is 'figural' in any specific moment, is influenced by our beliefs. If I am aware of what is figural for me (and, perhaps something of why), I can be more open to notice what lies in the 'ground' that I have been not-noticing. Does that make sense? All the best. Nick

Benny A. Benjamin

7/3/2016 10:16:31 pm

Great question. Thanks. It would seem especially appropriate when the conversation is stuck, or when you notice somethings getting repeated. A way of changing gears and forcing some new thinking.
A good question for both the coach and the client.

Nick Wright

7/3/2016 10:19:46 pm

Thanks Benny. Yes, it can be a useful technique when things get stuck. 'What is holding our attention?' and 'What aren't we noticing in this?' Or, 'What might the Chief Executive (or some other person or profession) notice in this situation that we are missing?' All the best. Nick

John Saunders

7/3/2016 10:24:28 pm

Very difficult to step outside your own biases - so this also points to the need for diversity in groups: we'll notice more collectively if we have different 'blind spots'. I sometimes wonder what we'll look back on and think 'how could we do that!?' (in the way we look back now at many historical practices) to try and step outside myself and notice and question more. Great post, thanks!

Nick Wright

7/3/2016 10:26:29 pm

Hi John and thanks. Great points. I agree. This can be one of the real benefits of diversity and one of the main reasons, I believe, that diverse teams can be so much more creative and innovative too. All the best. Nick

Wissam Assouad

7/3/2016 10:27:50 pm

Interesting and very important topic. There is an article about "the art of noticing" and it highlights how our observations and interpretations are linked to various areas of our selves. Also, how much the "here and now" is important for an OD practitioner; being in the moment and mindfully be present. Onther thing that has helped me a lot in my work is the reflection in action and reflection on action as Donald Schon wrote about it. Thank you

Nick Wright

7/3/2016 10:30:38 pm

Hi Wissam and thank you. I haven't heard of the article, 'The Art of Noticing'. I looked on Google - do you mean the article by Ellen Langer? I will be interested to read it. Thank you too for the reminder of Donald Schon's work on reflective practice. I have one of his books on my bookshelf and you have prompted me to revisit it. All the best. Nick

Rae Stacy

7/3/2016 10:32:05 pm

Thanks for a thought-provoking post Nick. Working within paradoxes energize me-and it's thrilling when other's in an org begin to play in the space of your question/insight. In my practice, I have seen the focus of hitting KPI's really pull org's into not seeing what's there. Most often, I have encountered the negatives (what's targets not met; what goals not reached; what profits not generated) pulling the majority of the focus-and in focusing on what is NOT wanted=more of what is NOT wanted is generated. I then see behavior that feels like an endless Whack-A-Mole game take place. When an org can pull back and see what IS working; what ARE strengths to use; what IS possible; what IS the vision-the magic of synergy can emerge. Then not only does one see the black dot and the white background-now one can see the absence of all color(black) and the presence of all color (white) on the flip chart page...

Nick Wright

7/3/2016 10:37:31 pm

Many thanks, Rae. Your 'Whack a Mole' comment made me laugh! :) Yes, I agree there is a risk with KPIs that they can fix our attention on certain things and that other things disappear from our view. I've also seen a risk when, as you say, people become preoccupied with, say, red rag ratings and that sends the team or organisation into freefall (or depression and despair!). It's one of the reasons why I'm drawn to appreciative inquiry - a choosing to notice what is going well. I like your comment about paradox. I too find something stimulating about paradoxes or polarities that can spark imagination and draw different things into view. All the best. Nick

Victoria Baugh

8/3/2016 09:05:07 am

Great conversation thank you all.

Nick Wright

8/3/2016 09:05:32 am

Thanks Victoria!

Adeel Aalim

8/3/2016 09:06:18 am

I think this is a great way to practice mindfulness and attention to details.

Nick Wright

8/3/2016 09:07:36 am

Yes, Adeel. At its most powerful, it's about raising here-and-now awareness. All the best. Nick

Sibyl Cryer

8/3/2016 09:39:14 pm

Nice piece - yes, it's called inattentional blindness. we all walk around in it (great and scary illustration is if you've ever tried to text or select a podcast etc while driving, even on second; you reengage with the road and feel the disconnect and you realize how you are NOT being aware of both.)

Nick Wright

8/3/2016 09:47:45 pm

Thanks Sibyl. I think your illustration shows how difficult it can be to focus on more than one thing at the same time. In my experience, the not-noticing in organisations is often associated with over-familiarisation or inculturation. The longer we are in an organisation, a team, a community, the more its culture becomes invisible to us. It enables us to navigate complexity without having to pay conscious attention to everything at the same time (which would be both impossible and exhausting) but can leave us not-noticing things that sometimes turn out to be very significant. It's a great reason to interview new starters within their first 2 weeks of joining an organisation, to ask what they are noticing, and to visit contrasting organisations or cultures to our own. All the best. Nick

Nina Kern

9/3/2016 09:21:33 am

Likewise I try and ask myself: what question should I be asking myself that I am not asking? This brings forward the universe of use-of-self skills, a component of which is using oneself as a data point to create/inspire change.

Nick Wright

9/3/2016 09:24:48 am

Hi Nina. Great question. I may pose something similar to myself or to a client: 'What's the question you are really hoping I won't ask you?'. Using oneself as a data point can be very powerful in OD and coaching, e.g. 'What am I noticing as I interact with this client/organisation?' It can also be useful to consider what I'm noticing that others aren't, or vice versa - and what that might be about. All the best. Nick

Prof Pravat Mahapatra

10/3/2016 09:09:39 am

Being a OD practitioner and a coach, the first skill we must self coach ourselves is to be mindful and being present here now i.e. taking care of inner chatter of unresolved issues, biases and assumptions. To dance in the moment. requires a strong resolve by bringing change in ourselves before changing others.

Nick Wright

10/3/2016 09:12:21 am

Hi Pravat and thanks for the note. Yes, I think it's something about 'use of self' in an OD role that is quite different to OD as applying technical solutions. I like your image of dancing in the moment. It's about noticing what we and others experience in the system/culture and what impacts we are having through our presence and interventions. All the best. Nick

Michael Bailey MSOD

11/3/2016 09:04:19 am

Just what Prof Pravat Mahapatra said about being mindful and also be increasingly better at discerning about what is and what should be. The chatter is often very overwhelming, but choose what relates and will be useful for tomorrows outcome. Thanks!

Nick Wright

11/3/2016 09:04:43 am

Thanks Michael! All the best. Nick

Jo Lucarelli

10/3/2016 07:19:31 pm

Hi Nick, thank you for this great question! I often ask myself, "What else could this mean?" as a way of uncovering other options or things I'm not seeing, but I love how this question really disrupts and shifts my thought process - allowing me to go on a hunt for what I'm NOT noticing... For me, right now, what I'm not noticing is that there are so many more ways for me to live my values and contribute to my mission of empowering people to create a happy work life, than perhaps the one I have become fixated on. Thank you!

Nick Wright

10/3/2016 07:30:17 pm

Hi Jo and thanks for such encouraging feedback. I like your emphasis on disrupt and shift. It's how to jolt ourselves and, at times, our clients, out of ways of patterns of thinking, perceiving, sense-making, behaving etc. that appear self-evident to us.

I find the idea in Gestalt psychology of a 'fixed Gestalt' useful, that is, a focus, preoccupation or fixation that, in effect, prevents us seeing 'what else?'.

I try to snap myself out of my own fixed Gestalts by e.g. crossing cultures, trying new experiences, inviting myself to notice what I'm focusing on, practising noticing what I'm not noticing, surfacing my assumptions etc. This is where supervision can really help!

All the best. Nick

Brigitte Jowanka

10/3/2016 07:31:22 pm

Nick, Thank you so much for the post! I agree noticing that we do not notice everything is good to think about. I would like to add, that it takes a lot of learning and reading and reflecting amongs us to be able to see the unvisible. Because only according to our own process can we help a client. So without reading and group discussions, hopefully intervision And supervision we can not do this job well. And I agree challenges in our own paradigmes is so very necessary as well. Which includes a lot of speaking about our values...and how we change our positions ..because we change.
So yeah, I find this a very helpful impact on my work. On my communication really. Best regards Brie

Nick Wright

10/3/2016 07:38:39 pm

Hi Brie and many thanks. I agree that it takes a lot of learning and practice to be able to see the unvisible. I haven't heard of 'intervision' before. Is it the same as action learning...group supervision? Yes, speaking about our values, which also entails growing in awareness of our values, can be a powerful way to explore what influences what we notice (and not) and what sense or value we attribute to it. Thanks for such affirming feedback! All the best. Nick

Brigitte Jowanka

13/3/2016 05:15:19 pm

Dear Nick, thank you for your reply ...intervision is the exchange of topics that concern the coworkers of a team.
In social context..or any other team. It is a style of encouragement among equals.
AND it already takes away a lot of stress..because coworkers are allowed to say what they struggle with. Of course this needs an environment of appreciation.

Nick Wright

13/3/2016 05:18:06 pm

Thanks Brie. I'll look into it further. All the best. Nick

Gregory Lease ACC, CDC

10/3/2016 10:46:49 pm

In light of the fact that we take in billions of bits of information every second through our senses (and our extra-sensory receptors like intuition), it follows that we do not notice almost all of what we are inputting into our brain at any time. Cognitive Psychologists tell us that we can hold 4-6 things in consciousness simultaneously, but only attend to one thing at a time, given the limitation of our brains to process attention, at least consciously. The issue seems to be how strongly we focus on the single thing to which we are attending. If with the strength of "tunnel vision" very little else can enter our consciousness to vie for our attention, however brief. If we take a more "unattached" view of what is happening, with less focus, we might become more aware as other things float in and out of our broader (4-6 item) consciousness, especially if we have some idea what kind of things might be significant, triggering our reticular activating system to let them through the filter into consciousness.

Nick Wright

10/3/2016 10:49:34 pm

Hi Gregory. Thanks for sharing such useful insights. 'The issue seems to be how strongly we focus on the single thing to which we are attending... If we take a more "unattached" view of what is happening, with less focus, we might become more aware as other things...especially if we have some idea what kind of things might be significant...' One word - brilliant! Many thanks for sharing. All the best. Nick

Julie Kaya

10/3/2016 10:52:04 pm

I often ask my self this although it seems counter intuitive but the other interesting Q is who is not present (mentally) or who is not there...physically and why...

Nick Wright

10/3/2016 10:54:28 pm

Thanks Julie. Great questions. It reminds me of Kamil Kellner, a psychodynamics tutor I worked with some years ago. If someone was missing from the group that usually attended, he would comment how that person's 'absence was very present'. I found that very profound! All the best. Nick

Andrea Hannah

11/3/2016 09:00:07 am

I have a love/hate relationship with this question, often used by my Psychodrama trainer. I hate how it scrambles my brain, yet, once I allow myself to sit in the uncomfortableness of it, some gem usually arises.

Nick Wright

11/3/2016 09:03:04 am

Thanks Andrea. Your 'scrambled brain' comment made me smile. :) It's interesting to reflect on what evokes the uncomfortable-ness within us. It can be quite a disorientating feeling, as if our current focus, paradigm and sense-making of an experience is being stretched and challenged. Is that how it is for you? All the best. Nick

Chris Altizer

14/3/2016 03:02:27 pm

Nick, thanks for your post! Your points about the practice and discipline of self inquiry really resonate for me. The mindfulness necessary to notice what I'm not noticing while not losing the focus of what I am noticing is a disciplined art that comes with practice (written as a novice, not a master). I think that we can apply the lessons of different mindful practices to the question - yoga practice (I'm not noticing my incorrect pose, but seem to be noticing my neighbor's...), diving practice (I seem to not be noticing my air consumption as I notice the shark), my karate practice (I'm not noticing the incorrect form of my favorite student but am noticing another's). You have reminded me to thoughtfully expand my focus of perception to balance my thoughtful tightening of focus of perception. Thank you.

Nick Wright

14/3/2016 03:04:35 pm

Hi Chris and thanks for the note. Thanks, too, for such great, practical and vivid illustrations! Much appreciated. All the best. Nick

John Saunders

16/3/2016 09:23:20 am

Great book on insights (related closely to noticing - since it relates to making connections, noticing contradictions, etc. to make an "unexpected move to a better story"): Seeing What Others Don't - Gary Klein. Haven't got to the bit where he recommends how organisations prevent insights from occurring, and what we can do about it, but so far very good on defining the very paths to insight. See also, in relation to this, Jamie Holmes' Nonsense: The Power of Not Knowing about closure needs (i.e. aversion to uncertainty) and the importance of open-mindedness across many fields (relating to noticing in that we'll notice more if we're not narrowing our focus - being closed minded). Both are very readable (think Gladwell). Thanks for the stimulating conversation!

Nick Wright

16/3/2016 09:28:29 am

Hi John and thanks for such useful recommendations. I haven't seen Klein's book before so I'll check it out. I posted a short blog on a similar theme to Holmes' book recently: http://www.nick-wright.com/blog/not-knowing. It received some interesting responses that could be worth a glance. I think you pose an interesting question about what, in organisations, prevents insights occurring and what we can do about that. I wrote a mini-article on this topic that may be of interest too: http://www.nick-wright.com/managing-our-not-knowing.html All the best. Nick

Alisa Yannello, SPHR

16/3/2016 09:29:29 am

Good question and insight to keep in mind especially with the frenetic and chaotic pace that we keep in today's environment and so important to pause, breath, reflect and really take the time to let the moment soak in. Often this is not the case and then we lose sight of what's most important. It's difficult sometimes to capture the nuances in the moment.

Nick Wright

16/3/2016 09:34:25 am

Hi Alisa and thanks for the note. My sense is that our 'noticing' is fairly efficient in that it enables us to focus and act in the midst of, as you say, a frenetic and chaotic pace. The associated risk is that we may inadvertently filter out who or what's most important in that situation. I agree that choosing to pause, breathe and reflect can make a difference, as can supervision and networking with people from contrasting backgrounds, roles, environments, cultures etc who may notice what we are not-noticing. All the best. Nick

Kristen Ryan

16/3/2016 10:19:01 pm

Thanks Nick. Great thought to reflect on. I wonder what I'm not focusing on?

Nick Wright

16/3/2016 10:20:10 pm

Hi Kristen and thanks for the note. Wondering sounds like a great place to start. All the best. Nick

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