The Value of a Fresh Set Of Eyes

Ever noticed that being close to a particular problem has an inherent disadvantage? Often working on a problem for a long time, combined with being very close to the problem leads to a less than holistic perspective. You think about the situation as you go to bed at night and again when you wake up in the morning, but you find yourself stuck and need a dose of fresh thinking. I have found a strategy to account for this “syndrome” and want to share what works and learn from your experience. This approach is absolutely an effective way to get wisdom as cheaply as you can!

As new team members, we are conditioned to sit back, open our ears, and close our mouths to understand the current environment. Often questioning things, with a healthy dose of respect for the work that has already occurred, can be pretty beneficial to the team. Brutal honesty and crystal clarity are needed during this exercise. As mentioned in The Best Medicine for Your Business: A Fresh Set of Eyes “Odds are, an easy solution will be staring you in the face, but you just can’t see it”.

Every time I have been the “new guy” on a project, team, or organization I have been uniquely qualified to provide a fresh perspective. I was not burdened with the baggage or the bias of how it had always been done and often was able to clarify problems that have existed for a very long time. Another compelling approach is to ask others not on the team to review the project status report and share their unfiltered impressions with you. Can they arrive at the intended conclusion without a lengthy briefing? A great question to seek the answer to is – How much ramp-up time do they need to understand your message and make a decision? Armed with a “new guy or gal”, your team may find they are surprisingly equipped to overcome a current challenge and move on to a higher priority problem, such as delivering effective security metrics or making your security dashboard add business value. 

What is an example of a time you could offer the value of a fresh set of eyes? Use the comments area below to share what you have seen.

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Russell