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The Owl and the Ostrich
(click for podcast version)

The Owl and the Ostrich represent two very different approaches to life.  The ostrich is known for hiding his head when sensing trouble, much like a small child hiding his face behind his hands. The rationale being “if I can’t see you, you can’t see me.” 

As we get older, we learn that doesn’t work, yet often continue to apply that philosophy to our jobs and lives.  We feel as though if we don’t look at something disturbing, it won’t get to us.  On the other hand, the owl has phenomenal sight, and rotates her head almost all the way around like a radar dish, to pick up every bit of information available.  Although she doesn’t have to act on everything she sees, no opportunity gets by her either.

There are a number of reasons we avoid pursuing information, even when we know it’s in our best interest.  We do similar things for different reasons as often as we do different things for the same reasons.  Our motivations are driven by the way we see and understand the world around us.  Here are some solutions to the more popular reasons for putting our heads in the sand.


1. Face the Fear Factor
Fear may be one of the most popular reasons for avoidance. Either we’re afraid of what we’ll see, what we’ll have to change, embarrassing ourselves, or what we knew all along, but didn’t want to admit to ourselves.  Sometimes we’re afraid to cause conflict, be criticized, get someone mad at us, or create a rift of some sort.  The  boogie-man is only scary in the dark.  Avoiding keeps us in that dark.  Think of checking in as turning on the lights. Remember, we don’t have to act on everything we know, but the more we know, the more opportunities we have available to us.

2. Breach the Boundaries
We're often very conscious of our comfort zones, and the desire to not make others uncomfortable.  Sometimes we’d like to check in and verify our information, but it feels as if we’d be prying or being too personal.  Remind yourself of the common goals you share.  Those goals have priority over minor discomforts.  Pursuing information to help achieve those goals can be done in a respectful manner, keeping the goals pre-eminent.  Everyone concerned will be in a better position for having clear communication, and knowing what's going on.

3. Out of sight is not out of mind, so go ahead and look
We get into a rhythm and have momentum in what we’re doing. To stop, look up, and gather information feels as if it takes us off task and slows us down.  We could just keep going, and unless something is terribly wrong, we may not have to deal with the issue.  Virtually nothing is solved by avoidance.  Letting something continue to go wrong almost ensures that the problem will worsen.  This phenomenon is well illustrated by the word: entropy.


To Sum Up
Your best solutions will always come from having as much information as possible.  You don’t always need to act on that information, but if action is necessary, you don’t want to miss the opportunity.  The owl doesn’t need to leave her perch every time she sees movement, but being aware means never missing a meal.

This level of awareness can have a powerful and positive affect on your life.  One of my clients was having some difficulty several years ago.  Our work showed her how examining her efforts and revenues would show where she was winning and drowning, but she found herself avoiding this.  Her internal “talk” told her that change was dangerous and worse, that she should feel shame about getting into this position in the first place.

The great news is that as soon as she did look at the information, although the problem became real, so did the solution!  We illuminated a niche in the market that she was uniquely suited to fill.  She catapulted her business from just another fish in the pond, to the only fish of its kind in the pond.  The glory of the solution always outshines a problem in the dark, so go ahead; look around, find out and know what’s going on, and take advantage of the opportunities that await you.



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Ian Blei on Kind Ambition and the Integram (TM)

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Communication Excellence (full interview)

Interview Podcast for Evolutionary Radio w/ J. McClain

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