How do we Notice?? Part 4

Continuing to review recent communication on "things we notice" with my friend, Hal Macomber, on the work of Fernando Flores on this topic.

Flores explained this more effectively with the distinction "disclosive space." In short, what we see is governed by three concurrent aspects of our being.

1. We see what we can distinguish, hence the need to learn.

At one extreme, consider what happens if you travel in a foreign country.  You don't understand the language and are, effectively, unable to either hear or speak.  You are forced to notice primarily through your eyes, since your ears are unable to distinguish the new language and your tongue does not wrap around the new words.  Yet, even your eyes are less reliable since you are new to the culture.

How to notice better?  This one is obvious; learn the culture, learn the language.

We are in deeper challenge to notice better in our own worlds, however, because we already know a lot.  But have we learned enough?  Do I know enough about my processes to notice if something is amiss?  Do I know enough about my market to notice if a regular customer is no longer ordering?  Do I know enough about my project to recognize if a step is out of sequence?  Do I know enough about people working with me to notice if their mood is altered?

And how do I learn if I am not curious?

The root of learning rests in curiosity.  Inquisitiveness.  Marveling.  Interestedness. It's the opposite of passivity.  Indolence.  Apathy.

Try this today, this weekend:  be curious about something with which you are already familiar.  Perhaps it is your daughter's new phone.  Perhaps it is a single process step you used to actually do.  Perhaps it is the new bush your neighbor just planted.  Learn something new.  And then reflect if you noticed at a deeper level.

More coming next week.

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