We get what we focus on - we all know that can be true!
So this week, I have been presented with a lot of examples where there has been a dilemma between focusing on BIG picture and picking up on the smallest details.
Those who are familiar with Shelle Rose Charvet's LAB profiles or NLP Metaprogrammes will understand that some of us have a preference for either focusing on the big picture...sometimes global (!) and others prefer to focus on the details involved...and most of us fall somewhere on the spectrum between the two!
I tend to prefer taking a big picture approach before honing in on the detail. I like to have the overview first, so I know the intended outcomes and the purpose.
This approach works very well when running a conference or developing a new website because there are big, important elements to get in place first...there is no point in worrying about whether a speaker has the right AV adaptor or a delegate has a notepad before we have secured a conference venue or sold any tickets!
I am incredibly lucky that I have this approach because it fits well with the work I do...or maybe I found work that fits with my approach to life...who knows! Conferences, websites, projects - as long as I can start with the big picture and then layer in the next level of detail, I'll be fine!
Of course, this doesn't always happen in practice and I can sometimes find myself feeling on edge or confused during a conversation or workshop - usually because someone has delved straight into the detail of the topic and I'm still floundering on the surface somewhere, wondering what on earth they are talking about!
Recognising that there is a range of preferences is also important, because we are then better able to understand our own reactions and the reactions of others - which, of course, is the basis of NLP! Respecting other ways of thinking is important and can also empower us to help others to be the best they can be.
For example...
My son is very detailed and its been quite a challenge to help him understand that when it comes to course work and exams, a good exam strategy is to get something down for every section that is going to be marked.
He prefers to focus on the finest details and can spend hours ensuring that one of his product design images is 'just right'and which is so good it will get him 5 marks out of 5 ...but leaving himself just 10 minutes to complete the rest of the paper, which is worth 95 marks!
Understanding his preference whilst also understanding the importance of exam technique enables a compromise to be found...I hope!!