Rodney Johnson - Without Warning

It’s been a couple of days since Steve Holcomb piloted his 4-man Bobsled team to a gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. I don’t know about you, but bobsledding at 90+ mph down an ice chute with twists and turns with gravitational forces approaching 4Gs is simply unbelievable. How do they do it?

Following Team USAs Gold Medal victory, NBC had a “Return to Bobsledding” story about Steve. It appears that Steve had been suffering from a degenerative eye condition and in 2009 he informed his coach that he would have to give up the sport he loved, and had excelled at. He could no longer see the track well enough to pilot his sled safely or competitively. His coach gave Steve some advice and encouraged him to consider a not-yet-approved by the FDA procedure that might correct Steve’s condition. Steve had the operation and his eyesight was restored to 20-20. Obviously, this was an important element in USAs Gold Medal victory, or was it?

And now for the rest of the story. Following Steve’s return, it appears that his now perfect 20-20 vision was an asset and a liability. In the past, Steve would compensate for his poor eyesight with “the feel” of the sled and the track. It was the feel that guided him to smoothly transition between the various physical characteristics of a course at 90 mph. But now with perfect eyesight, Steve became more dependent on his eyesight. He found himself crashing more often, because he was losing the ”feel” component of being a successful bobsled driver. His solution? He scratches the visor on his helmet to slightly distort his vision, which in turn forces him to “feel” his way through the course. The end of the story - a Gold Medal.

As an executive coach and business consultant, I’m convinced that business leaders at times are too dependant on sight (what they see), and not enough on the “feel” of an organization. In turn, they miss some of the important signals that their organization is sending their direction. They miss those subtle nuances that help create the picture. The net result - they at times expose their organizations to risks that could have been avoided. Here are a couple of suggestions to help you reestablish the feel of your organization.

• Listen for weak signals: They may be the subtle cues you’re really looking for.
• Ask insightful questions and then shut-up: People love to talk if you just let them. You may have to sit through some painful prose, yet in the middle some insightful words of wisdom often emerges.
• Management by walking around: Close your eyes - what do you really see?
• Shadow employees: Does it make as much sense on paper as it does in real life?
• Create a culture of candor: Let your employees tell you what they’re feeling and what is really going on.

“Feel” is one attribute leaders need to possess. So go out there, scratch up you lenses, and get a feel for your organization.

Yes at times, 20-20 vision is part of the problem, because it only delivers part of the picture.