Have you been to the dentist's office lately? If so, then you know that the
experience isn't a whole lot different today than it was 20 or 30 years ago. The drugs might be a little more effective. The staff now uses gloves before they tackle your mouth. And your fillings probably blend in with your pearly whites (unlike the metal ones they used to use). But, last week, one of our team members found herself sitting in the dentist chair in a newly outfitted, state-of-the-art office staring at the same old BORING ceiling – just like always – wondering what to do with herself while her mouth was propped open.
Whoever designed that office is using a centuries-old lens and hasn't bothered to really look at or with the people who end up sitting in that chair. No wonder the result is a very expensive, very pretty "same old-same old." It is easy to get stuck in a rut when you think you've seen it and know it all.
Is it time for you to begin seeing through new eyes?
Check out this recent photo gallery from Newsweek magazine where you can get a peek into the creative offices of the idea masters at Ideo. They take seeing to a whole new level. Their work spaces are designed to foster individuality, play, teamwork, and creativity. When they're asked to design something for a client, they go out on location and spend time watching people at work, in their natural environment. Then, they build prototypes based on what they see. In other words, they have designed their whole approach around seeing things through new eyes for the sake of doing what matters for their own team and for the people they work with/for.
Odds are, you don't have the resources of an Ideo and completely redesigning your work space for the sake of becoming more creative isn't an option for you. But you can be more intentional about seeing things through eyes right where you are. For example, imagine what might happen if you took your work out to a picnic table today and invited a new face to join you? What if you rode your bike to work or took a walk during your lunch break and really paid attention to what was happening in your context?
Or, here's an idea: Last week a friend of ours posted an assignment on her Facebook page gleaned from the book How To Be An Explorer of The World: Portable Life Museum (Assignment #1 - Right Where You Are Sitting). She encouraged her friends to "Grab your camera and take a photo of right where you are sitting. No cleaning up or organizing! Then, write 10 things about where you are sitting right now that you hadn't noticed when you sat down. Use your senses, do it quickly. Do not censor. Ok? GO!" Try it yourself. See what you see.
Seeing through new eyes is about paying attention to what is happening around you in order to discover new possibilities and new partners. You don't need a multi-million dollar, Ideo-sized budget to do it. But you do need to start.
If you ask people to serve on the same old committees, work on the same old teams, function in the same old boring spaces, and do the same old boring work in the same old boring way, don't be surprised or disappointed when they can't see things in news and produce the same old boring results. You planned it that way.
Hey church leaders! You may want to check out our newest book to help you and the people you care about begin seeing through new eyes.
Use code AREB at our bookstore and get a special discount just for our readers!
Also, contact us for information about leading a "Seeing Through New Eyes" workshop or retreat for your leaders!
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