In my new book, “What Am I Missing?” I devote a chapter to the ‘blind spots’ that can trip us up at work, and delve into the intricate interplay between psychological blind spots and our professional lives. In it, I explore how these blind spots can impact our career trajectories, workplace relationships, and overall satisfaction, because professional decisions made in the dark will never get us what we want, and what we don’t know will hurt us.
A blind spot is an area of low or no awareness, created in infancy and reinforced throughout life, leading us to make assumptions about ourselves and others and posing the single greatest threat to our personal and professional success – unknown unknowns.
Our perceptions and biases profoundly shape our experiences in the workplace and our unconscious beliefs and assumptions can influence everything from our career choices to our interactions with colleagues and managers. These psychological blind spots often lead us to compromise our authenticity in an effort to fit in or please others, without us even realising. This can result in feelings of disconnection, disengagement, and dissatisfaction with our work. Moreover, blind spots can hinder our ability to navigate office politics and power dynamics effectively. Whether it’s overlooking our own strengths and contributions or failing to recognize the perspectives of others, blind spots can create barriers to collaboration and hinder career advancement.
In a climate of workplace feedback, blind spots can impact our receptivity to constructive criticism. They inhibit a growth mindset and the ability to embrace feedback as an opportunity for learning and growth, rather than as a threat to our ego. Furthermore, unconscious biases can influence hiring decisions, performance evaluations, and team dynamics, ultimately shaping the culture of an organization and creating organisational blind spots that limit potential and discount possibilities for growth and change.
Throughout my work with organisations, I offer practical strategies for identifying and addressing blind spots in the workplace. From mindfulness practices to self-reflection exercises, I empower teams and leaders to cultivate greater self-awareness and navigate their professional lives with clarity and confidence. By shedding light on these hidden biases and offering tools for self-discovery, we can see more clearly and develop the insights and skills needed to thrive in today’s complex work environments.
