In the beginning, it’s difficult to know which way is up, or down. Our direction is fogged with uncertainty and doubt. The mind swirls with what to do or even who to be. The confidence we hold within waxes and wanes, sometimes by the very minute. If you’re a dreamer like me you may look to the sky, the clouds, the upward and limitless potential of the great beyond, for the answers.
Looking up isn’t just for the dreamers though, it’s the obvious opposite to looking down and shuffling our feet. It’s the antidote to the inaction that comes with not looking beyond your own unmoving self. Surely there’s truth in it because it’s difficult to move forward when looking down and easy to get lost when you’re not looking beyond your own toe-box.
But there’s more to it than that and my goal here is to encourage the soft, downward gaze of reflection so that each of us can rise up to a potential we have yet to know.
Each of us spends a great deal of time looking up, looking out, expecting something around us to spur inspiration or encourage action. The truth is when we look up we can’t help but act, or rather react if I’m being critical. By keeping ourselves focused on the future, we forget the importance of our steps and actions in the present. By trying to maintain a long vision we get lost in the proverbial weeds of outside influence. Truly we can’t see the forest through the trees. Why? Because to see the forest we must truly look at the trees and where the trees came from, in other words, look down.
The idea for this post was born from a conversation about footwear. If you know me, you know that I’m a bit of a shoe nerd. Not because I’m overly fond of footwear (though I am) but because I hold a firm belief in a strong foundation and connection to the present. Our world places great importance on foundations. Whether it’s the fundamental building blocks of education or the literal building blocks of civilization, foundations are core to the human experience. Thank you gravity.
What’s interesting is the lack of attention we place on our own physical foundation, our feet, how they work, and where they land. Moreover, the intentionality in how we view this foundation in the grander context of our place in the world is minimal. A simple change in awareness here will have a profound impact on your life and empower you to build the future you desire because top-down or bottom-up thinking is an unnecessary distraction when all that’s required presently is one step.
I’ll save the cheesy overused quotes about journeys and steps because I know that’s what you’re expecting. It came to my mind first too, but that’s really not the point I’d like to make, in fact, it’s the opposite. Human beings aren’t just their outward journey or the things they build or even do. Much of what makes us who we are, and what we’ll accomplish, is bound up in our thoughts which are dictated by our emotions. This internal makeup is the recipe that preps our body for action and our mind for perception. Where you plant your feet has an important impact on these emotions.
The future is laced with steps once taken. Our confidence is tied up in the results of paths pursued, or not. This history is what informs us, guides us, cautions us. The wake of what has been, dragging at our heels, curving and crashing its influence making each step just a little bit harder. Progress becomes difficult. Ideas become risks. Fortitude can become a special brand of ignorance. What’s behind places its mark on what’s ahead, for better or worse.
So, stand and observe. Reflect on the wake of the past and how it led you here. Respect the weight of the future, what you cannot know, and embrace the solid ground of your present. Only when we pause before action can we put our best foot forward towards the best possible step. Or at least the one that seems best at the time.
Of all the cliches this post has skirted, one stands tall as an outcry to persist in action. Many in the entrepreneurial ecosystem live by a bias towards action, with the belief that its benefits outweigh its opposite, inaction. Easy enough to say and fairly simple to prove with a couple of case studies that show people doing something about a given circumstance, certainly fortune favors the bold or at least that’s what gets written down.
Every action has consequence and taking the wrong action can be the predecessor to immeasurable opportunity costs. Leaders know this, so they calculate risks. Investors know this so they perform due-diligence. Entrepreneurs know this so they do market research. Action will always beat inaction but it’s the actions we take leading up to the action and the action that follows that enable us to keep taking action towards a positive end. Where we stand is what reveals these truths. Observing, reflecting on where we stand is what helps us to take the best possible path.
The OODA Loop is a classic military training tool for decision making. Observe. Orient. Decide. Act. With these simple words in an obvious order we have a playbook for progress in business and in life. The O, O is magic, observe and orient. Use your eyes and your mind to understand the situation, then decide, then act.
Research first, then develop.
Many times over the course of my career have I watched teams stay focused on action. I’ve been part of it, complicit in it, and on the leading edge. Each time it’s easy to look back and see the mistakes or look ahead and have confidence you won’t make them. The challenge is right now, right here, understanding where you stand, where your team stands. Take a step back and look at your footprints, is your picture clear? Do you know your run rate or performance metrics? Are you clued into your personnel pipeline or your customer service tickets? Have you read the latest business news or kept up with the market? Hopefully you can answer yes to some of these but what if none of them mattered compared to the one reason you’re in business?
To serve your customer.
When’s the last time you spoke with your customers? When’s the last time you asked them how they were, genuinely, not just for small talk? You can have the best bottom line figures on the planet but if you’re not standing in front of your customer asking them what it’s like in their shoes, you’re doing something wrong. It’s not enough to collect their data, it’s not enough to provide a chat menu for them. The only way is to talk to them one-on-one. And, when you do, they’ll tell you exactly what they want and how they think you should build it. While that one person may not have all the right answers, maybe the next person will, but the more you speak with them the more patterns you will observe and the better off you will be.
Stand up for your customer. Show up with their interests in mind. Only once you understand where your market is can you pursue it. Build the foundation of your business around pain points that matter and keep asking for feedback. Instead of kicking back in your chair, depending on your analytics, get out of the building and talk to your customers. Be where they are, see what they see, walk in their shoes, and stand in your own before you take a single step.