We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know

There are uncertainties that surround every business leader. Blind spots exist in organizations for a number of reasons, including fear, organizational complexity, leaders refusing to get out of the comfort zones, and finally, an overemphasis on formal analysis in place of intuition and observation. Don’t let these blind spots hinder your ability to see all there is to see. Create an environment that enables the kind of thinking and problem-solving needed to identify the next “big thing”. Challenge your perspectives. Learn from your peers. Spend more time with your customers, your employees, and industry thought leaders. Not only will this expand your horizons, but it will also shrink your blind spots and ultimately put you on a glide path to greater success.
We look forward to your comments and thoughts.



Please click here to download the transcript.

  1. Amen on this perspective! And if a (small) business leader isn’t eliminating or at least exposing the existence of blind spots whatever their reason for formulation, business stagnation is right around the corner. And the only manner in which to expose them is to be well aware of your changing environment and the drivers that are bringing about the change.

  2. Doug is great!
    I am not afraid to share with my reports what I don’t know. And I am comfortable knowing I don’t know it, because I am confident that I will do whatever it takes to know it for the future.
    I enjoy your blogs. Keep up the solid work in 2018.

    • Doug IS great, Roly! Thank you!

  3. From Donald Rumsfield:
    1-Kown Knowns.
    2- Known unknowns.
    3- Unknown Unknowns.

    • Loved Rummy, Jeryl!

  4. Thank you, Wayne, for this video! As the Executive Director of the Family Business Alliance in West Michigan I here this alot from our family business community. It is so true, We don’t know what we don’t know. That is why we strive to have high valued events that provoke questions one may never have thought to ask. We encourage our peer groups to take advantage of the cumulative knowledge within the group as well as the speaker list we have provided.

  5. As a follow up to this week’s blog, I was wondering if you would consider doing a blog sometime on the topic of different podcasts and audiobooks/audiobook sources that you might recommend. I have really gotten into these of late, and I agree with your comments: it is a great way to “read” while doing other routine tasks. Would love your insight on this topic. Thanks!

  6. Be a student for life to learn new things- particularly disruptive business models will evolve due to technology changes – Here best of the ideas and learning will come from younger generation. Teaming will improve filling the ‘blue sky’ (blind spots) and one would know better what one does not know.

    • Wayne,
      Do you have seminars, workshops etc. that someone from our trust department could attend to help us help our clients at Simmons Bank? We would appreciate your help, thanks!
      Jim Shenep
      Sr. V.P. Trust Officer
      Simmons Bank
      501-907-2291

      • Hi Jim- we do not have off the rack training for bank trust officers. Having said that, if you would like to talk about this topic, that would be fine. My number is 877-326-2493 x228. Thanks

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