How Important Are Optics?

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Optics. The word has morphed from a scientific one (the study of sight and the behavior of light) to something more. Starting in the political realm and through media, it has now taken on a new meaning relating to how people see an event or decision. As the word has morphed and become more important, the question becomes: How important are optics for leaders?

Merriam-Webster defines this second, newer definition of optics this way:

The aspects of an action, policy, or decision (as in politics or business) that relate to public perceptions.

On the surface, that seems like a fine consideration. How the public, or a team or organization perceives a situation does matter. As stated, this should be a concern of leaders. The problem is, in my mind (and the mind of others I have spoken to), this useful consideration has been co-opted to focus less on our decision itself and its merits than how people will see it.?

Where Does That Leave Us?

So then, how important are optics for leaders?? They are important – we need to communicate decisions in ways that are clear and understood.? We must realize that people will interpret a decision and create meaning from it based on their perspective and assumptions. Since they don’t see everything that we see, they may wonder about our intentions or potentially misinterpret them.

Rather than worrying solely about “optics," focus on clearly communicating decisions and rationales.? Acknowledge any possible misconceptions, address concerns and questions, and most of all listen to people.? Doing these things will solve most of your concerns with optics and is far more productive than thinking/worrying about how people will see your decisions.

More Important Than Optics

While the topic and concern of optics for leaders won’t go away, even if people act on my suggestions above there are some far more important considerations than optics in challenging or complex decision making. These include:

• The decision itself. Don’t worry about making a decision people will like or how to communicate it until you have made sure you have made a solid decision. Have you included the right people? (Which will reduce the worries about optics anyway.) Did you look at all the implications? Gather the right data? Consider enough possibilities? Once you have a solid decision you can begin thinking about how you will communicate it.
• Your intention.? Is your intention around the decision in the best interest of the stakeholders or interested parties? Does it match the values and culture of the organization?? When your intention is clear, you have far fewer worries about “optics.”
• Trust level. The higher the level of trust across the team or organization, the less you will need to worry about optics.? If trust is low, you can’t increase it instantly, but you can work to intentionally build greater trust. When you take the suggestions in this brief article though you will most likely begin moving trust in the right direction.

People’s perceptions of a decision matter. But if we worry about that more than the decision itself, we may make unwise decisions. Focus making great decisions and doing so as inclusively as possible.? Then have open dialogue about those decisions to help people see your intention and goals.? When you do that, you have a team that is clear on the decision and the next steps, and even if they don’t love the decision, will likely support and implement it.??

When you keep your focus on those things, rather than focusing on optics, you will make better decisions and get better results.?

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Reflect and share in the comments:? How do you feel about the word “optics?”? Did I get it right or do you see it differently?

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Note: This article first appeared yesterday on my blog.

Have a great week - links to the resources below will extend this article and support you in getting Remarkable Results.

You are Remarkable!

Kevin ??

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