The Need for External Business Advisors in 2021

Due to the fact that we ALL possess and operate under inherent bias. And because of the fact that our individual “perceptions” drive our “perspectives” and those perspectives consequently drive our behavior, we have a natural tendency to develop blind spots in areas that we are most passionate about as well as in the areas that we are the closest to from a tactical standpoint. Blindspots are areas that we fail to automatically recognize because we primarily operate based on our hard wired, habitual, mental behaviors, commonly referred to as subconscious thinking or subconscious reasoning. This way of thinking and behaving often benefits our personal goals and objectives but rarely takes into consideration how those behaviors impact others outside of ourselves. If we're honest, the aggregate outcome is the most significant. So then why do our actions most consistently focus on the agenda of such a small segment of a much larger economy? These areas of cognitive bias actually occur in every aspect of our lives, whether in our personal lives or work lives.

Our individual perceptions are formed based on our “unique” understanding, comprehension, and interpretation of the people, things, and events that we encounter.

Everyone has blind spots mainly because we tend to focus on our strongest attributes, the things that we do well, the areas that we are having success. In doing so, we develop an incomplete perspective or vantage point. I want to emphasize the word incomplete, not necessarily a right or wrong vantage point. However, the danger of an incomplete or unbalanced perspective is that it often leads to a wrong or misappropriated action. Actions that end up falling short of our desired outcomes or actions that cost us in wasted resources and/or damaged relationships. Some of which can never be fully recovered or repaired.

As humans, we like to double down on what we’re good at and where our strengths lie, but we neglect our weak or uncomfortable areas. Thus creating layers of imbalance, instability, and potential risks. Risks to those that we partner and do business with, risks to those that rely on the value that our products or services bring to the proverbial table, even risks to those that we employ. These risks often go unrecognized until it’s too late. The sooner that we recognize that we are not self sustaining entities and that we don’t have all the answers, the stronger our global business ecosystem will become. 

The solution is to seek the counsel and advisement of a trusted individual or entity that is external to you and on your organization. A person or entity that is not emotionally, socially, or monetarily invested in your organization. This is the type of resource that can help you “objectively” recognize and call out the blind spots that have been created due to natural but unintentional implicit bias.

I often say; “it’s the thing that we don’t know that harms us the most”.

The thing(s) that remain hidden or ignored.

The thing’s who’s negative impact continues to compound over time.

~RK Johns