The Seagull Effect

If you thought this was going to be a snarky post about bird poop, sorry to disappoint, but this is about something much more meaningful. First things first, I want to give credit to Ramit Sethi, author of I Will Teach You to be Rich. He was the one who shared this concept with me, and helped to put things into context that hadn't made sense up until that point. (If you want to read his write-up on this concept, check it out here: "The Seagull Theory.")

In a nutshell, the concept goes like this: as Christopher Columbus set out on his voyage to The New World, he kept a journal. On Sept. 20, 1492 he made this notation:

Two boobies came to the ship, and afterwards another, a sign of the proximity of land. They saw much weed, although none was seen on the previous day. They caught a bird with the hand, which was like a tern. But it was a river-bird, not a sea-bird, the feet being like those of a gull. At dawn two or three land-birds came singing to the ship, and they disappeared before sunset. Afterwards a booby came from W.N.W., and flew to the S.W., which was a sign that it left land in the W.N.W. ; for these birds sleep on shore, and go to sea in the mornings in search of food, not extending their flight more than 20 leagues from the land.

These birds that he took note of were indicators that he was approaching land. When he saw the first bird, it was nothing more than a passing occurrence, not really indicating anything. But when he saw the second bird, he was able to draw the conclusion that he was closing in on dry land. The third bird was confirmation that he was within 70 miles of land (approx. 20 leagues) and that his destination may be very close.

Ramit applied this concept to signals that we get in life, even as we are in relentless pursuit of our own dreams and ambitions, that could cause us to change our course if we take the time to appreciate the meaning and implications of these "seagull sightings."

The first time a person remarks on something that they observed about you, something you do well, something that may just come naturally to you, it's interesting. It may be a clue or confirmation that you are on the right track, or, as in my case, it may be a signal that you are charting the wrong course. 

Later, when you hear a similar comment from someone else, Ramit recommends that you "lean in" to really understand what this signal is telling you. For example, if someone remarks that you are always very serious, ask yourself: "Is that how I want to be perceived?" 

Ramit summarizes it this way: 

The Seagull Theory describes how the subtlest of clues can signify you’re on the right track. For example, when someone says something once, you might not notice it. When you hear it again, that’s interesting. When you hear it three times, you lean in and start paying attention.

When I was in the Army, working in a military intelligence battalion in Germany, I was approached by an officer from the battalion S-3, which is the operations group. This officer had been noticing my work on training and development for my company, and thought that I would be a good candidate for an open position as the battalion's training and schools manager. This was not on my radar at all, but I received similar feedback from others and decided that this would be a good move.

This led to a complete shift in my career trajectory, and I can trace it back to this initial conversation with the staff officer, a seagull with an interesting message that ultimately led to my pursuit of a career in organizational development. It was the best thing that happened in my professional career, but it had never been on my radar. Ramit describes the Seagull Theory as having a "secret microscope on people’s impressions of you ... " and the importance of listening for these seagulls in your life. He goes on to say: "When you hear someone saying something once, twice, three times…lean in and listen."

It's a basic concept, but it can open your eyes to things that you weren't paying attention to and it can help you realize your potential in your career and in your life. Based on my own personal experience, I know that this concept is relevant and that I would not be where I am today in my career if it hadn't been for those seagulls in my life.