See the Big Picture

During my mid twenties I took a road trip to New Brunswick to visit my dad. He’d moved ‘down east’ during my days in university and had a place built in Shediac, NB just outside of Moncton. The house was a cottage on the river and sat at a unique point where three rivers came together. Sitting and watching the water you’d get mesmerized by the faint tide and current lapping up against the banks. As I sat and watched the water my second day there a small lobster trap caught my eye. “You have lobster here?” I asked my dad. “No, he said. I’m teaching the squirrels to swim - haven’t had any success yet”

After a moment of stunned silence I came to the realization of what he meant. My dad has long since passed but that moment really rattled me. How did he think that was a good idea? Why would someone do that to the squirrels? After much discussion over dinner he explained his reasoning - relentless attacks on the soffits and continued nesting and burrowing in his attic. It all made sense why he would take drastic action but still left me surprised about how he went about ‘solving’ the problem.

In business, it is easy to make a knee jerk decision or reaction at any given point in time versus seeing the big picture. Having seen it many times during my career, here are my thoughts on assessing your situation and trying to see the ‘big picture’:

1. Time your response: while it’s important to communicate and respond to inquiries from vendors, customers, coworkers and superiors in a timely manner, you MUST ensure you are responding objectively and rationally. Think to a time you had a conversation or received a call or note that left you agitated - did you respond right away and regret your response soon after? Sometimes it helps to write the response and let it sit in your drafts before actually sending it out. You can still get the satisfaction of getting things off your chest AND have a chance to edit or not send at all of you wait a few hours or overnight to respond.

2. Assume people have good intentions: it’s easy to assume people have bad intentions. Most people I’ve met and had disagreements with were and are good people. Further, most people I know do not approach their work or personal interactions thinking “I’m gonna be a bad person today”. Their actions, even if abrasive or contrary to your beliefs may actually be warranted given their circumstances. While you may disagree with the action(s) they’ve taken, by starting with the assumption they are a good person, you can have a more proactive conversation about how you find common ground.

3. Seek to understand others: in my dad’s case, my first thought was what he was doing was terrible and completely unnecessary. With time and his explanation, I could see his reasoning for taking the action he did, even if I didn’t agree with it. Most people in your business and personal circles have good reasons for behaving the way they do - even if you don’t agree with them. By seeking to understand their point of view, you can have a more objective response.

Life is full of conversations and interactions you will want to do over. Before you react to the actions of others, remind yourself of the need to see the big picture. It’s hard, I know from years of personal experience. And if you see an empty lobster trap sitting by the riverbank, don’t ask what it’s for - you may not like the answer…

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Jim McKay is a seasoned supply chain executive with over twenty-five years experience in leading and coaching others. Through his 'Reflections' posts and 'Reflections of a Workaholic ' publications Jim shares his experience in transportation, supply chain and leadership through impactful and insightful stories that are meant to help and inspire others.