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Blind Spots

Lately, I have been reflecting on the impact of blind spots in our lives. If you saw my letter last month, you will understand why.

I had to write many papers while in graduate school. My degree was in accounting and every paper used the word “accounting” several times. Those of us in the program quickly developed a blind spot when it came to spelling the word accounting. The number of times our professors pointed out typos of this word filled our returned papers with red ink. To their credit, the professors never docked points for these typos, and I always assumed they were being gracious to us as they helped us improve.

One weekend we were snowed in due to a blizzard. I was excited to have the opportunity to spend extra time proofreading my paper before submitting it to the professor. I thought, “Certainly I can ensure ‘accounting’ is typed perfectly every time in this paper! After all, I can focus all my attention on it.” I typed, proofread, and revised—repeatedly—all weekend. I was confident as I handed in my paper, and my peers felt the same about their work. It was a crushing blow when our papers were returned with notes on the same error, though perhaps slightly less red ink highlighting the frequency. I often wonder how those professors could spot those typos; after all, accounting professors also spent a healthy amount of time around the word “accounting”. Clearly these professors had learned to avoid that specific blind spot.

As coaches, we work with our clients to create awareness of their blind spots. I wonder how or if many of us see our own blind spots and how we could be more aware of them.

What blind spot do you have in your life right now?

How can you improve your ability to see more clearly?

How do you help your clients identify their blind spots?

What do you do to support your clients as they address their blind spots?

Cheryl L G Hegland
President ICF Minnesota Chapter 

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