13 Feb Observation Is A Superpower

Over the past 2 decades, I have spent the majority of my time using my superpower – Observation.

Whether by listening, watching, reading, facilitating, or participating I spent a lot of time observing the world, people, places, and their points of intersection.

During the “time we no longer want to mention” I dove headfirst into the tools of the day to explore how I could improve my observation superpower.

I downloaded all the new apps and signed up for personal and professional accounts. I tested the user and the business perspective. I played with the algorithms, the analytics, and tested various posts to see how they performed.

Music, motion, stills, filters, tags, buzzwords; same posts on multiple channels, slightly edited versions, new content same title, and same content new title.

I posted surveys. I sent emails. I called people. I texted others.

I tried. I tinkered. I hypothesized. I played. I observed. I learned.

A few of my aha moments:

1. Connection. Humans need connection. It is not a want, it is a need.
2. Storytelling. Since the beginning of time, humans have told stories.
3. Communicate. Whether verbal, drawn, acted, or written humans haven’t really changed how they tell their stories.
4. Understood. In order to be understood humans need to make it about the receiver. Use the language, the medium, the cadence, and the channel preferred by the receiver if you want to be understood.
5. Attention. Humans’ attention span continues to decline. Today, it is only about 8 seconds. It isn’t worth the effort of trying to manipulate humans to gain their attention. There may be a few times it is worth the effort to manipulate an algorithm to gain its attention.
6. Superpower. Everyone has one. Some know what their superpower is and others do not. Some share it. Few hone it. Some keep it private. Others spend their lives and never realize they had a superpower. Find yours. Hone it. Share it.

During this time I realized the people tending to be quiet in meetings often were the ones that had the most value to provide to the team or project.

This was another aha moment.

The quiet people were holding a mirror. To me. They made me look in the mirror. They showed me my reflection. They saw me. I saw them. They are me. I am them. I have been the quiet one.

They are quiet for the very same reason I have been quiet over the years. They are observing. As they observe they do not speak up because what they see they believe is so basic, elementary, and fundamental they think everyone else sees it.

The reality is not everyone perceives the world similarly because not everyone has the same superpower. Not everyone is a natural observer.

Then I had my biggest aha in years…Observation can be a superpower.

To turn observation into a superpower I have to take action. I have to connect. I have to storytell. I have to communicate. I have to be understood. I have to gain attention.

Taking an observation and turning it into action for myself and others is what makes observation a superpower.

Superpowers are meant to be shared at the #Nof1

~Cancergeek