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This week’s reading included thoughts on our observations:
- Our mind filters observations. We often observe only what we want to or expect to observe. We may not notice certain actions of friends but will notice those actions in strangers.
- Our present observations are affected by our past observations, especially those in the immediate past. A temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit will feel warm if the previous week’s temperatures were in the twenties, and quite cold if the previous temperatures were in the eighties or nineties (Ch. 2 of The Improvement Guide: A Practical Approach to Enhancing Organizational Performance(2nd ed.).
As I thought about this, I thought it was very true. It is also true that we often only hear what we want to hear. This has happened in my career over and over. I can say identify one good thing and one bad thing for an employee, and they only hear one of the other. Have you experienced this? How do you make sure that what you see is reality and what you hear is what was said?
