Seeing the world as it is… it seems simple, but what is the world? Being able to see what really works, what does not work (and probably even more important: what will work in the future) is a key competency of a marketeer, an entrepreneur, a CEO,… With great power comes — as always — great responsibility: Some points of attention:

Point of view

The world is about perception. And perception is all about point of view. Just ask a customer who is on the road driving his car and calling a hotline for an urgent request but is transferred towards an online channel because the flawlessly designed process of the company he calls has noted that he prefers his communication via online over communication via phone.

Even within your organisation, the point of view can switch from one business unit to another. Take this into account when you try to change the world.

Empathy

Seeing the world as it is comes with both good and bad: As the world will not be perfect, you will also notice a lot of things that don’t work. Don’t over-emphasise them & if you do: pick your battles.

Timeframe

Seeing the world as it is might give you the false impression it’s about today, where I would argue you should be able to look at the way it will/should be tomorrow. When in doubt, go for the world of tomorrow!

Action-driven

What good is it to see when you cannot change the world? Not only do your observations only bring value when they initiate a change, it also proves to be the most effective way to bring in more believers to your vision.