Do You See What I See?

How good are your powers of observation? How can you tell?

Take a look at the photos on your smart phone from the weekend. Are there any ‘unexpected’ images?

Compare a few to your colleagues or friends. Maybe the people in the photos are different, but how many are framed the same way, taken from the same angle and convey similar images?

How many times have you experienced standing with a bunch of other people taking photos on their phones in exactly the same spot?

Our smart phones make us all photographers. But there’s a huge difference between what we see and what we observe.

I’m interested in the power of observation and what’s behind it. How do I unpack this for people who want to build their facilitation and collaborative skills?

Why does it matter? Strong powers of observation help you to think on your feet and respond to changing circumstances.

Observation is vital to collaborate, facilitate and explore ideas. With it, you can read the room, a group, a situation.

We explore this in my new #Facilitography Walkshop. Taking out smart phones into the street, we explore new ways of seeing beyond the obvious, capture the unexpected and practice the subtle skills of facilitation. If you’d like to know more, let me know.

What’s behind observation? I think it’s

Courage. Curiosity. Compassion.

‘Where will this path take us? Let’s find out!’ Courage and curiosity give you the freedom to explore. They make it possible to take off with a backpack and a one-way ticket. Move cities. Change jobs. Point the camera lens at a stranger. Think on your feet and respond in the moment.  

‘I wonder what’s behind that look?’ Curiosity and compassion give you empathy for the person in the photo you are taking, and the person behind the opinion stated in a group or at a meeting.

‘I know it’s easier to leave things unsaid, but tell me, I’m listening.’ Courage and compassion gave me the heart to take photographs of demonstrations in Eastern Europe not long after the collapse of the Berlin Wall. They give you the heart to have a difficult conversation, to unpack a negative comment in a group when facilitating.

The power of observation is another interesting intersection between photography and facilitation.

Our smart phones make us all photographers. Perhaps they can help make us all better facilitators.

If you would like to learn more about facilitation with your smart phone, join me for my #Facilitography Workshop in Sydney on 26 November (hats off to Kirk Fisher for coining the word!). We’ll take our smart phones into the street and hone our powers of observation.

Say YES in the comments below and I’ll send you an invitation.