Big Picture: Seeing It Pays Big Dividends

Q. I get discouraged when I see people in similar positions make more money than I do, and are asked to attend key meetings that I’m not invited to. I know some of these people often ignore minor details that I think are important. They often rely on me to provide the details, which I do. But then I’m not invited to join the discussion at the next level. Any clues how I can change this? — Timothy A.

A. How about taking a personal inventory of how you usually approach your job and job challenges? Details are important, but not at the expense of seeing the larger picture. You’ve heard the saying, “He can’t see the forest for the trees?” It means he’s so close to the details he can’t see the bigger picture. The successful person does both, but usually tends to focus more on bigger issues, and relies more on others to provide the details. Not everyone is comfortable doing this, and if you’re more comfortable with fine-tuning the facts, and digging into an issue more deeply, there’s nothing wrong with that. That’s a plus—and necessary—but not at upper levels of management.

Moving up in an organization is like climbing a ladder. If you climb a 6’ stepladder by the side of your house, you’ll see more of the ground area around you—but you can still see a single blade of grass. Climb a 30’ ladder and you might see the entire neighborhood—but the grass below will be a blur. The production floor supervisor has a close view of his or her department and one or two others—and knows each employee by name. The plant superintendent knows a few of the employees, but knows how each department interacts with another. He or she knows how the entire plant is run, but few of the smaller details in each department. And actually, the plant superintendent shouldn’t get involved in the details of a process or operation (it’s called “micro-managing”) unless there’s a problem and no one else seems to know how to solve it. Effective upper-level managers surround themselves with competent, talented people, give them good direction and support, and leave them alone to do the job.

Try Thinking Bigger

If you want to move higher in the company, you’ll have to show that you’re already seeing a bigger picture. Here are some ways to do that:

Your Work

Small Picture: Do only what you have to; look for ways to avoid it;

Watch others to see if they’re pulling their weight.

Confront your boss and others if things aren’t going

precisely as they’re supposed to.

Big Picture: Look for ways to do something better; look for projects that have a high payoff for the company; take on extra work

when there’s a crunch or a key customer need. When things

are going wrong, look for ways to fix the problem, like

adapting the process or finding new ways to solve the problem.

The Future

Small Picture: You see the future as limited. Someone else creates it. You just

take what you’re given and roll with it. You see planning as a

waste of time, because things will change anyway.

Big Picture: You see the future as promising. You plan, because even a

plan that changes is better than no plan at all. You help make things happen. You build on what you’re given. You see opportunity everywhere.

Your Conversation

Small Picture: You focus on the negative aspects of the competition, the

economy, the company, other people.

Big Picture: You talk about the pluses, and focus on the “CAN DO”. You highlight the talents, skills of co-workers, friends.

Mistakes

Small Picture: You worry about errors, and make mountains out of little

hills. You catch others making mistakes and point them out.

Big Picture: You ignore the little hills and frustrations. You look at bigger

challenges as growth opportunities. You focus on your own challenges and help others to learn from their mistakes—but

only if they ask your advice.

Associates

Small Picture: You surround yourself with non-threatening, petty thinkers

who never rock the boat, and look for others to take the

lead.

Big Picture: You look for ways to connect with challenging people—those

with vision, those who see ideas in a larger perspective. You try to connect with self-starters and leaders. You look for the value in people who are different from you.

Budget Problems

Small Picture: You look for ways to cut back on necessary items. You often

complain about the pressure, the unfairness, and “cheap”

management.

Big Picture: You figure how to increase profit. You look for creative ways to get more done at lower cost. You see budget-cutting as a way to stay competitive in a tight market.