The Three Lenses
Myopia. Diagnosed at age eight, I was astonished that my new glasses enabled me to see the leaves on the trees. Who knew!
The same "aha"moment can occur in organizations when we shift the perspective from one lens to three to analyze an issue.
Individual. Group. Organization.
- What does the individual need?
- What does the group need?
- What does the organization need?
The answers to these three questions are usually different. If you approach the issue from any single perspective, painting the other perspectives with the same myopic brush...won't meet the needs of the others.
For example, looking at a specific project - an individual might need a growth opportunity, her/his group might need skills to function as a team, and their organization might need a project done in a way that is replicable and scalable.
If the issue is of minor importance or only has one answer, the single view may be fine.
If it is of major importance and has consequences, then it is well worth your time to review through all three lenses. Then, determine a solution that that optimizes all sets of needs.