When common sense is a stranger, focus is a friend

Common sense really does seem to be a stranger to some people. A few years ago Singapore was shrouded in a dense cloud of wood fire smoke (billowing over the Malacca Strait from Sumatra) and many citizens of the little red dot wearing protective face masks as the air quality has become hazardous. Yet I witnessed a chap on his break, standing outside in the dense smoke and struggling to find a way to remove his face mask for just long enough to take a puff of his cigarette!

It struck me that he really wasn't focusing his energy on the bigger and more controllable issue! This plays out often in all aspects of our lives and Stephen Covey in 7 habits of highly effective people shared a great little conceptual tool to help clarify where to focus.

I’ve adapted a little in the blog image…

It is often tempting to focus our energy on the areas that concern us (the widest circle), and natural to do so. Covey’s model rightly shows that we can have more impact, and often personal satisfaction, by focusing first on what we can control, then on what we can influence related to our concerns -work from the centre circle out.

In our humorous (and somewhat sad) example our smoker was terribly concerned about the possible effects of passively inhaling the airborne smoke. He was right to be concerned. The air quality readings were at dangerous levels and the national press reinforced the danger of inhaling toxins.

He is also convinced that he has some control – the face mask. Though his control perhaps also extends to the more effective measure of staying indoors and thereby reducing his exposure to the smoke.

While he isn’t immediately able to influence the Sumatran fires he could take on pressure group membership or donate to relevant environmental charities who strive to influence on these issues.

However one piece that is potentially within his control is the decision to smoke (laying aside the questions over addiction). That would both reduce the inhalation of cigarette smoke, and reduce his need to be outside in the wood fire smoke – a double whammy.

In essence then, our chap is focusing on a broad concern, but not the areas he can perhaps more effectively control.

The smoking example is a daft one (and probably reflective of my perspective as a non-smoker) – but the concept is hugely powerful for leaders. When you’re coaching your team through tough times, or significant change, then helping them to focus their time and energy on the areas that they can control, followed by those that they can genuinely influence, is critical. This is a hugely empowering message for teams - it gives back a sense of control that may have felt lost.

Common sense suggests we look to what we can control, but at times of change, pressure or disaster common sense can become a stranger - and we can be tempted to stand in the smog to smoke a cigarette!