The Fine Art of Noticing

One of the most effective ways to manage the complexity of life these days is to learn and practice the 'art of noticing.'

Hey, that sounds simple. What's the big deal?

Well, 'noticing' is the fine art of taking in all the stimuli, sounds, words, actions, ambience ... you know, all that stuff that makes up our close-in universe.

What??? How can I do that? If I took in all that occurs around me I'd get nothing done, not to mention I'd be unable to "manage the complexity of life."

As a coach it's now time to ask me a powerful question: What do you mean?

'Noticing' requires some skill in order to make it work. That skill is to pay attention to only that which counts.

Feel better yet?

Let say I am walking down the street in New York City. To what will I pay attention due to the extreme sensory overload that is evident and constant? Well, when practicing the fine art of 'noticing' it's critical to not get involved with 99.99% of what comes at me (see list above). By 'not involved' I mean to refrain from opining, interpreting, changing, ignoring, etc. anything that doesn't matter. As I walk down the street in NYC, I choose to notice anyone who catches my attention (for any reason). I refrain from interpreting or thinking about that person; I just notice. What I notice quickly passes from my "viewfinder" as I move along unless there's a reason to get engaged in more than noticing ... i.e. thinking about and interpreting what I see ....

In coaching we cannot spend time having opinions and interpretations (through our own mental model of what should or can be) without becoming uninvolved with our client. When I do credentialing exams or mentor coaches I "hear" this all the time: a coach busy figuring out "the next best question" or having an opinion about the client or client's idea or wondering about something important to the coach. I can pick this up with no problem.

The 'art of noticing' is integral to the art (skill) of 'listening for' ... an active way to listen. If I take in what's around me as I listen to another person (i.e. be distracted), I will miss the essence and likely anything else the other person wants to communicate in that moment. If I develop the capacity to 'notice' (as I describe it here), I will spare myself involvement with distractions of any kind.

Thus, the 'fine art of noticing' is the necessary preparation for profound listening ... the skill a coach must develop in order to master the competencies.

Try it on. Notice how you receive this blog: what opinions did you form right away? If you noticed yourself and are honest about it, you're well on your way to learning and practicing the 'fine art of noticing.'