I grew up with maps. Big, bulky, beautiful, Rand McNally maps. And a globe. These taught me to look for details while appreciating the big picture.
Today our smartphones have map applications, offering precise turn-by-turn directions. With only a small screen, we can get to where we’re going and never care what city we’re driving through.
But to see the landscape using a map app, we need to zoom out.
When we’re constantly zoomed-in at work and in our lives, we are gripped by small screens and small issues. And our sense of curiosity atrophies in the wake.
We unwittingly neglect what’s outside the small screen or the small issue. We read information online without questioning its veracity or source, we stop noticing our surroundings, we become indifferent to the people around us.
And then we miss the meaning… unless we zoom out!
What does it mean to zoom out?
- Look up and look around
- Consider every party’s viewpoint (not just the one side you heard)
- Understand how a project/task fits into the big picture (unsure? ask!)
- Question what’s next (think one step ahead of your boss)
- Have an opinion (eliminate “I don’t know” from your vernacular)
- Endeavor to improve processes and procedures
- Analyze, think, be curious
Our obsession with screens (literal and figurative) creates our myopia. Being incessantly zoomed-in shortchanges our ability to make a difference, because we lack foresight, discernment, and meaning.
We need to Zoom Out!
As a reminder, I purchased an oversized book of maps for my car. I’ll use my app to help me get there, but I’ll use Rand McNally to urge me to Zoom Out! and pay attention to where I’m going.