“Alright, Doug, tell me everything you notice.”

Doug inspects the room. “The lights are on. That basketball should have been put away. Uh . . . That water bottle should be in the trash.”

“Good! What else?”

Doug surveys more intently. “I see a shirt that should be in lost-and-found.”

Not sure if he’s winning or losing, Doug rubs his arm. “What am I missing?”

After I ask a series of questions to help him identify more, he asks me what I notice. I oblige him by pointing out several more things.

As most folks do while performing this exercise with me, Doug asked, “How did you notice that?”

I said, “Because I’m looking for it.”

~~~~~~~~~~

In leadership and in life, what you look for is typically what you find. People will let you down. People will frustrate and disappoint you.

It’s a lot easier to find things that bother you when you are looking for them.

I am a firm believer in the motto, “You stay ready, so you don’t have to get ready,” so being prepared for possible negative situations is great. It becomes problematic when we create our own confirmation bias by only seeking the negative.

Be prepared for letdowns, but diligently search for the good in others.