Introduction: This article is a summary of our recent conversation with David Marquet about his new book, Distancing. David is a graduate of the US Naval Academy. His previous book, Turn the Ship Around, was a bestseller. David is a highly sought-after speaker and advisor to companies around the world. If you are interested in listening to the webinar in its entirety, click here.
In corporate learning and development, the pressure to make the right decisions is constant. From choosing the next learning platform to proving a program’s ROI, L&D professionals are often forced to make critical decisions in a state of high pressure and limited time. This webinar explored a powerful psychological concept called distancing, a technique that allows leaders to break free from this “pressure trap” and make wiser, more strategic decisions.
The core problem, as discussed by thought leader David Marquet in his new book, Distancing, is a state of self-immersion. When stressed or excited, our brains narrow our focus, leading us to make decisions that are biased, reactive, and often not in the best interest of the organization. Instead of seeing the big picture, we get lost in the immediate details, defending our ego and clinging to what we’ve always done. Distancing is the counter-intuitive solution—it’s the deliberate pause that gives us the clarity to see a problem from a fresh, objective perspective.
Three Strategies for the L&D Leader
The key to distancing is the intentional act of reframing a problem. We explored three actionable strategies that L&D leaders can immediately apply to their daily work.
1. Be Someone Else: Inhabit a New Perspective
This strategy involves detaching from your own viewpoint and adopting another’s. Before making a critical decision, ask yourself:
- “What would a CEO or a CFO think about this budget allocation?”
- “What would our top talent recommend we do to solve this skill gap?”
- “What advice would a freshly hired L&D manager, with no knowledge of our history, give?”
By using distanced self-talk and mentally stepping into another’s shoes, you can break free from personal bias and see a problem more clearly. This is a critical skill for navigating organizational politics and ensuring your initiatives truly align with business needs.
2. Be Somewhere Else: Gain a Bird’s-Eye View
This strategy involves a mental shift in location to gain a broader perspective. It’s about getting off the “field” where you’re a player and mentally moving to the “bleachers” to observe the game.
- Imagine you’re on a balcony, observing your team’s current project or a new learning program launch. From a distance, you can see the overall flow and spot strategic flaws that were invisible up close.
- Ask yourself: “What are the most important elements of this project?” The details will blur, and the core objectives will come into sharp focus.
This helps you move past the noise and focus on what truly matters, ensuring your learning strategies are cohesive and impactful.
3. Be Sometime Else: Look Back from the Future
Perhaps the most powerful technique, this involves using temporal distancing to make decisions for your future self.
- Near Future: For immediate decisions, imagine yourself at the end of the day. What one thing would you be glad you started?
- Mid-Future: For strategic initiatives, imagine yourself a year from now. What decision would you be most proud of having made? What would you regret not doing?
- Far Future: For career-defining choices, imagine your future self at the end of your career. What path did you take that led to the most meaningful impact?
This strategy helps you overcome the fear of failure and prioritize long-term, high-impact goals over short-term fears or conveniences.
Why Distancing Matters to L&D
The modern L&D professional is expected to be a strategic partner, not just a service provider. By mastering the art of distancing, you can elevate your decision-making and your overall effectiveness. Distancing is the key to:
- Making Smarter Investments: Moving past fear and choosing innovative solutions that truly future-proof your organization.
- Gaining C-Suite Buy-In: Presenting your initiatives from a strategic, business-centric perspective that resonates with executive leadership.
- Overcoming Obstacles: Navigating resistance to change and time constraints by reframing challenges as opportunities for growth.
In a world that demands quick action, the ability to deliberately slow down and gain perspective is a critical competitive advantage. It’s how we move from simply reacting to our environment to proactively shaping the future of our organizations.
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