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Assigning homework to adult students has its own strings attached. These are adults who work full-time jobs, have family responsibilities, and handle other aspects of a full life.

Who wants to add homework to an already over-scheduled week? So while as the instructor I need to be sensitive to this reality, a class requires homework if the students expect to reap the total benefits of the class.

And I want the homework I assign to be meaningful; no fluff. I give thoughtful consideration to my homework assignments. Midway through the eight classes, the assignment is this: Ask your manager to identify a blind spot that affects your performance level at work. Discuss the blind spot with your manager so you fully understand it. Prepare a 3-5 minute presentation on the subject and share what steps you will take to correct it.

Gulp. Who wants to do THAT? We want the pats on the back. The kudos. The “great job” compliments. The “What would we do without you?” rhetorical question.

But when a company has hired me to build a public speaking class around the concept of leadership, that is an excellent exercise.

Author, speaker, and leadership expert John Maxwell says that a blind spot is “an area in the lives of people in which they continually do not see themselves or their situation realistically.”

And, of course, in driving, we recognize a blind spot as an area of the road we cannot see through the windows or in our mirrors. Moving forward without considering our blind spots, whether on a road or in a life, can be dangerous.

A leader has to identify his/her  blind spots and gain the skills to overcome them. Likewise, an effective leader must be able to assess his/her team members’ blind spots and provide the training, direction, guidance, motivational climate, and tools to help those individuals overcome their weaknesses. Otherwise, that person is simply managing people instead of leading them.

In clearing out some old paperwork over the weekend, I came across ten-year-old documents that pertained to evaluations of my strengths and weaknesses. These assessments were done by company leaders, peers, people on my team, sales people, etc.

The weaknesses noted were nearly all in the same range, summarized as follows: “Norma has a tendency to want to run the show her way. While she quickly and usually correctly understands what needs to be done, she often moves forward on her own decisions.”

It’s rather embarrassing for me to admit this is still my blind spot. It’s not that I haven’t improved in the past ten years; I’m less adamant about my way being the best way and am more open for input. But clearly I recognize in myself the need to continue to work on this.

My students’ presentations on their own blind spots were amazing! They were courageous in seeking out their leaders’ opinions. They shared that some of their managers were surprised to be asked for this type of feedback. Each student developed specific plans to address and overcome their personal blind spot.

This will positively impact their careers as well as their ability to lead others.

No fluff, indeed.

To my readers: How about you? If you’re employed, are you brave enough to ask your manager for feedback on your blind spot? And if you’re self-employed or retired, will you spend time in self-reflection? Let us know what you find out!