The Collaboration Blind Spot
- Kevin Davis
- Apr 4
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 6
Unlocking the Power of Inclusive Thinking
What You'll Learn
Every organization has blind spots – areas where valuable perspectives remain unseen or unheard. These blind spots dictate whose ideas get considered, whose concerns get addressed, and whose contributions shape the future.
This collaboration blind spot doesn't just impact those being excluded. It fundamentally limits what's possible for the entire organization.
Beyond the Usual Voices: The Power of Inclusive Thinking
When most leaders think about including others, they focus on formal structures like meeting invitations or reporting lines. While these are important starting points, true inclusive thinking goes much deeper.
Inclusive thinking happens when:
People are consciously trained to listen when they don't agree
Every voice has genuine influence, not just presence
Different thinking styles are valued, not just tolerated
Leadership actively seeks out dissenting perspectives
Teams build on each other's ideas rather than competing for attention
As we discuss in our book "The Great Engagement," our "Default Success Strategies" – the unconscious behavioral patterns that have helped us succeed – often create invisible barriers to inclusive thinking.
These strategies might lead us to:
Surround ourselves with people who think like us
Unconsciously favor ideas presented in familiar ways
Dismiss perspectives that challenge our own
Rely primarily on the voices we find most credible...that agree with ours
The Four Patterns of Exclusion
Limiting perspectives typically manifests in four distinct patterns:
The Echo Chamber: Leaders surround themselves with those who share similar viewpoints, creating affirming environments that feel productive but lack innovation potential.
The Selective Listener: Ideas are evaluated based on who presents them rather than their merit, with greater weight given to those from "trusted" sources.
The Efficiency Trap: Quick decisions are valued over thorough exploration, cutting off the divergent thinking that leads to breakthrough ideas.
The Familiarity Bias: Solutions that feel familiar receive more support than novel approaches, regardless of potential impact.
These patterns aren't malicious; they're natural human tendencies. But they create environments where only certain viewpoints shape the future.
From Blind Spot to Insight: Practical Strategies
1. Map your influence circle
Draw a circle with yourself at the center. In the next ring, list the people whose opinions regularly influence your thinking. In the outer ring, list people who bring different perspectives but whom you consult less frequently.
The goal: Consciously expand your inner circle to include more outer-ring voices.
2. Practice perspective-taking
Before making significant decisions, explicitly consider:
"Who might see this differently, and why?"
"What insights might we be missing from voices not in the room?"
"How would this look from the perspective of our newest team member? Our most experienced? Our frontline staff?"
3. Create multiple channels for input
Different thinking styles require different formats for contribution. Implement:
Pre-meeting thought collection for reflective thinkers
Small group discussions for those who process through conversation
Anonymous input channels for those concerned about status implications
Visual mapping exercises for spatial thinkers
4. Break the pattern of predictable participation
If you can predict who will speak first, most often, or most persuasively in your meetings, you have a collaboration blind spot. Intentionally disrupt these patterns by:
Using round-robin input gathering
Implementing the "last to speak" rule for the highest-status participants
Creating rotating facilitation roles
Practicing "yes, and" building rather than competing ideas
5. Institute regular learning reviews
After key decisions or projects, ask:
"Whose perspectives shaped this outcome?"
"Whose insights might we have missed?"
"What patterns of inclusion or exclusion did we demonstrate?"
The Courage to See Differently
Courage?, you may ask. Yes, courage. Brain research informs us that the amygdala, the fear center in the brain, is an organ that senses novelty. Therefore anything new, different or unexpected triggers fear at an unconscious level. Creating truly inclusive environments requires courage – the courage to question our own assumptions, to listen to perspectives that challenge us, and to share decision-making power more broadly.
It demands that we move from unconscious exclusion to conscious inclusion, from limitation to possibility, from comfort to growth.
This isn't just about being fair. It's about being effective. The organizations that thrive in the future will be those that can harness the full spectrum of human potential and thinking styles.
The question is not whether you have blind spots – we all do. The question is: what will you do to expand your field of vision?
What perspective might you be missing today?
Did you find this article valuable?
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