The Forest for the Trees, or How to Successfully Combine the Big Picture with the Details of Your Business

Boy, was I nervous.

“Bruce, we’ve got to talk about your activity.”

It was the third time I’d been called in about my low call numbers.

‘Am I about to be fired?’ I wondered.

I began my corporate career with the enviable job everyone wants:  cold calling.

Yikes!

The position had been vacant for years, so there wasn’t any reference point of what success looked like. The compensation plan was all new.

What I understood, though, was that the purpose of my job was to help the company gain new customers.

So, I focused on cultivating relationships with future customers.

But here I was, sitting with my boss again about what appeared to be my lackluster work.

“You’re just not making enough outbound calls.”

I paused to make sure the thought was complete.

“You’ve got to have enough leads to turn into booked deals,” he continued.

There it was. I was saved!

“I know my activity in the areas you’re looking at isn’t what you want, but the whole point is to get deals, isn’t it?”

“Yes, we want to see a deal a month from you,” he replied.

“Well, I had two deals close last month and another close this month. That’s 6 this year, and it’s May.”

He hesitated. “Those were yours?”

I affirmed and waited out the silence.

“Well, if you’re closing these kinds of deals, try and get some more activity but keep up the good work.”

I held the position for 3 years, maintaining a lead-to-close percentage of almost 18%—more than 8 times the industry average.

Why do I tell you this story?

Because it demonstrates two vital components to success:

1.      The big picture

2.      The details

Or, The Forest and The Trees.

Thankfully, my boss was able to recognize I was taking a unique approach to achieving the big picture.

Unfortunately, many businesses struggle to marry both halves.

They either focus on the big picture everyone trips on the details, or they focus so much on the details that people are micromanaged and never get where they want to go.

To marry these together, you must set two very clear pictures:

1.      Where you’re going

2.      What individuals must do to help you get there

Many great leaders are wonderful visionaries and paint wonderful landscapes of where they want the company to go.

It’s common for these leaders (and most people) to be “top-down” processors. That is to say, they see the big picture and then learn the details.

Some of these leaders, however, are so disconnected from any details that they often fail without the people around them.

These leaders may have forgotten that trees must be planted to have a forest.

There are also many wonderful leaders who thrive in the details.

It’s common for these leaders to be “bottom-up” processors. That is to say, they must see all the details and then connect them to paint the big picture.

Some of these leaders, however, struggle to scale their business and move on from the minutiae of the day-to-day issues.

These leaders may have forgotten that the point of planting trees is to create an inviting forest.

Personally, I am a bottom-up processor.

This sometimes leaves people with the mis-impression that I can’t see the big picture.

As I proved in the case of my cold calling, I hadn’t missed the big picture at all.

If you’re a “big picture” thinker and don’t like details, listen with extra care to those who like the details. They may be telling you, “Watch out for that landmine 3 paces ahead,” when they question where you’re trying to take them.

And, for those who like the details, remember to pick up your head every so often. Those who don’t understand why you’re stuck on the details may be trying to tell you, “We can still get to where you want to go, it will just look a little different.”

We all get caught up in our habits and routines.

Ask yourself if your personal inclinations may be blinding you to some keen insight from the experts you already have working for you.

It could be they’re looking at the same picture with a different level of zoom.

If you’re not sure whether your leadership team is on the same page,

If you’re still stepping on the same landmines over and over again, or

If you’re looking to make sure your trusted advisors are really all trying to reach the destination you want,

Be in touch. Company Connections was created to help people like you better connect the forest to the trees.

Don’t miss the forest for the trees. And remember, your direct reports on the front lines are there to take care of the trees!