Do you remember those connect-the-dots books we had as kids? We would see a mass of sporadic dots on a page and then start drawing lines until a complete picture magically appears.
In an organizational context, connecting the dots sounds like a simple thing, but it is a complex series of skills to master. Connecting the dots requires making connections between what appears to be unrelated events or looking for hidden patterns, to come up with solutions. It requires bridging the gap between strategy and operations, being comfortable operating with evolving goals, getting the “meat” out of skeletal moving parts, being able to take a helicopter view and see the bigger picture – all to solve a problem or create change.
Organizations need dot connectors as they bring rationality, analysis, intuition, and creativity into play. They assimilate information from all spheres, make sense of it and then eliminate the noise so the output is presented in an appetizing way.
Dot connectors need to tap into their amassed knowledge, experience, mistakes, awareness, and the happenings in an ever-changing world, and combine them to arrive at the full picture. They need to be futurists and innovators with an uncanny ability to see the “forest from the trees” yet still take in the details of the trees.
Being able to connect the dots requires pushing through ambiguity and creating structure from the chaotic. The joy comes from being able to put it all together in a meaningful and understandable way.
So….bring out your inner child and enjoy connecting the dots.