“Line of Sight” — Why Thinking About Your Organization as Panes of Glass is Critical to Success

If you lined up five panes of crystal clear glass, one in front of the other, you would be able to see from one end to the other. In fact, you’d be able to see all the way through the far pane of glass. That’s because there’s very little interference between you and the object(s) or scenery on the other side. However, even if one of the panes of glass is smudged, fogged up, or dirty, it inhibits the ability to see clearly.

As a leader, it’s critical to understand that one of your main jobs is to ensure the panes of glass remain clean and clear. This “line of sight” is extremely important and allows people visibility into and through the business. This is true for your employees, as well as for your clients and customers.

As an example, you may have a great vision, but if your communication lacks then things fall apart and people can’t connect the dots. If your vision and communication are solid, what about ownership and accountability within the business? Without those key things in place, it becomes easy for folks to drop the ball and not follow through.

Think of it as trying to drive a car with a muddy or fogged up windshield. It’s almost impossible to see where you’re going. Again, it’s all about the line of sight.

Keeping the panes of glass clean allows individuals to see clearly where they are headed, as well as what opportunities and/or obstacles lie ahead. Other panes of glass to consider are:

- Goals / OKR’s
- Feedback Loops
- Conflict
- Meetings
- Values and Norms

Think about the line of sight and panes of glass that currently exist in your business, and identify if any of them need a good cleaning. It’s amazing what a little Windex and scrubbing will do.