A Social Experiment conducted a while back highlighted the rich and robust experiences we have, daily, and the interactions that provide us context, texture and potential growth opportunities. Yet, it also highlighted how we do not utilize this free resource.

Let me walk you through the setup.

A person was informed that their life was being filmed, for the coming week. Cameras had been placed everywhere. Along the path from their home to their office. At their office. At their regular haunts. At their coffee place etc. etc. Every experience, every interaction, every contact would be filmed, and the lessons learnt from these would be dissected and discussed with them. They were to imbibe and introspect and learn from these. That they should soak it up. Let it sink in. Let it enlighten them and allow them to see how it all impacts them and what they gained from it.

A week later the subject was asked about their experiences and what they had learnt from them. The list was endless, insightful and enriching.

Small things, like a waiter taking too much time to serve coffee and their reaction to this. Their walks to and from the office had become classrooms, with lessons learnt daily. Little habits that they had not been aware of earlier, while walking to and from the office. Avoiding the cracks in the pavement, climbing onto the pavement where the white strip was and avoiding the black strip, peeking into the flower shop and getting a whiff of the incredible smells emanating from within. Saying hello to the doorman and exchanging salutations with several regulars along the way. Feeling the sun on their face. Pre-emptively solving problems at the office even before reaching it. Making mental notes of the key things to achieve that day. Noticing the number of steps it took to get to office. Etc. etc.

Then at the office, the amount of time spent on their cell phone daily. The time it took to relax, after office. The altercation that was not necessary, but, escalated without warning. The surprising number of people one came in contacts with daily. The personal reactions to these interactions which were not expected and the lessons learnt from these. The awareness that all these little experiences brought to the table, and the lessons that one could glean from them, daily. A week elapsed.

They were then informed that there were no cameras installed, no follow ups etc. That it was a social experiment. That their daily grind, before they were informed of this experiment, was just that. The daily grind. With nothing gained. Nothing imbibed. Nothing learnt.

After this experiment, the amount of rich feedback, enriching experiences and insights from our simple daily grind, were exhilarating.  It was rich pickings, waiting to be plucked, but sadly, never were.

It is similar to sales people going from meeting to meeting, not stopping to think about what just happened to them. Were there questions they could not answer? Were there situations that made them uncomfortable? Were there times where they felt they lost control of the sales call? What in their opinion may have been the reason they either won the sale or lost it? Etc. etc.

If they simply did this after every sales call and learnt from it, and, plugged the holes so to speak, they would become invincible.

Similarly, all it takes is a minute to stay aware of our surroundings, our interactions and experiences, and not take them for granted. To learn from our daily experiences, however small they may be. To introspect. To gain contextual, valuable, abundant & readily available knowledge.

It is a free resource, albeit & alas, underutilized.

OPINION PIECE: Uzair Hassan, 3H Solutions Group, Dubai

uzair.hassan@3hsolutions.biz