Business’ 6th sense

I like to get up early on a Sunday morning and head into Boston and walk around. I get the place to myself and I can see things in a new light – literally and figuratively.

Now on my Sunday jaunts I wear a mask. As I often do, I step out of the path of others and give myself an “oxygen” break. When I took my first oxygen break, I realized I was missing part of my usual experience. One of my senses was blocked. I could not really smell what was in the air. This day the air had a faint tinge of the ocean that sometimes permeates the city. You know the water is near by, but you cant see it. With waft of ocean air, I suddenly heard sea gulls. I am sure they were cawing prior to my mask coming off, but with the addition of smell, my ears were more attuned.

This got me thinking. In what other ways are our senses blocked, and thus we can’t really take in the whole picture? In our businesses, metrics can be that 6th sense that helps us broaden our purview. Metrics literally allow us to see INTO our business, make connections, and track subtle but important changes over time. While not the only, nor most important sensory input, they are critical to helping us see the whole picture.

What other business senses do you rely on?