Attention blindness can keep your projects running on track but can also block early warnings that you are heading fast in the wrong direction, says Harvard Business Review:
"When our brains concentrate intensely on one task, we miss what is happening around us. This means that when your team diligently focuses on a task, it's likely they're missing something."
Here are two ways to identify those blind spots:
1. Assign the task of speaking up. Every time your team meets, include an agenda item that reads: 'What are we missing?' Rotate responsibility for answering that question so everyone eventually contributes.
2. Get an outsider's perspective. Bring people in from other parts of the organization to analyze your project. They might not know about the progress, methods, or solutions being worked on already, but they may see something your team doesn't.
This management tip was adapted from Why You May Be Blind to a Good Idea (and What to Do About It) by Cathy N. Davidson.