We learn new things all the time. Sometimes when we least expect it, and sometimes a while after the event. I have recently been delivering a programme to a group of trainers – and have had great fun during the process – and there was one such moment for me during the Programme.
During one of the sessions, I noticed a person put one of those yellow ‘sticky notes’ on the outside of the glass panel in the door. I assumed that it was a message for a member of the group, thought that we could get it at the next break and mentally moved on.
About 30 minutes later one of the group was going to the front of the room and in doing so was passing the door. He made a minimal detour by opening the door, removing the sticky note, quickly reading it and giving it to me – as it was a message for me. I took it, and again mentally moved on very quickly intending to contact the ‘sender’ at a more appropriate time. Time moved on, I actioned the ‘sticky note’ and the whole episode was gone. Well, so I thought.
A couple of days later a break time discussion was taking place about a model that we had been discussing – ‘Figure and Ground’. In case you are not familiar with the model, I will take a few lines to explain it. As a trainer, manager, customer service agent – whatever – when we are concentrating on something, we need it to be the ‘Figure’ and everything else to be the ‘Ground’. In other words, the ‘Figure’ part is what we are focussed on. So, for example, if you are reading an interesting paper or an enjoyable book you want to focus on that and that alone. If a wasp was to start flying around near you or a spider to start walking across the paper, it is likely that the insect can become ‘Figure’ – and the consequences of this is that the book or paper becomes the ‘Ground’. You then need to remove the insect, or move away from it, for your paper or book to return to being the ‘Figure’. Hopefully that makes sense?
One of the delegates then made reference to the sticky note saying how that had become ‘Figure’ for them. I was so surprised – that was just so far from my world and not a consideration I had made! And then a couple of days later the same person explained that when they have a note posted on a door during training (or notification of a message in any other way) they always remove it straight away and let the group know what was on the message – so as to remove any possibility of it being ‘Figure’. This made total sense.
I was fascinated. This had never crossed my mind. I then started to think back to the last time I had had a sticky note left on the door while I was training – or a note pushed under the door, or any other way of getting attention. And I can’t think of any occasions. Perhaps they have happened and I just haven’t remembered them as they are of little significance to me? Or perhaps I have worked with organisations where this isn’t part of the culture (in my last one we had a notice board away from the classrooms for notices for delegates to be written on or stuck on – perhaps that’s why we had the board!)? And what makes them ‘Figure’ for some people and not for others? I am still fascinated.
What are your thoughts?
What I am sure of is that the next time someone leaves a sticky note on the door of a room and I’m leading the group, I will remember this episode. And I will get it straight away!
Paul
