Abstract

Observation as a data collection method is under looked and underused. Without the skill of observation, managers only are looking at their operations in the dark, missing a massive amount of information on the underlying issues and true pitfalls risking the organization’s health, stability and livelihood. English writer and philosopher Aldous Huxley reminds us that truly seeing is an active process that involves not just the eyes, but also the mind. Huxley’s perspective on the art of seeing highlights three critical stages of seeing: sensing, selecting and perceiving, emphasizing that what we notice is shaped by our attention, experience and interpretation. Borrowing from these stages, quality management and business improvement practitioners can benefit by refining perceptual awareness, reducing cognitive biases in observation and improving decision making through active seeing.