Observe: Failure Modes to Look Out For
Every skill has common failure points. Look out for these six with Observe.
Despite the best of intentions, these frequent diversions from Observe can trip up the best of us if we're not careful:
- Interpretation Masquerading as Observation
- Selective Attention
- Expectation Contamination
- Memory Reconstruction
- Premature Closure
- Sensory Narrowing
Below we walk you through: 1) the failure mode, 2) a brief description, and 3) an example of the failure mode compared to the desired direction.
Interpretation Masquerading as Observation
Sometimes you think you’re describing events, when you’re actually describing an interpretation of them.
Interpretation
"Employees didn't seem to care."
Observation
"Two employees continued stocking shelves while a customer waited nearby for assistance."
Selective Attention
Unintentionally narrowing the focus of observation skips over relevant details.
Narrow
Only observing your company’s booth at the industry trade show.
Full
Checking out competitor booths, attendee traffic patterns, recurring customer questions, and what high-performing companies consistently emphasize in their displays.
Expectation Contamination
Prior beliefs or knowledge can contaminate your observations.
Contaminated
Assuming stores with strong reviews deliver consistent customer experiences.
Pure
Customers across locations received different answers to the same product questions.
Memory Reconstruction
When observations aren’t captured promptly, the mind will "reconstruct" rather than "replay" the observation.
reconstructed
Later saying, “Customers felt the experience was inconsistent.”
accurate
In the moment, noting that customers described different frustrations depending on the location and time of day visited.
Premature Closure
You stop looking further because one explanation makes sense.
premature
Observing long checkout lines and immediately concluding that staffing is the core issue.
complete
Continuing observation until underlying patterns emerge around store layout, product availability, and management practices.
Sensory Narrowing
Most often, what we see or hear dictates what we experience. However, much can be gathered from physical sensation, smell, and sometimes even taste.
narrow
Listening only to customer interview responses.
full
Also observing body language, hesitation, and tone shifts as customers move through the store, along with their reactions to temperature changes or aromas they encounter.
Check out the next article in the Observe intro series:
4 Shortcuts to Enhance Your Skill Set
Or skip ahead to any part of the series: