It was fall in southern Indiana. The leaves had just turned their kaleidoscope of reds, oranges and yellows. As my wife and I enjoyed the scenery, the sun was so bright that I stopped at a convenience store to buy a pair of sunglasses. I didn’t realize that the lenses were amber until we were back on the road. The amber lenses made everything even more brilliant. As we would round a curve on the interstate and a new forest would come into sight, I would suddenly blurt out, “Wow! Would you look at that?” Of course my wife, not having the glasses would ask, “Would I look at what?” Then I would realize that she didn’t have the glasses. I was seeing things that she didn’t see. That describes a Visionary perfectly.
A Visionary sees profits where others see losses. A Visionary sees optimism and opportunity where others see negative problems. He or she sees fun and excitement where others see boring and mundane. And the list goes on and on. There are plenty of synonyms for Visionary such as creative thinker and prophet but there are very few for the opposite of Visionary. The only one I found was unimaginative. So I set out to determine the opposite of Visionary. I believe we are all on a scale somewhere between visionary at the top and the unknown word at the bottom.
There has been a book at the top of the best-seller list for the last year and a half called Who Moved My Cheese, by Spencer Johnson. It’s a small child-like book that sells for over $20.00 and by all measurements used for business books; it should not be a huge success. But it is! Could it be that a large number of people feel they are in a rut and identify themselves with characters in the book? From that idea I coined the phrase “Cheese-Chaser.” I asked several people if they would be offended if I called them a “Cheese-Chaser” and many said they would be. Then I knew I had the perfect term for the opposite of a Visionary. Imagine a scale with Visionary at the top and Cheese-Chaser at the bottom. We all fall somewhere on that scale. I enjoyed the book so I’m on the scale also. Where do you fall? And more importantly, how do you move up on that scale? By moving up the scale, you will find your career becoming more exciting and your worth as an employee will go up. Your company will see more profit. Your family life will improve. Life will take on new meaning. You will see things that others do not see.
In order to move up the scale, it is important to understand the biggest difference between a Visionary and a Cheese-Chaser. A Cheese-Chaser thinks in terms of statements. You will hear remarks such as, “This job is boring and I can’t wait for five o’clock!” “No one ever returns my calls.” “I don’t like my co-workers and my boss is a pig!” ‘They have cut so many jobs, I’m probably next.” These are all Cheese-Chaser statements and you hear them constantly around the office. A Visionary thinks in questions rather than statements and most of his or her questions begin with the word –what. A Visionary would ask, “What can I do to make this job fun and challenging?” “What can I do to get people to return my calls?” “What can I do to get along with those at work?” “What can I do to prepare myself in case I am laid off?” A Visionary knows that asking these “what” type questions causes their mind to immediately go to work looking for answers. Think about your thoughts during the day. Are they Cheese-Chaser statements or Visionary questions?
The great writer and speaker Earl Nightingale suggested that we get up 45 minutes earlier and enjoy the quiet house with our coffee and our note pad. Why not use that “think time” to ask ourselves questions? Write your question starting with “What” at the top of the page and then let your ideas free flow. A good first question might be, “What can I do to move up the Visionary scale?” Once you have run out of “What” type answers, ask yourself some “Who” type questions. “Who can help me overcome this problem, or who has already accomplished what I’m trying to do?” Next comes the “How” type questions. “How can I implement some of these ideas?” If you will try this exercise for thirty days, your life will never be the same. You will find yourself becoming more visionary every day. It’s a simple idea that works!
We live in a changing world. More and more of the Cheese-Chasers will drop off the end of the scale and be left behind. Luckily, with your new Visionary skills you’re already on your way to the top.
Dan Surface
Copyright 2001
RAM International 1-800-485-8915
Republishing rights granted if not used for profit and followed by the following:
By Dan Surface, speaker and author.
Copyright 2001
Dan’s web site is www.ramseminars.com