Did you know this phrase has been around for hundreds of years? I love using it. Not just because I love trees (confession – I’m a bit of a tree hugger!) but because it conveys viewing the details of something – the trees – while also noticing what is important about the thing as a whole – the wood.
A great perspective to have.
When you hear ‘wood’ in this context do you think of a collection of trees? Wood could also mean the composition of trees, the material with which we craft so much of our world – the gift that trees provide us.
When we look at the expression this way, our focus spans from:
Big picture ‘wood’ – then: detail ‘trees’ – then: substance ‘wood.’ Or vice versa.
Another great perspective.
Metaphors like this help us reflect on our situation. When used as a critical expression, as in “he/she can’t see the wood for the trees,” it suggests someone who is not coping with complex situations and may be feeling overwhelmed.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, lost in a forest, overly fixated on so many details that you are not sure which way to go, step back and try to consider the whole. Coaching can help with this. A coach can work with you to figure out where you want to get to and how you can get there.
Being able to see the wood AND the trees is an empowering perception for leaders to have. Do you have it – is it something you aspire to?