Slippery Slope® Viewfinder

Every organisation looks different depending on where you stand.

If five people from the same organisation described what it's really like to work there, would you get five matching answers? Almost certainly not. Each person experiences a different organisation. Your perspective is valid, but it isn't the whole story.

Before deciding what your organisation is like or what should happen next, it's worth asking yourself: What assumptions am I making about other people's experience?

Here are some ideas to help you build a more rounded picture.

Think beyond your role

Ask yourself:

Whose day-to-day experience is very different from mine?
Which teams see behaviours that I rarely encounter?
Who regularly deals with people at their best, and worst?
Who is closest to the organisation's greatest risks but furthest from its decision-makers?

Some experiences are naturally easier to miss

Intentionally or not, some voices are heard more clearly than others. That does not necessarily mean they have the fullest picture. Likewise, some people see a lot and make an enormous contribution while remaining largely invisible.

You might think about:

business acceptance teams
business support professionals
early-career professionals
HR/Employee Relations
IT and operational support
junior colleagues
people on atypical working arrangements
people perceived as underperforming
people who are seen as different
people working for “interesting” or “strong” characters
people working in teams with high turnover
quieter personalities
regional or remote offices

Ask your most trusted colleague:

From this list, whose view would make me uncomfortable?

Then go and hear it.

If you lead people…

Two additional questions:

Who would tell me something important if they felt safe enough to be completely candid?
Do people come to me directly with their concerns?

If you don't…

Your perspective may matter more than you think.

Ask yourself:

What do I see that others might not?
What conversations could improve working life for me and for those around me?

Sometimes we are just one conversation away from a much better experience at work.

In action

Here are three illustrative examples of how the Viewfinder can be used:

Example one: Exploring different experiences of the same team

Starting point

A senior leader completes the Slippery Slope® Map while reflecting on one department.

The department head is well regarded, influential and trusted by senior leadership. Yet staff turnover is consistently high, there are an unusual number of people issues and there are no longer any internal applicants for roles working directly with the department head.

The department head always offers a plausible explanation for every issue. The leader wants to know whether there is a broader pattern or an underlying issue. They don't want to jump to conclusions.

How the Viewfinder can be used

Rather than relying on the views of the senior team, the leader speaks to HR and Employee Relations and asks how they can better understand the experience of junior colleagues in the team. Individuals complete the Slippery Slope® Map independently before a facilitated discussion about themes.

What happens next

The exercise reveals patterns that have never been obvious to leadership before. The issues aren't isolated incidents. They reflect a radically different experience of the same organisation that required changes to be made. The value came from a leader becoming curious enough to dig deeper.

Example two: Preparing for a more productive discussion

Starting point

An HR Business Partner completes the Slippery Slope® Map from the perspective of a client group they support. Several amber areas reflect concerns they have sensed but struggle to frame in a way that will engage the key leader.

How the Viewfinder can be used

While working through the Viewfinder, one question stands out: Whose perspective might I be missing?

Rather than presenting the report as “the answer”, they ask the department leader to complete the Slippery Slope® Map independently. They then use the two reports as the basis for a discussion about where their views align and where they differ.

What happens next

The differences prove more valuable than the similarities. Instead of debating isolated issues, they discuss why two experienced people see the same department differently and identify some practical actions to work on.

Example three: Challenging your own assumptions

Starting point

An individual completes the Slippery Slope® Map because work isn't meeting their needs or expectations.

The report helps them distinguish between organisation-wide issues, team dynamics, their relationship with their supervisor and matters that are personal to them.

How the Viewfinder can be used

They reflect on which conversations they have been avoiding and also complete the questionnaire a second time, this time answering as they believe their supervisor might.

Comparing the two perspectives helps identify where assumptions might be influencing their interpretation.

What happens next

The exercise lets them see what is within their control and helps them prepare for a much better conversation.

Instead of focusing on personalities or barriers, they talk about patterns, expectations and practical changes that could improve the experience for everyone.

One final thought

Like all of us, every organisation has blind spots.

Seniority doesn't protect you from missing things. If anything, it makes you more dependent on what people choose to tell you, rather than what you experience yourself.

The key question is how motivated you are to address your blind spots and openness to others' experiences.

The Slippery Slope® Map is not designed to tell you what your organisation is like. It's designed to help you organise your thinking, have better conversations and see your organisation from more than one point of view.

Want to find out more?

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