A senior manager applied for a job running a big wildlife charity. The interview process was very thorough and spread over a couple of days. It involved tours and interviews and presentations and so on. She spent ages researching the requirements of the job, the structure of the charity, how they spent their money, and put together loads of evidence that she could handle a budget, manage an organisation and had the kind of management style they were looking for.

Finally she wrote her presentation. When it was drafted, she asked a friend of mine to take a look at it for her. He told me that she had set out a really clear vision for the future of the organisation and how she would make it happen … but nowhere had she talked about wildlife conservation. She had been so busy focusing on the day-to-day role she was applying for, she had forgotten to look at the big picture. All the people interviewing her would be involved with the charity because they cared passionately about conservation. They weren’t going to appoint someone who didn’t seem interested, however impressive their management credentials.

This is such an easy, classic mistake to make. You’re so focused on the detail that you miss the big picture. The problem is, you’d missed the fact there even was a big picture to miss. So how are you supposed to train your thinking skills to see things you hadn’t noticed you were meant to be looking for?

The answer – as with all thinking skills – is to practise. Once your mind is in the habit of looking for the bigger picture, it will automatically think it through. So look for the bigger picture in everything you do – resolve to think about it several times a day until your mind is accustomed to seeking out the wider perspective without prompting.

Why are you washing the dishes? Detailed view: to keep them clean. Bigger view: so the family stays healthy by having hygienic plates to eat from. Why are you in this meeting? Detailed view: so we can run through the plans for next week’s exhibition. Bigger view: because the exhibition needs to run smoothly in order to bring in the new business that we need for the company to grow. Why does the wildlife charity need a CEO? Detailed view: so the organisation runs effectively. Bigger view: to make a big and positive impact on wildlife.

You can think about why you’re reading a bedtime story to the kids, why you’re running a youth club, why you’re going on holiday, why you have a dog. Sometimes the answers will be a bit hazy or there may seem to be more than one reason. Don’t sweat it. You don’t really need to know why you have a dog, you just need to train your brain to think more effectively. You might even want to contemplate why you’re doing that.