When Global Thinking Gets in the Way
Many professionals naturally think in broad concepts, big ideas, and overarching themes. While this “global style” offers valuable perspective, Meta-Coaches often observe a recurring challenge: global thinkers frequently overlook important details.
It is not uncommon for a coaching session to pause so the coach can ask, “Are you going to ground this conversation?” or “Are you going to request specifics?” The global thinker’s usual response?
“What details?”
This gap is more common than many realize—and sometimes even unintentionally humorous.
A Common Scenario: When Assumptions Replace Facts
Consider this example often seen in coaching settings:
The client says, “I’m struggling to manage my children.”
The global thinker assumes: small kids at home.
The reality: the “children” are 23, 20, and 17.
A simple clarification changes the entire context. Yet without grounding the conversation, global thinkers respond based on assumptions rather than facts.
This happens because global thinkers operate heavily in the realm of ideas—concepts, beliefs, generalizations—often without noticing they’ve left the sensory world behind.
Why Sensory Grounding Matters
Global thinkers may not realize they are “floating above the ground.” They navigate conversations through interpretations instead of concrete, observable details such as what someone actually saw, heard, or experienced.
The solution? Return to the sensory world.
Grounding conversations in sensory data improves accuracy, strengthens understanding, and builds communication that is factual rather than assumed.
Step 1: Question Your Confidence in the ‘Big Picture’
The first discipline is learning to doubt the assumption that you already have enough information.
A powerful daily practice is to silently ask yourself:
- “What am I missing?”
- “Which details is my big-picture view blinding me from seeing?”
Global thinkers are wired to detect patterns, not particulars. Simply knowing this gives you an advantage. It reminds you to slow down and ask for the specifics you normally overlook.
Step 2: Practice Representational Tracking
Representational tracking means following someone’s words all the way to a clear mental picture—without filling in the blanks using your own references.
For example:
When someone mentions a “dog,” do you automatically imagine your dog?
Or do you pause and ask: “What kind of dog are you referring to?”
This simple habit prevents false assumptions and ensures both parties are talking about the same thing.
Practicing this skill with another coach or Neuro-Semanticist is ideal. Someone unfamiliar with the process may wonder why you’re asking so many questions!
Why Returning to the Senses Is Harder Than It Seems
Humans live in the world of language. Nearly all thinking is linguistic rather than sensory. As a result, returning to observation-based thinking requires deliberate effort.
Yet this shift is essential. Sensory detail is where:
- accuracy increases
- assumptions decrease
- distortions are corrected
- problem-solving becomes more reliable
Without sensory data—the “steel-hard” facts—reasoning becomes shaky and prone to bias.
The Real Payoff: Communication Excellence
Grounding conversations in observable sensory information allows leaders, coaches, and communicators to distinguish between:
- descriptive language (what was seen, heard, or done)
- evaluative language (interpretations, judgments, beliefs)
This distinction is the foundation of precision.
A Final Welcome to the Sensory World
Those who master sensory-based communication gain sharper insight, stronger coaching impact, and more accurate problem-solving. The sensory world is not only practical—it is transformational.
Global thinkers who learn to land their ideas on solid, factual ground discover a new level of clarity and effectiveness waiting for them.
Curated by Danielle Tan.
Reference:
- [Certified_meta-coach] 2025 Morpheus #49 GLOBAL THINKERS: WELCOME TO THE SENSORY WORLD! by L. Michael Hall, Ph.D. Executive Director, ISNS.
