Tactical Visibility Is Not Tactical Capacity

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐨?

One pattern we've noticed is that people are often evaluated based on the work their environment repeatedly asks them to perform.

If someone is constantly solving urgent problems, responding quickly, and filling operational gaps, it's easy to conclude that's where their greatest value lies.

But what if those demands are simply consuming the space where other capabilities would normally become visible?

𝘗𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

𝘚𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨.

𝘙𝘪𝘴𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘫𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.

Those abilities often require time, perspective, and opportunity to emerge.

The attached WDA Field Guide explores an idea I think is worth considering:

𝑻𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚.

Sometimes we're seeing the work the environment requires, not the full range of what the person is capable of contributing.

𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺?