Lipton Tea Bags and Learning from Others

There are few people that do not enjoy a good cup of Lipton tea, whether it is iced down with a lemon wedge or heated up with a spoonful of honey and sprig of mint on a cold day. Ever since I can remember, I’ve opened my Lipton tea bags the same way: un-stick the top flap, grab the small perforated square between my thumb and forefinger, gently rip out said small square, pull the tea bag out of the pouch. It does irritate me when there are stray edges that come with the pull (as you can see in the picture), and I get frustrated when the small square slips from the staple in the back, leaving me with an orphan string. But I’ve always made tea this way, and even though there have been slight inconveniences, I’ve never questioned my process.

Until yesterday.

Yesterday, I was making lunch with a friend. I was grilling the chicken, and she was making the tea. I glanced over to the counter top as she opened the tea bags, and I noticed something different. Her tea bag looked like this:

You’ll notice that she opened the pouch as well, but she did it in two steps and half as much time. She didn’t fuss over the small square; in fact, she ignored it entirely. She achieved the same goal, but in a way that nullified my entire process. Why go through all that work when you can achieve the same goal in two steps instead of five?

I was unconsciously following my process for opening tea and missing out on a better way of achieving my desired end result.When we get too myopic, whether it is in a daily process, during a new product launch, when analyzing statistical data or even training employees, it is easy to unconsciously stick with a way of doing things because it’s a comfortable habit. But we run the risk of missing out on something much better, simpler, or more unique.

Bring awareness to a conscious state of mind. Always be curious and alert. Consciously look for reasons to why you do the things you do in the way you do them, and provide ways for others to learn this way in your company. By training your mind to always be on the lookout, you might find a surprising discovery.

Filed under: ideas, learning, Myopia, sharing