Do you work in a bubble, a comfortable sphere where you hear and see what you want. Most managers do to some degree. Your bubble might keep trouble away but it also means there are important things you don’t know.

You’ve probably even created the bubble yourself. Most managers prefer people and places they’re comfortable with and don’t like being asked uncomfortable questions. How you respond to questions may even discourage people from asking.
You need to be more curious and ok with being uncomfortable and being wrong. You need to burst that bubble.
Get up and about
Physically leave the safety of your desk and go to the places you don’t normally go to and talk to different people. An open door isn’t enough, you need to discover the stuff that doesn’t come to your door.
You want to go and find the bad surprises before they find you.
Get uncomfortable
Talk to people, and be intent on finding out the problems, and what you’re not being told. Talk to the whole team, and patients, and ask awkward questions. What are they experiencing and thinking? Don’t avoid your critics, instead seek them out. What are they critical of and why?
Do it regularly
Make time to be curious and you can make things better in ways you otherwise might not have known.
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