Alexander Dumas said, "Men have sight, women have insight" - the ability to discern the true nature of things.

Less controversially we are sure, through application, insight is available to men and women. Insight is gained in business through acute awareness of products and services, customers, the market, competitor activity and technological developments.

There is another essential dimension. Outsight - the sensitivity to know how we are seen by others.

There are two audiences in particular we must be in tune with. These are our customers and the people we rely on to deliver our promises to our customers.

Is it your experience that these "critical" audiences misunderstand you and you them?

Longfellow tells us part of the reason when he said, "We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done".

Awareness of feedback from customers and employees is vital to developing a responsive business.

Are you giving customers what they want or what you think they want? Because our perception is all we have to go on the later must be the case. But our perception may not be the ultimate truth.

We need to get frequent and relevant input from these two audiences to keep small the gap between our version of reality and theirs.