Interesting Perspective

It seems like too many people only want to see what they want to see. When we close our perspective down to what is known and comfortable, we stop learning. Additionally, our credibility can start to be eroded because we deem anything outside our accepted perspective as “wrong”. The reality is that we don’t know everything that is possible, nor do we know what others have experienced unless we open our eyes.

Leaders need to be able to create a vision for the future, so people know where they are headed. For that vision to resonate with others it must connect to their perspectives. With the huge variety in people’s experiences, priorities, and concerns being able to share the vision in terms of other people’s perspectives helps gain acceptance. If a leader speaks only from their perspective they are missing out on the connection with others, and you can’t lead if you don’t have followers.

I think all of us have had a boss or other leader who just would not listen to anyone else’s ideas or thoughts. Once their mind was made up, they were all set and not open to changing direction. This isn’t an easy person to work with or for as you have limited input into decisions. In my experience these were the worst bosses, it was their way or the highway, and all too often I would be doing extra work to fix issues with the flawed direction I was given.

Unfortunately, it can be very uncomfortable to open yourself for input that differs from your perspective on the situation. Yet, this is a great way to learn more about what is happening and identify new solutions. The good news is that we can train ourselves to seek new ideas and new perspectives.

Here are 5 tips for opening yourself up to new perspectives:

1. Stay curious. The best way to see things from different perspectives is to be curious, genuinely curious, about what others see, think and feel. Ask others what they think about a situation or how they feel about the decision or what their experiences have been. Seek out people whose views are the exact opposite of yours to gain completely new insights.
2. Listen closely. As you are getting information from others about their perspective, listen closely to what they say, how they say it and the emotions behind the words. If you haven’t been seeking new perspectives people may not want to open up, but if you really listen to their answers you can gain insight into what they are thinking. This will allow you ask deeper questions to get more information.
3. Seek to understand. Remember the way to better understand situations and people is to know more about what is going on so look to understand the various perspectives around you. When you are curious and want to understand the experience of another person you must stop thinking about your views and immerse yourself in their story. Stop worrying about convincing them of your perspective, instead simply listen and learn.
4. Be kind. When you are learning about the experiences of others be careful to avoid judging their actions or feelings. Remember this isn’t about your perspective, it’s about understanding theirs. Sharing these ideas with someone else can leave people feeling very vulnerable so kindness and understanding goes a long way towards helping them feel heard.
5. Show respect. Thank the person for being willing to share their perspective with you. Respect their experience and thoughts even when you don’t share their feelings about the situation. They gave you a gift of insight, respect that gift and accept what you heard as their truth.

As you gain other perspectives you can create better solutions. Being willing to listen to others will build your credibility since people want to be heard. If you can use some of their ideas, they will be more engaged in the vision and will work to make it a reality. Understanding where people are coming from will help you show them how to reach the end point of our vision.

Different perspectives give us greater clarity on how to achieve our goals. Who knows you may learn something new and exciting which will help make the future even brighter.

What's your perspective?