When confused, get curious: A lesson on perspectives
Proverbs 18:13 - The one who gives an answer before he listens - that is his folly and his shame.
Consider all perspectives before making a decision.
That is a piece of advice that seems pretty obvious, but when we have deep convictions or are confident in our views, it’s easy to get tunnel-visioned to our own perspectives.
Our different personalities, experiences, and upbringing allow each of us to view the world through our own unique lens.
If we can harness this diversity of perspectives, we not only create an inclusive environment but also increases the chances that we make the best decision.
Consider the Images below:
Is the train moving to the left or right? ⬅️➡️
Is the cat climbing up or down the stairs? ⬆️⬇️
As you can see, there are other perspectives other than ours that could be true.
As a leader, you don’t have to agree with different perspectives but you have to be aware of different perspectives that exist.
I learned how to approach different perspectives when in the midst of a heated discussion, one of my team members spoke up saying “I don’t agree with his perspective but I understand how he came to hold his perspective”
It was then and there that I realized that as a leader, you don’t have to agree with different perspectives but you have to be aware of different perspectives that exist.
This is especially true when you are working in an environment with very little or incomplete data, a different perspective could be true.
When confused, get curious.
So how do we make this actionable?
Next time when you are confused, get curious.
Instead of getting defensive and shutting the other perspective down, get curious about how the other person came to their perspective.
There might be a different point of view that you are not seeing or an assumption that you are holding that may not be true.
That time you take to get curious could make all the difference between a good or bad decision.
Remember, the next time you are confused about a perspective, start getting curious 😉
Hope this helps, talk soon!