Becoming Aware of Your Lenses

I was reading a book from a Christian psychologist recently and he made two profound statements about humans that affect how we view the world:

1. As humans, we were made to make sense of the world around us. Thus, we are always responding to our world from our interpretation of the facts, not necessarily the facts themselves.

2. We are our own biggest influencers of the sense we make of the world around us, because we are always preaching to ourselves.

As I interpret these statements for myself, I see that I live in this world with lenses on. It's okay. We all do it. In fact, we have to do it if we are to make sense of what we see day to day. But it is very important to know exactly what types of lenses we have on. If we are unaware of the lenses we view our world from, then we are apt to misinterpret other people's behavior, and respond inappropriately. It is equally important to understand that we can't fully interpret the world around us without help. Allowing a separate person, that does not have the emotional connections to our everyday problems, to help us interpret the world is very powerful. The result is that you will become more aware of the lenses you use to interpret the world, and you will gain more clarity.

I believe a lack of empathy is basically a reflection of a person's inability to recognize their lenses. They can't see your problem from any other perspective other than through their own lenses. They are basically interpreting (see point #1 above) your problems with their lenses. That won't work. It's important to recognize that your team, your clients, and your family have their own lenses as well.

It may be a good exercise to try to understand the lenses you are viewing your world from. This may offer you a deeper understanding of why and how you do what you do. I'm sure I am unaware of all of the lenses I view my world from, but here are some of them:

1. I am a Christian.

2. I have been married for 23 years.

3. I have three daughters.

4. I love strategy, and hate details.

5. I want people to work hard for what they get.

6. I will only allow myself to be influenced by very specific people that I trust.

7. I am not a very good accountant, but am intuitive to what it takes to build a business (notice my interpretation there).

8. I believe in experimentation in business, and risk taking.

9. I am most effective when left alone for large blocks of time to think, read, and write.

10. I love 80s metal bands (but not Twisted Sister).

Notice that my lenses start with the pronoun I. This is part of the problem with a lens. Are you aware of the lenses from which you view the world, and your business?