Do You See What I See? The Power of Observation and Diversity

?Do You See What I See?

Probably not.

Being able to see what is ahead of us is critical but it may be more complicated than you think.

Creativity is bound to culture. Interestingly, so is our ability to observe. What we are able to perceive is affected by the culture we were raised in and what we create is affected by the culture we work in.?

For example, there is research that highlights the fact that when showing a video of fish swimming in an aquarium, people from Western countries tend to focus on fish swimming in the forefront and people raised in Asian countries will focus on the activity in the background.

Erin Meyer, author of The Culture Map, reminds us that, “People in different parts of the world are trained to think differently, So when you bring together people from different cultures you can have a much more complete way of seeing things.”??

Culture influences what you see and what you miss.?

This is why diversity is so critical for innovation. If everyone on your team or board of directors carries the same demographics, this means they might be noticing all the same things, but they are also missing the same things as well. It is better to have a well-rounded group of individuals with varying perspectives that everyone can learn from. We all experience and perceive life through various cultural lenses. Being trained to identify these lenses will help us better navigate cultural conversations and creative ideations.?

This is an except from Genein Letford’s book, 7 Gems of Intercultural Creativity? Connect, Create and Innovate Across Cultural Lines due out later this year.

To learn more about Intercultural Creativity? training and how culture affects creative thinking, visit? CAFFE Strategies.