You want ME to do what?

When you open your eyes, the lens focuses light through the vitreous humor, a clear gel-like substance that fills the back of the eye and supports the retina. The retina receives the image that the cornea focuses through the eye's internal lens and transforms this image into electrical impulses that are carried by the optic nerve to the brain. Did you know that during this process the image is projected onto the back of the eye in an inverted nature? The electronic pulses sent to the brain are then redirected by the brain to "correct" the image so that it is true and actual.

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Human nature has always intrigued me. We tend to look at things from our perspective, and our perspective only. This generally is not a problem, but only exercising this one perspective can be detrimental to both your personal and professional life. Let’s take a look at how this applies to our personal and professional thoughts and decisions.

For most people, putting your head down and completing your tasks does not include a lot of controversy. If controversy or drama arises, it is typically something that could be avoided or worked through. However, as your responsibility increases so does the difficulty of your decisions. Those decisions also tend to affect more and more people as well. All it takes is a few unpopular decisions to lose the loyalty and respect of those affected by your decisions, unless you are able to separate yourself emotionally from those decision. Having said this, I am NOT advocating that your decisions should be based on popularity of others, but that the perspective of others be taken into consideration during the decision make phase.

I am sure that you have heard the phrase, “it’s just business” many times. I take this phrase as a jab at someone who has become or is about to become offended or upset due to a decision or outcome that did not reflect their opinions. Telling someone “it’s just business” is a cop out in a lot of cases. If an employee, co-worker, business partner, client, customer or anyone whom you feel the need to use this phrase to has the confidence or need to approach you with a concern, YOU have the RESPONSIBILITY to provide them with a thought out answer.

This is where practicing the act of looking at the perspective of others prior to decisions is important. If you make it a common practice to, at minimum, keep others perspectives in mind whilst making those difficult decisions when the time comes to explain how you came to that decision comes to fruition you already have a base to start with. That base is the common ground to start the conversation. EVERYONE wants to have their voice heard, their opinion NEEDS to be important to you. This does NOT mean that you have to agree with them. However, if they know that you are at minimum AWARE of their stance and that you took it into consideration AND you can explain how you came to your decision the people in question will maintain their respect and loyalty with you.

This is a practice that I believe can and should be done both personally and professionally. If we would take the time to listen to others side of things, we would become more well rounded as we would be forced to continually be thinking outside of our own mindset. The frustrating part in practicing this is simply that the majority of those you will be in contact with do not extend the same courtesy in hearing you out as well. In these cases you must be the bigger person, and let it roll off your shoulders. You can’t take it personal. 

It is human nature to think selfishly, you have to work hard at breaking those tendencies. Doing so will make you a better leader, business person, spouse, father or mother, friend and in general a better person. I challenge you to look at all things through others perspective in all walks of life. Your perspective is unique and should be valued, both in doing so should not diminish the perspective of others. Finding this balance is one of the most difficult things to accomplish. Especially since as a business owner or manager it is not your job to run a popularity contest or a democracy.

You have the right to your viewpoint, but taking the time to see through the view of others will only make the world a better place. Challenge yourself to be a better person, you can only control so much in life. You can control 100% of your thoughts and actions.