Change Your View

Take that document you have been reviewing for edits and typos. Turn it upside down. AND suddenly, you can see that missing comma on the 12th line, or the missing ‘e’ on the 18th line. Or maybe not!??

Yes, reading upside down may not be your talent - the point is to change your view to hear or see better.

If there is a monthly in person gathering that you attend, then arrive a few minutes early and sit in a different spot than your usual one. Yes, admit it, you probably sit in the same spot EVERY time you attend that gathering. Change it up.

What will happen? You will be seeing those whom you were previously sitting next to, and you may hear them differently. How? You will now be able to see more of their body language and that will impact how you hear them.

What else? When you are trying to come up with a solution to a problem, change it up by thinking about it through the lens of someone else. If you are managing a project, then imagine being the end user. Think about how they would view the issues. Or actually go talk to the end user and listen to their view.

There's more. If you are repeatedly disappointed with how a team is working, then explore that. Instead of observing, join the team. Be a part of the team while they are working on a project. It may surprise you that much of what they are working on is going well - and that other external factors are impacting their success.

Find your way to change your view so that you can see more.