Have you ever had someone surprise you with their point of view? The other day a little boy looked at my bald head and said, “Why don’t you have hair yet?” After I stopped laughing, I tried to explain that I used to have more hair, but now it’s gone. He was genuinely surprised. His perspective was one of a little boy – when you are a baby you are bald, when you grow up you get more hair, so why don’t you have more hair?
As leaders and innovators, we need to understand the power of perspective. Some people see the world differently, and that can be a good thing. But often times we don’t consider the source of the opinion when we are reacting to it, whether positive or negative. We instinctively value every opinion equally, and that’s not helpful or healthy. The quality of feedback various depending on who is giving it.
To help us better understand the feedback we are getting it helps to consider the following questions:
What are they seeing?
Where are they coming from emotionally?
What is their background?
What is their motive?
What is their experience?
How have they been hurt?
How have they succeeded?
Who are they allied with?
How are they right?
Is there a flaw in their thinking?
Is there something I can benefit from their perspective?
There must be a hundred different questions you could ask to help determine if a persons perspective is helpful or just off.
What do you ask yourself when you are receiving feedback?
David Curry
