Our life should to tell a story…

Without getting philosophical, spiritual, or religious about things, at a basic level we all have the gift of life and surely our aim should be to tell a story!?

Whether that story has a big impact on society, the world, or just those around you.  Or whether the story is more personal, is up to you.

One thing is for sure though, none of us want a boring or stagnant life do we?  So, we should all challenge ourselves to think ‘what story am I telling and is it how I expected or wanted it to be?  Is it interesting to me?’

I had opportunity last week to participate in an amazing client experience – one of those programs that doesn’t come along every day, where the client wanted to make a difference and wasn’t afraid to take risks – or our counsel – on how to do it.  The result – an amazing leadership program that not only satisfied the stated learning objectives, but went far beyond in terms of creating momentum and a spirit with the participants.  Interestingly, a large part of our approach focused on how to tell a story – and how to tell a different story when organizational change is a stated goal.   Immersive environments, professional actors, and illustrators all combined with one goal – to re-write the story.

Sometimes just such a break from the past is needed to re-launch our story or to ensure that its constant evolution is on the path that we desire (professionally or personally).  If constant ‘change’, in our personal and working lives, is here to stay… How can we embrace and use this to find opportunities and steps we can take to enrich our life stories and achieve our goals?

It’s just too easy to fall into the trap of stagnating – and we are all guilty of doing it at one stage or another – unless you find time to take stock and look at life through a different lens, with a fresh perspective.  We have to take positive action to navigate to a new part of our story… This could start with learning or experiencing new things, thinking differently, or visiting somewhere new and inspiring.  Look for opportunities to intentionally put yourself outside of the ‘norm’ or your comfort zone.  You may be surprised where this takes you…

Learning new things, thinking differently, and being inspired are great places to start.

Seeing it their way

A lack of perspective can cause issues in any relationship, personal or professional, and lead to courses of action that no one envisioned or even wanted.

One of the most famous slogans to an American of my generation comes from Burger King’s famous 1970’s ad campaign, ‘have it your way’.  Indeed, probably no other slogan better sums up the American expectation for customer service.  Imagine for a moment if we were just as inspired by ‘see it their way’. What insights might we gain? How much more tolerant might we be?

So, when dealing with people, do you ever ask yourself: Why is this person reacting this way?

Years ago, I had the pleasure of working with a husband and wife executive coaching team, who were two of the funniest people I’ve ever encountered. They could have turned executive coaching into a successful Vegas show! One of their key lessons was an exercise called ‘the perspective of all perspectives’. The idea is to step outside of your own personal position on any subject and to think about it from the perspective of every other person or entity impacted.

Performing this ‘mental levitation’ forces you to be quiet, to listen, to pay greater attention to the detail and to think differently. In the process, you’ll start to see multiple angles, hidden motivators and different agendas which can help you to better understand someone’s reaction or viewpoint. This insight can help you frame questions to ensure absolute clarity.

My life has now placed me in a situation where the majority of my social and professional interactions are with individuals of different cultural background and upbringing.  ‘Seeing it their way’ is a whole new challenge, but one that ultimately enhances my perspective and effectiveness.

In your future exchanges, take a moment to imagine the perspectives of other people. ‘See it their way’; you may be amazed at what you discover.