Being able to see things from another person’s point of view can be powerful. Gaining attunement (to know what they’re thinking) and empathy (to know what they’re feeling) can be a great place to start, and understanding the strengths of the “other side” will give you a massive upper hand.
In Seth Godin’s book “Linchpin” he shares the idea of seeing clearly from the perspective of a “third chair”. From the book:
“Seeing clearly means being able to look at a business plan from the point of view of the investor, the entrepreneur, and the market. That’s hard. Seeing clearly means being able to do a job interview as though you weren’t the interviewer or the applicant, but someone watching dispassionately from a third chair. Seeing clearly means that you’re smart enough to know when a project is doomed, or brave enough to persevere when your colleagues are fleeing for the hills. Abandoning your worldview in order to try on someone else’s is the first step in being able to see things as they are.”
It’s much easier said than done. As Godin shares, you need to abandon your worldview in order to gain this perspective, and many of us have a hard time doing that. If you can, though, the view from that seat will be the most helpful you can ever take.
