For the last few weeks clouds have been fascinating me. I still love my old friends the trees, but clouds are really lovely too. And putting them together is just the best. So, as I go for my daily walks, I can’t seem to stop taking pictures of clouds, trees and sometimes clouds and trees together.
I have a new phone, and the zoom in and zoom out feature (.5, 1x and 2x) are like a new toy that I am enjoying playing with. I took 3 pictures in quick succession, standing in the same place, looking at the same view, and it struck me how important it is to be aware of different perspectives. The first picture had the clouds, framed on either side by trees and buildings and the second had the clouds and trees. And the third – just clouds. If I looked at them in isolation each picture created a completely different reality and the feeling it evoked was also obviously different.
One picture captures a beautiful image of my condominium. It reminds me how grateful I am to live in a space that allows me to enjoy a safe walk, with blue skies—the second had me admiring the beauty of the blue, white, and green of cloudy skies and green trees merging to create harmony. It filled me with calm. And the third pic of just the clouds and blue sky seemed to evoke a mellow, dreamy feeling of soft cotton wool clouds and it reminded me of sitting on the window seat of an airplane gazing out at the ever-changing cloudscape and just being happy to be alive and marvel at nature. A shift in perspective and the story I tell myself changes.
Being able to hold different points of view at the same time is a skill. How often I have found myself in a situation where I am working with a group of people and tempers are frayed, people are angry with each other and often it’s because they are all seeing the same thing from their perspectives and it looks different. It frustrates them that others can’t see it their way. They are unable to see what the other sees and therefore different camps emerge. “I can’t believe somebody so senior would not be able to…”; “It is so irritating, I had to brief and debrief him/her and I finally had to do it myself…” Other times it’s self talk “Nikhil, how could you?… or how could you not…?
It is so important to appreciate the diversity of views and opinions but also important to bring people together in a way that they are looking at the same thing with the same objectives and goals before beginning a task. This is the role of a leader. To harness the diversity of views and talents within a team in service of a common goal.
In the world of public relations, this holds too, the work we do helps frame a narrative that builds a reputation and is often about shifting the audience’s perspective. Changing perceptions need people to look at the same thing and see it afresh. This requires a shift in perspective.
In my weekend coaching work, a similar shift of awareness and attention within a client helps them see themselves and their world differently. This ability to find the awareness to see the same thing through different lenses and not be held hostage to just one worldview is empowering.
It allows you to see yourself and your world differently. When you are convinced that you are right and the other is wrong, remind yourself you may both be just looking at things differently. Or if you feel stuck and that there are no options, remember a shift in perspective can change the way you are looking at things. Zoom in and then Zoom out, there is so much more to discover and enjoy when you can shift your perspective.
The views and opinions published here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher.
A trusted coaching and communications professional, Nikhil Dey is a certified life and leadership coach (International Coach Federation - ICF). Nurturing talent and helping clients achieve their goals is what makes him happy. He loves learning from students of communication, teaching courses and guest lecturing at various educational institutions. When he is not working you will find him on the tennis court or out for long walks with his family and four legged friends.
Previously he has held senior leadership positions at Weber Shandwick and Genesis BCW.
He can be reached on twitter @deydreaming
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