How do you use perspective taking to understand the needs and preferences of your customers or stakeholders?

You matter, your views matter, and so do everyone else's. But it's more than just recognition of the person - although that's extremely important for obvious reasons. Its about making the best decisions. Its about the discovery of reality! If you look at anything from as many angles (perspectives) as possible you'll have a clearer picture of what is really there, what is really happening. Its this clear picture that will elevate your decision making and get you the results you desire.

Perspective is the advantage gained when we are able to reveal or discover information that was otherwise inaccessible. Perspective is an discovery tool for information. Being able to extract more useful information; and, to discern and discard useless information is the art perspective. It's enables you to increase the efficacy of the resources already in you and in those you work with and lead. When you develop the ability to shift perspective nimbly; to create a vision that knits together multiple and varied points of view, you'll be able to make that shift from completing task for and with your team to designing and executing strategies for a team that designs and executes strategies.

My advice is to work with a Perspective Mindset Coach. To develop a Pivot Mindset; one where you regularly and nimbly shift your point of view, imagine the POVs of those around you and make, break and remake assumptions and connections, takes training and practice. Working with a Perspective Mindset Coach gives you access to drills and regimens that will strengthen your ability to develop and maintain broad perspective not just when you are in a rut or feel boxed in, but as a rule. PIVOT as a mindset is essential to getting the most out of your thinking.

Having someone else's perspective in a conversation can also lead them to feel more comfortable and open communicating with you. If someone knows that you know their values or motivations, it is much easier for them to connect with you. Without taking perspective you are inevitably going to run into issues getting points across; similar to speaking different languages when trying to communicate a point. You're just going to miss one another!

Empathy is the ability to "feel" what someone else is feeling. To empathize, to feel what they are feeling, you have to experience the circumstances as they would. This means that empathy is essentially having the perspective of another. Empathic communication is the purest form of communication because it reduces misunderstandings and conflicts, and facilitates effective collaboration. Working with a perspective mindset coach to find your PIVOT mindset will allow you to see situations from the speaker's perspective much more easily and will allow you to collaborate with others with greater efficacy. You will thrive at interdepartmental meetings where perspectives are in conflict and command greater authority than that assigned to you.

Empathy also helps you to put yourself in their shoes where you can understand and address their unsaid struggles. You can acknowledge it and sometimes solve it before they have even mentioned it. This will make them feel like they are in a good trusted partnership. This further aids in building trust and mutual understanding with your customers which is a good sign for long term relationships.

When trying to innovate without other's perspectives, it can be like putting a puzzle together without all the pieces. By understanding other viewpoints and angles you have the best chance a creating something holistic and different. Trying to innovate inside your own framework consistently will eventually lead to tunnel vision; but adding other perspectives and ideas to the mix will help you explore new options.

You have to build your strategy with change at the heart of it. Today, you have to be responsive in a way that is not possible if you are not fully informed. So being able to acquire and maintain broad perspective is about survival and has to be a major part of how you innovate. Innovation is bringing what we know to the challenges that face us and perspective is crucial if we are make that linkage in an effective, productive way. Working with a Perspective Mindset Coach to develop you Team Pivot Mindset so that your cross collaborations repeatedly and predictably birth innovations in product, process and implementation.