Mental models or lenses we look through at our world are a bit like wearing tinted glasses. We can look through brown tinted, rose, yellow or just plain polarised lenses. Each lens gives us a different perspective on our world. The way we look at our world depends on which perspective we are viewing it from.
When recently speaking with a teacher-friend, they were commenting on their perspective of what was happening in their school and how that was impacting them; both positively and negatively. Having been both a Teacher and Principal, I was able to offer a counter-perspective to their lens. I was able to give them alternative perspectives a Principal might need to consider when making a decision; some of which they hadn’t considered.
The thing is, that often we don’t get to hear the other perspective of how things are before we cast judgement. Sometimes, we will jump on our bandwagon or make rash decisions based on our perspective without seeking to understand wider implications.
So thoughts for you to consider this week are:
- Where are you jumping to conclusions without asking questions?
- Who are you stereotyping without considering all perspectives?
- How might you own your perspective whilst remaining open to others?
