The other day I was late getting into the office. I was behind a car that took a little longer than it should have after having been stopped at a red light. So I leaned on the horn. It was just then when I realized that the gentleman in the car in front of me was waiting for pedestrians to cross the street in front of him. In my haste to get to where I was going, I was restless and took it out on the traffic before me.
How many times are we so wrapped up in our own circumstances that we refuse to see the other’s point of view?
My example above is a simple one, but it begs the question: what would happen if we took a moment to see where others may be coming from–in any circumstance?
Before forming any preconceived judgements, stop and ask yourself:
– What might their perspective be?
– Why are they saying what they’re saying or doing what they’re doing?
– Why do they feel that way?
– What in their life story makes them act that way?
This basic concept of perspective is one of our core guiding principles here at J2; we always begin our interactions with customers by looking at any situation through their eyes first. This approach allows us to see the whole picture more clearly, which in turn helps us to more accurately assess and respond.
The key is to apply this idea to all areas of life–not just in a customer setting. In life, as in business, if we were to ask some of those simple questions, wouldn’t a lot of the misunderstandings before us disappear?
As I reflect on my morning drive that day, had I waited a few seconds, taken a deep breath and a step back, I may have seen the situation from the other driver’s perspective–and maybe I would have thought twice before I instructed my car to impatiently yell at him to get moving.
“In this treacherous world, nothing is the truth nor a lie. Everything depends on the color of the crystal through which one sees it” – Pedro Calderón de la Barca.
Have a great weekend.
Vijay