Shift perspective to shape behavior

In a rustic office with exposed red brick walls and vintage pallet wood paneling, Gemma stands in front of a work desk with a laptop. Imagine this. You're watching a man running down the street and all of a sudden he pushes a shocked passer-by out of the way. The running man looks suspicious in his appearance and he's holding a bag tight to his body. You've pieced together the scene, the suspicious looking runner, the passer-by pushed over, the bag, stolen from the unsuspecting passer-by, and you're wondering what to do, except maybe you haven't seen everything about the scene. What if, from a different angle, it becomes clear that the man running towards the stranger was actually pushing him out of the way of an oncoming vehicle? So you often see things from other points of view. It can be hard to shift your perspective when you feel passionately about something. But this gives you an advantage because it broadens your horizons and you may learn something new. It also allows you to pre-empt how someone else may view a situation, and in turn it will help you to understand how best to deal with that scenario, which is the basis for building successful and co-operative relationships. Text appears over a white background, makes shifting perspectives a habit. In order to shift your perspective and view events from differing points of view, you have to make it a habit and build the process into how you view events before you make decisions about how to behave. We return to the instructor. There are some simple techniques you can use to help broaden your perspective. A list is titled, Tips to Broaden Your Perspective. Point one, seek out different points of view. The first technique is to seek different points of view. It can be really easy to view an alternative perspective as a nuisance or an inconvenience. Something else you have to consider when you've already made a judgment about the situation. We return to the instructor. Instead, try to see these contrasting ideas as a bonus. Considering different points of view and ways of solving issues will help you to find new and innovative ways to tackle challenges. You don't necessarily have to change your opinion, but you will discover alternative viewpoints that will help you when you're communicating your thoughts with others. We return to the slide, tips to broaden your perspective. Point two, ask more questions. The second technique is to ask more questions. Listen to what others have to say. Ask others how they see the world around them. We return to the instructor. As well as broadening your perspective, you will also build a relationship with the other person, which is an additional positive outcome. We return to the slide, tips to broaden your perspective. Point three, get acquainted with new people. Third, spend time with new people. It's really easy to get in the routine of speaking to the same people or the same kind of people. But building relationships with those outside of your normal peer group will give you a completely different insight into other perspectives. Point four, read books on a variety of topics. Fourth, read more in general and more broadly. To enhance your perspective, you have to be always learning and expanding your horizons. We return to the instructor. If you enjoy this process, it's an easy technique to implement. But even if you are not much of a reader, try a simple routine of reading on your commute or 20 minutes before bed or in your lunch break. Text appears over a white background. How broad is your perspective? The ability to broaden personal perspective is a common skill displayed by high performing individuals. So how developed is your perspective? We return to the instructor. There is so much opportunity available to you when you learn how to broaden your perspective. Whether it be developing a new product or process based on feedback that you hadn't previously considered, or perhaps taking a project in a more effective direction based on a perspective that you've explored. Being open to new ideas, different ways of thinking and being adaptable in how you achieve results is one of the key predictors of emotional intelligence. And these skills are hot commodities in organizations today.