Another hectic time has interrupted my ability to post an update. Shortly after performance evaluation time came a re-organization at work that found me in a new role to figure out. I haven’t yet figured it all out, but I needed to take a lunch time break today to write and express something that always seems to come up in life – at work and otherwise.
As a “techie”, it’s in my DNA to dig deep and figure things out. As a teacher, it’s in my DNA to help others reach their potential and figure things out. As a leader, it’s in my DNA to evaluate people and put them in a position to be successful. The idea of emotional intelligence intrigues me so deeply that I constantly search for more understanding of myself and others. The next bit of this entry will try to enlighten you to things to consider in developing an understanding attitude in your interactions with others.
Have you ever had a great idea but can't communicate it successfully to someone else? I sure have. Why is that? When you communicate, you put words to whatever you have experienced in life. The expectation is that others will see and hear things similarly and react in the same way. I can assure you, it doesn’t usually work out that way. Your life experience is a lens that forms over time. That lens is made up of your perspective. Your perspective is shaped by your life experience, perception, personality and expectations. Your lens is unique to you. No two people see things, hear things or think about things the same way. This is why an understanding attitude is so critical to develop in order to have healthy and effective communication skills.
The difficult part about your perception is that it really does define reality to you. In fact, it can be really hard to see a different perspective than the one you believe to be right. What you perceive to be real is indeed real for you. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean your perception is entirely accurate or even realistic. In developing an understanding attitude, you must practice humility and have the understanding that "I am not always right". Perception does not necessarily equal reality.
To develop a healthy understanding, follow these simple steps:
As a “techie”, it’s in my DNA to dig deep and figure things out. As a teacher, it’s in my DNA to help others reach their potential and figure things out. As a leader, it’s in my DNA to evaluate people and put them in a position to be successful. The idea of emotional intelligence intrigues me so deeply that I constantly search for more understanding of myself and others. The next bit of this entry will try to enlighten you to things to consider in developing an understanding attitude in your interactions with others.
Have you ever had a great idea but can't communicate it successfully to someone else? I sure have. Why is that? When you communicate, you put words to whatever you have experienced in life. The expectation is that others will see and hear things similarly and react in the same way. I can assure you, it doesn’t usually work out that way. Your life experience is a lens that forms over time. That lens is made up of your perspective. Your perspective is shaped by your life experience, perception, personality and expectations. Your lens is unique to you. No two people see things, hear things or think about things the same way. This is why an understanding attitude is so critical to develop in order to have healthy and effective communication skills.
The difficult part about your perception is that it really does define reality to you. In fact, it can be really hard to see a different perspective than the one you believe to be right. What you perceive to be real is indeed real for you. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean your perception is entirely accurate or even realistic. In developing an understanding attitude, you must practice humility and have the understanding that "I am not always right". Perception does not necessarily equal reality.
To develop a healthy understanding, follow these simple steps:
- Study your own personality
- There are many personality tests (Myers-Briggs is a good one)
- Understand your strengths and weaknesses based on your typology
- Learn to swap seats
- Study the strengths and weaknesses of all typologies
- Learn to observe others and determine their typology
- Learn to approach, communicate and interact with others based on their typology
- Learn to see things from their perspective, not just yours (this is called empathy)
- Never stop learning
- You never know it all – keep studying and learning
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