I’ve always used a hamburger to illustrate perspective.
Yes, a hamburger.
What just came to your mind as you read the word hamburger? The golden arches? A gourmet stuffed burger with shoestring fries from your favorite upscale restaurant? Something from your personal grill at home?
As you can see, this answer is so very unique to each person. And, it’s only a hamburger!
So what I find even more interesting is how people differ from each other from a perspective point of view.
For example, when I write on my Linked In that I’m very effective, calm, cool and collected in a high stress, high change environment - I’m sure those who read it step back and envision in their minds what that means to them. High stress, to one person, may mean the time they forgot their wallet on a blind date. Another may remember the time they had to pull a kitten out of a burning building.
The definition seems to change depending on who’s reading it and, more importantly, relating to it.
Why does any of this matter?
Because I think quite often those with low expectations or lack of experience use words to puff up their goods to create a buzz or impact that may not have been earned just yet. Their definition of high change environment may not fit at all with the culture of your company.
And on the flip-side, those who are pretty amazing often seem ordinary or have a lack of self-promoting that, at first, may confuse you. Yet as you dig deep you realize, there’s a master among us.
All of this to paint the picture…
Perspective is important. Ask the deeper questions and listen carefully to the answers.
As a PS: have you ever heard a true guru refer to themselves as a guru?
Suppose my next post will be on humility!
