Creating the Environment
Seeking Diverse Opinions
"I don't expect you to agree with everything I say. But I do expect you to know that I have my own view of things"
- Scottie Waves -
You’ve probably heard it before — seek input, be inclusive, welcome perspectives, collaborate with others. But why? Where does this premise come from and why is this type of inclusion beneficial for individuals, teams, or organizations?
How are people different and how do they get to have differing perspectives can be seen from many angles. There are many preference-based assessments that help us to appreciate this. Although these assessments are merely tools of understanding and not a diagnosis, they do explore diversity of thought and how our individual traits tie into the bigger picture of an organization.
Imagine, for example, an organization made up of one personality type, let’s use the example of extroverted, objective and pragmatic. A team or organization like this could be missing out on the valuable perspectives of introversion, possibility and people orientation. This would inevitably limit your product or service by limiting your ability to provide a solution that has been approached and devised from “all angles.” Decisions and your overall business are limited when perspectives are limited.
An article from Scientific America titled “How Diversity Makes Us Smarter” states that “decades of research by organizational scientists, psychologists, sociologists, economists, and demographers show that socially diverse groups (that is, those with a diversity of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation) are more innovative than homogeneous groups.”
Without diversity of thought, innovation is thwarted, initiatives may stall, and you alone cannot save your organization. You need to approach issues with several perspectives to be able to see the whole truth.
How to create more inclusion
- Stop taking things personally
- Forgive
- Let go and observe
Barriers to Creating More Inclusion of Diverse thought
While seeking input sounds easy enough, many organizations struggle to follow through. Here are some of the barriers that often arise.
- We are afraid our own perspective will not be good enough.
- Your perspective is valid, and it matters, but it is limited by your own experience. There is no way around this fact, and it is true for everyone. Our egos would like us to believe that we have all the answers, or that our way is the best way, and we want to be perceived by others as competent. But there are other people to consider, including the people who your product or service will impact. It is bigger than just you. What we must accept is that someone else in the room may have a better idea, and that is ok.
- We invite the wrong people to the table. What occurs too often is that leaders will invite a select few to the critical conversations, and these “favorites” may not be the only people you need to speak with. Consider who the decision will impact and set hierarchies aside — seek input from various levels, and actively take these alternative perspectives into account when finalizing a decision.
The rewards of overcoming the barriers and creating more inclusion are worth it. Are you ready for the challenge? We may need to move past some ego challenges to get there.
Stop taking things personally
The ego loves to get offended. It loves to feel wounded and thrives on pain and conflict. When we choose to be offended over things we are actively choosing to allow the ego to take hold of our lives and create pain.
If someone does or says something that makes you feel bad, you have two choices. You can engage in conflict, or you can recognize that the trigger within you is an opportunity for your own growth.
Forgive
The ego loves being right. It sustains itself in this way. The problem is it also keeps you from doing what you need to do to move forward. When you forgive, you separate from the need to be “right”.
Let go and observe
Let go of trying to be right, trying to win, trying to be seen, trying to be heard. Instead, observe.
The ego wants to prove itself and jump up and down to get validation. By becoming aware of the ego, and its need to be seen heard and acknowledged, you open space to be seen and heard without expectation.
By observing without expectation, you then see things as they are. In this space, there is also an opportunity to sit back and observe as to who or who is not functioning. These means we let go of controlling people to have our needs met. This is freedom.
Final remark
There is no denying that the ego serves its purpose. But when the ego becomes the dominant process of your mind, you fall out of alignment with your best self. Remember the purpose and intent behind seeking diverse opinions is to increase the number of ideas and unleash the full potential of your team. And we know it is easier to say, but not easy to do! Keep trying and know we you will not always get it right the first time.