I recently read an article about a personal trainer who gained 80 lbs for the purpose of understanding how it felt to be obese, experiencing the stigma and ridicule as well as the physical realities of not being able to fit into his clothes and struggling to exercise. He also wanted to see what it was like to face the daunting task of losing all that weight. His hope was that these experiences would help him be a better trainer to his obese clients, because he would truly understand what it felt like to be in their shoes.
The common saying referred to as the “Golden Rule” tells us that we should “do unto others as we would have others do unto us.” Although I totally agree with that saying, I would recommend taking it one step further and trying to understand where other people are coming from. Learn about them and about their goals and challenges. You may not actually put yourself in their circumstances as that trainer did, but you can still gain a much better understanding of what it is like to be that person.
Being patient and lowering your expectations of people will also help you see things more clearly. A long time ago I learned that this is an excellent strategy to use in business, especially with client relations. As you get to know a client and learn about their needs, place yourself in their shoes and constantly focus on doing what is best for them. You’ll be surprised at how often that ends up yielding results that are very good for you as well.
This strategy seems really obvious, so why don’t we do this more often? Generally our egos get in the way. We want other people to cut us slack and be patient with us, but we are too busy or self-centered to offer them the same courtesy. We use our circumstances as an excuse whenever we can, yet we criticize others for “making excuses” when they do the same thing.
This week, take a moment to think about someone in your life. It could be a family member, a client or even someone you don’t like at all. Try to put aside your feelings about that person for a moment and put yourself in their shoes. What are their thoughts and goals? Imagine looking at yourself from this person’s perspective.
I’m a firm believer that the more we focus on trying to look at the world from other perspectives, the more successful we will be at relating to other people and the richer our personal and business relationships will be.
Have a great weekend,
Ro