Summary: Lara Ewing discusses the value of looking at situations from another person’s perspective. She talks about the invisible skills people do not realize that they have. To download this podcast, click here Lara Ewing, author of The Art of Connecting, talks about the invisible skills that successful people don’t even realize they have. More specifically, these skills make you able to be incredibly adaptable, to learn from experience, and to accurately and rapidly shift your point of view inside your head. Stepping into someone’s shoes when there is a difference in opinion and taking a mental view of that person’s situation gives enormous information on how to communicate with that person and effectively resolve the differences. This ability happens instantly and unconsciously, and can be developed by practicing. The key is to try to understand where others are coming from, why they have a certain view, and why it opposes your own. Lara suggests that differences in opinions can result from a difference in backgrounds, experiences, or personalities. Also, she suggests that you try to see the situation from a third party’s point of view by detaching yourself and taking the emotion out of the situation. This skill could help a member of Generation Y communicate better with a Boomer. It can also be used to filter feedback and take the important pieces of a message and use them, rather than be just be hurt. Lara’s final message is that being able to adopt different perspectives is the most important skill in developing your career. Lara Ewing has 25 years experience in helping individuals and organizations improve business performance. She has coached over 100 CEOs and senior executives in more than 20 Fortune 500 companies on six continents. Clients have credited her with saving their organizations, key client relationships, partnerships and sanity. They rely on her expertise to assist them in rapidly understanding and maximizing their impact on organizational results by focusing their attention and efforts on the key people, systems and external factors necessary to shift to break through barriers. Lara is co-author of The Art of Connecting, published by the American Management Association (AMACOM). Like this podcast, why not share it?
