In
FYI: For Your Improvement: A Guide For Development and Coaching, authors Lombardo and Eichinger suggest perspective is one of the more important determining factors for success.
“Ideas, perspectives and strategies don’t come from raw intelligence or creativity. They come from a prepared mind, one broadened by lots of varied but disconnected experiences, exposures and interests. The broadest people usually win because they have a greater repertoire to draw from and more chances to make unusual connections to new ideas, cultures, events, etc.”
To increase your perspective, they then go on to recommend you and your family take Perspective Adventures.
Paraphrasing here:
Visit new places, try new foods. Go to different sporting, community, or cultural events; places where you’ll meet people you normally wouldn’t. “Each week, you and your family should go on a perspective adventure.”
In the workplace, this might mean you encourage your employees to take courses on topics totally unrelated to their current role…or your business. Make room for hobbies, discussion groups, etc.
You may find quiet Betty in accounting is actually a huge heavy metal fan. Tim plays the steel drums in a Caribbean-themed Beach Boys cover band. Marco is heavy into fencing. Sally competes with her prize poodle in regional dog shows.
These outside, seemingly disparate interests could bring a wonderful, unexpected interest in a problem you’re trying to solve with the latest product release.
Again, from FYI:
“During World War II, the military discovered the most creative groups were those where the members had little or nothing in common, and knew little about the issue. Their freewheeling approach yielded fresher solutions…. Take a current challenge to the most disparate group you can find (a historian, a college student, a theologian, a salesperson, a plumber, etc.) and see what insights they have into it.”
You’ll walk by Peterson’s office tomorrow to find him playing the pan flute and dancing a lively jig.
Let him play.
You might need it.
(You probably won’t, but just in case.)
