Point of View

Human beings have one interesting attribute. We all have our own point of views about the subjects that concern us. Often the source of these differences is our current situation, upbringing, past experiences and other factors. 

These differences generate great ideas, create chaos – even wars.

All of us have travelled by trains. You would have observed that the town which looked so familiar to you when travelling in a car looks so different from the train. We even find it difficult to recognize some of the most common localities.

It is due to the different points of views in the two cases. The same place appears differently from different vantage points – both correct, yet different.

Imagine a car driver being guided by a person in a Helicopter. The person on the Helicopter can guide the car to the roads that appear free. From his position (hopefully high up in the sky), the person in the Helicopter cannot see if the free road has potholes or has any other issues. It is really up to the driver to ascertain the motorability of the road; once he is directed to a road. 

This is true about real life. The person on the shop floor / help desk sees the world or the problems in a different way than the executive. Who is right? Well, both. We need to approach the situation with a judicious mix of multiple views.  Many people profess middle path – very socialist – but beware, they might end up nowhere! 

Most resilient organizations imbibe a culture that allows multiple points of view to be tabled and discussed in a positive fashion.  The decisions thus taken are well informed and prepared.

It would be worthwhile to evaluate if you are blind to some important viewpoints in your personal or professional life. You could be missing on some great things, just because you did not bother to flip the coin and check out the other side!