It’s a Question of Perspective

Recently a friend was praising the head of his division, who was new to the company.  My friend had been working in this division for many years.  Right away the new leader asked my friend “What’s your perspective on the company as a whole and on my organization?  What do you see as the important issues that I need to address?”  These questions took my friend completely by surprise.  

“Why?” I asked him.  “It makes perfect sense that a new leader would want to know this.”

“Well, she’s the first new leader in all my experience with this company who has bothered to ask me!  Our interactions just focus on their to-do list or the project at hand.  Ignoring all knowledge and insight I’ve gleaned over the years.”

This made me think about all the people inside and outside of our organizations who have valuable ideas and perspectives and how we often don’t take the time to learn from them. 

So I’d like to challenge you to get curious!  Make a short list of people (no more than 5) whose perspective you’d value hearing – people who have a history with the company, ones with depth and breadth of experience.  They can be employees inside or outside your function, customers, and/or contractors.

Email them, call them, walk into their office, add some time to your next one-on-one – whatever works – and ask them those same simple, powerful questions:

What’s your perspective on the company and on my organization?
What do you see as the important issues that I need to address?

You’ll get a two-for-one benefit.  You’ll build a bond with them and learn things you might not have known.