What does this age-old image bring to mind? If you are like most people who attend our trainings where we use this image, you are likely to say, perspective. This image represents that we all have our own perspective on situations, and we must remember that while interacting with others.

My response to that, is yes, you are half-right. This image is so powerful but for a reason that to me, goes beyond simply understanding that we all have different perspectives. The REAL power of this message is that sometimes…we are both right.

All too often, when engaging in situations where we and the other person have different perspectives, ideas or solutions, we enter into that conversation knowing, deep down, that we are SO CLEARLY right. Let’s be honest, if you are looking at that 6, it would be hard to believe that identifying it as a 6 could be wrong. The real mistake that is so often made is assuming that if we are right, the only logical conclusion is that the other person must be wrong. We then spend the conversation working to convince the person we are right. Inevitably, the person we are communicating with attempts to do the same as us, which leaves us communicating at each other instead of with each other.

The power of this image helps to remind us that sometimes we are both right in our ideas, conclusions, and perspectives. It is only when we can reduce the ego in our assuredness that we are right, that we can move from an ‘us vs them’ mentality to a collaborative, productive, problem-solving mindset.

Lindsey Weigle,
Managing Partner