My client was struggling.
As a family, they were at a stalemate on how to move the family business forward. Things were going well – they had been for years – but as the family CEO neared retirement, it was time to determine the best path forward for their family and the business.
The implications were significant given the impact their decisions would have on the communities they lived and worked in, and the hundreds of employees whose lives would be affected.
After rounds of discussions, I asked them to take 20-minutes, alone, and consider the following:
- Think about two individuals you deeply respect (mentors, coaches, father/mother-figures) and after channeling them as much as possible, stand in their shoes and think about how they would approach the situation and what they would do.
- Think about two leaders you don’t know but who have been wildly successful in their respective careers. Channel them and think about how they would approach the situation and what they would do.
- Think about two characters from a book, movie, or TV show who are completely unlike you, but who you think are fascinating characters. Channel them and think about how they would approach the situation and what they would do – even if silly, insane, impractical, or otherwise.
As you can imagine, I’ve been challenged and (nearly) ridiculed by clients on the value of this exercise, however, in almost every instance it has proven an effective tool to unlocking insights that have helped drive a decision.
Even the most open-minded people I know, struggle to to step out of their own perspective and see things from other angles, especially when frustrated or faced with conflicting perspectives that challenge our deeply held positions. However, if you can channel – deeply – someone else and imagine the situation from their POV, new insights emerge.
Open yourself up to a new POV and start channelling your mentor, Warren Buffett, Mother Theresa, Logan Roy, or even Fred Flintstone, you never know what insights they can offer to you on your journey.
