There is a common problem that business owners and leaders run into—limited vision. We all have our perspectives, which influence how we think about things around us and how we make our decisions. In general, people tend to surround themselves with others who think like them. It’s comfortable.
But the problem is that growth occurs outside of the comfort zone. Gaining new perspectives from others can help transform you and your business in many ways. Here are a few examples of how it can impact your business.
New perspectives can give you a clearer view of your big picture
Working in your business day in and day out can make it difficult to see the big picture. Many leaders and business owners are stuck working “in” their business instead of “on” their business. You’re missing the big picture when you only look at the small details. When that happens, you lose sight of goals, and it becomes easy to veer off course.
However, the perspective of someone not in the business can help clear things up for you. This perspective could come from a new hire who sees something for the first time or a coach who is not directly in your business. These individuals can shine a light on areas you may have neglected while you had your head down working.
New perspectives can help you see the value in what you offer
Many talented individuals don’t realize or forget the value of their work. Once you are in the business for a while and it becomes second nature, you quickly forget that not everyone has the same knowledge. Not everyone knows the things that you know. Not everyone has the product or service that you sell. Your clients need you and your business.
When you forget that, you can unintentionally start undervaluing what you provide. Then, this can lead to issues like undercharging or taking on the wrong clients. Bringing a new perspective into the organization can help you realize the value you can offer to others.
New perspectives can help you identify your blind spots
You’ve likely heard the saying, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” This is entirely true in business and every area of life. You will miss things if you never bring in new perspectives and only work off the information you know.
You may be missing a prime opportunity to provide additional services or improve the client experience with your company. Or, you may not realize new ways to improve cash flow or that one of your employees is entirely the wrong fit for their position.
Leaders must never become comfortable thinking they know all there is to know. You can always learn something to help you find and fix your blind spots and the things you’re missing in business.
New perspectives can help you see things in a new way
If everyone on your team has the same opinions on things, you may be missing out on opportunities to improve, expand, and grow. People with different backgrounds and perspectives can help you see things you would never have noticed otherwise.
There is a lot to be learned from the lived experience of others. Years ago, I worked at a bank. We were trained on what to do if a robbery occurred. We were to hit the alarm and lock the doors as soon as the robber left. Then, every teller was to get out their robbery packet (there was probably a more technical name for this packet, but I can’t remember it.)
In the packet were papers that walked us through questions to cover every detail of what happened. There were questions about what the person looked like, sounded like, and the weapon if one was used. There was a lot. But there was one essential rule we were to follow—we weren’t allowed to talk to each other about any of the details until we had finished recording our answers. Why?
Because multiple people can experience the same thing and remember different details about it. We all have different perspectives. I might have noticed something about the clothing, while someone else might have seen hair color. If we had talked before recording our details, we might have started to confuse each other.
Each person has important information they gain from their perspective about the events in the world. Getting different people with different backgrounds and perspectives at the table in your organization provides valuable information you can’t gain any other way.
The perspective of a business coach
A business coach can help you and your team overcome growth obstacles. A coach brings business knowledge and experience while being a step removed from your business. This allows them to see things from a big-picture view without being influenced by normal emotions within a company.
Learn more about how a SPEARity business coach can help you and your business grow today.
