Hi everybody, I’m Mike Staver. This is Mondays with Mike, a weekly video series where I answer questions from people just like you. Don’t be shy – send us your questions! Here’s this week’s question:
Mike, I want to take a stand for what I think is right, but I do not want to be perceived as irrational or deaf to other perspectives. What do you suggest?
Well, first of all, acknowledge that it is YOUR perspective and your perspective alone. If it was somebody else’s perspective, or you thought everybody in the world needed your perspective, then that would be a problem; you would be tone-deaf and you would seem irrational.
Now, there are certain stands we can all take, right? We can all take a stand for what’s right, we can take a stand for what’s moral or just. Just be careful that you don’t see your perspective as the only perspective. If 2020 has taught us anything it is that there are a lot of ways to see the world, and there’s a lot of energy around it. So be very careful about being rigid in your stand.
When you speak about your perspective say these words: “This is just my perspective. I am aware that there is information or there are things I may not be considering in the context of my sharing with you.”
Here’s the thing you have to do if you’re going to be successful. You’ve got to be willing to consider other people’s points of view without necessarily agreeing with them. One of the challenges we face in business, in society, at home, in our churches, mosques, synagogues, community groups, etc. is we don’t listen enough to multiple perspectives. So, the way to prove you’re not deaf is to listen. The easiest way to prove you’re not biased is to consider other viewpoints and validate them as potentially real as well (as long as they’re not completely illegal, irrational, immoral, something like that). The proof of a lack of deafness is your ability to hear others.
I hope that’s helpful! Until next time, take care.
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