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It's possible for an entire team of individuals to be both right and wrong simultaneously. Imagine a group of 6 people who've never seen a Rubik's cube and each person can only see their completed side. The first says "This cube is blue" and another says "This cube is orange" and it continues. Meanwhile, someone else whom everyone trusts is validating that each person is right. Confusion ensues.
Wise leaders won't get angry; they will get curious. Believing the best in their team, they will begin to ask questions, first, to understand what they share in common and then to understand what they don't. They know there aren't just 'two sides' to a situation but that there can be multiple viewpoints. They remember it's possible for each person to be accurate in their personal observations and still be missing a side.
Activating Empathy
In life, and in business, the way forward always involves activating empathy. Empathy is the greatest problem solver for it involves imagining things from another person's perspective. It requires you to be open to the fact that there is likely more to the story than just "your side" of it.
So the next time you find yourself taking a "side" in any situation, just keep the Rubik's cube and remember to start asking questions!
Looking for more small business help?
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The Ultimate Small Business Survival Guide is Here
We've been helping InspireHUB clients not just survive during this time but THRIVE! We collected all of our advice and made it available for FREE as our great big give-back during this difficult time. Included in this FREE Guide:
- Transformation Readiness Assessment
- Practical Marketing Help
- Proven Strategies to Pivot Your Company
At InspireHUB, we’ve been blessed with a network that includes some of the foremost leaders in the world. A few years ago, we had the pleasure of meeting Mark Faust. Mark has over thirty years of experience in helping companies turn around through his company Echelon Management International. The brands he’s helped include John Deere, Apple, Bayer, IBM and P&G. He also helped me personally and professionally with InspireHUB as we morphed to become the company we are today.
His insight and expertise are invaluable, but realistically, the majority of small businesses would never get access to a “Mark” due to the size of their budget. Having someone like Mark literally can be a life-saving exercise for any size business. What impressed me the most about the work Mark and I did together was the bulk of it was not business tactics and strategy; it was about myself as a leader. Understanding what motivated me, where I found my hope, what would INSPIRE me to wake up every day and work on this business.
Here's how Mark helped transform InspireHUB and how he's going to do the same for YOUR small business ...
Leaders have a great deal of weight on their shoulders these days. In a time of great change -- economic, health and our very humanity -- how you communicate is just as important as what you say.
Back in 2018, workplaces replaced neighborhoods and places of worship for our sense of community. We asked ourselves what it meant for companies when professional services firm, EY, revealed that more people get that sense of belonging from their jobs than any other source, outside of their own homes. With the lines between work and home blurring more than ever as pandemic lockdowns morphed the two into the same physical space overnight, the impact of that burden is apparent.
To draw on a truth from our article 3 ways to navigate crisis leadership communications during COVID-19: no amount of practice prepares you for the very human challenges of a pandemic. People are stressed and afraid. They’re suffering losses and dealing with uncertainty. When people are compromised, communicating with empathy and compassion is more important than ever. The most important part of your business continuity plan is the wellness of your people.