Understanding other people’s perspectives

A successful business is one that has a leadership team with different perspectives. Each person on the team brings their own unique viewpoint to the table, which helps the company make better decisions and optimize outcomes for the overall business.

However, this can only happen if everyone is able to communicate effectively and understand each other’s viewpoints. Everyone needs to be on the same page and understand other people’s perspectives whilst working together towards a common goal.

In this lesson, we will discuss why it is important for the CFO to understand other people’s perspectives, and we will provide some techniques for how you can do this.

As the CFO, you are responsible for the financial health of the company. This means that you need to be able to make sound decisions based on data and analytics. However, it is not enough to only look at the numbers – you also need to understand how other people within the organization think and feel about the situation. After all, numbers don’t always tell the whole story.

In addition, your board level leadership role requires you to actively participate in many conversations covering different aspects of the business. Whilst you will no doubt have your own views, so will many other people.

Importance

There are a few reasons why it is important for you to understand other people’s perspectives:

• It allows you to make better decisions. When you know how other people feel about a certain issue, you can take their opinions into account and make a decision that is best for everyone involved.
• It helps you build trust. If people feel like you understand them and their perspective, they are more likely to trust you and feel comfortable working with you.
• It makes you a better leader. When you can see things from other people’s point of view, you can better motivate and inspire them to achieve collective success.

It is essential that you dedicate time towards understanding other people’s view and addressing their concerns so that they feel properly listened to.

Understanding other perspectives

Here are three ways that you can start understanding other people’s perspectives:

1. Talk to people directly. The best way to understand someone is to talk to them directly. Ask them questions about their opinions and feelings, and really listen to what they have to say.
2. Do your research. If you can’t talk to someone directly, try doing some research on the issue at hand. Look at it from different angles and try to understand all sides of the story.
3. Put yourself in their shoes. When you are trying to understand someone else’s perspective, it can be helpful to imagine yourself in their situation. What would you think and feel if you were in their position?

These techniques will help you to consider things from other people’s view and may even help to further develop your own thoughts.

Summary

By taking the time to understand other people’s perspectives, you will be able to make better decisions, build trust, and become a more effective leader. So next time you’re faced with a decision, take a step back and try to see things from other people’s point of view – it just might surprise you what you learn.