While you are busy working on your project, idea, initiative, it is natural to get engrossed and form opinions of what’s the best – especially for the users. Experts at work, believe they are the ones who have the liberty to decide, push and get-it-done – as they perceive to be thinking and acting in favor of the recipient. When you are the expert, you tend to ignore the feelings and perspectives of the user as you are doing the job the way it is required, in good faith of making it useful for the recipient.
You can relate to the actions of an expert doctor and reactions of a patient and his/ her family. Though patient and the family feel and resist a procedure, a specialist might go-ahead or threaten with the consequences of missing the same. As an expert, specialist, it is good to stand-in for what’s good from the technical point-of-view. But the perspective gaps this creates has an adverse effect on the whole process and mostly the result. As an intrapreneur, while you propose a solution, idea or a business that you think is the best and your sponsors, peers, and others reject the same, you tend to ask the question – what do they really know about what I am proposing? I’m the expert. Not anyone out there. You fall into the perspective gap and let your performance suffer. This affects relationships and what you intended to build.
When you encounter these perspective gaps, it is important to fill them, bridge them and cross-over. Putting yourself in other people’s shoes is one way of doing it. Role-plays and one-on-one discussions help too. When you are convinced about your solution, it is important that you convince all those – who should support and receive that solution. Avoid using authority and expert label. Adopt a consultative selling approach. Remember – the value of your expertise and solution is in the acceptance and use of it. Bridge the perspective gap and make your craft remarkable.
be a #dreamerdoer