Make Your Interactions a Spectator Sport

As we all work through our own self-improvements, we recognize the value of introspection, but have you ever stepped off the field and into the stands to analyze your interactions with others?  It's easy to observe other people's behavior and feel like you have a good understanding why they responded as they did in a given situation.  "Bob must be having a bad day.  He's a real bear this morning." The fact is that the play on the field looks a whole lot different when you look at it from an external perspective.

Sometimes this technique is called "taking a balcony view", and it is used to help you look not through your own eyes as a participant in the situation, but as an external observer who can see their own as well as other's behaviors.  Think about going to the theatre to see a play.  You observe not only the actors, but their costumes, set, and placement on the stage.  It is all of these layers that make up the overall experience and perceptions.

Your challenge this week is to take a balcony view in your next meeting or interaction.  You should pay particular attention to looking not just at others, but try to see yourself on the overall stage.  The key takeaway is to notice how your observations change from your new perspective in the balcony as a patron of the show!

#mondaymover