Perspective blindness – why companies are being left behind.

The world is moving faster than ever and businesses need to better anticipate what lies ahead. But spotting opportunities and overcoming challenges often requires thinking differently.

Differing perspectives in a team can boost, challenge and elevate ideas. Because diverse teams possess a unique strength: collective intelligence. It’s not about individual brilliance, it’s about how many different perspectives the team has.

Here’s an example of how narrow perspectives can be misleading. In Karlskoga, Sweden snow-clearing schedules were originally designed by men commuting to the office. They prioritised roads over pavements and bike paths. But data showed pedestrians were three times more likely to be injured in icy conditions than drivers. The officials who drew up the snow clearing schedule used their own experiences of how they travelled and unintentionally overlooked the needs of other commuters. Reframing this perspective showed that clearing pedestrian paths first significantly reduced injuries and healthcare costs.

Diverse perspectives uncover blind spots and help you critically evaluate plans and see past the obvious. When deciding on a strategic direction or initiating new innovations, diverse perspectives can be crucial.

Here are three ways to broaden your team’s perspective:

1. Practice perspective swaps: swap roles or spend time shadowing others. This can shift your point of view to gain a new understanding of a situation. It’s been used successfully to resolve conflicts by helping teams understand each other's challenges and resolve the issues that caused conflict.

2. Immerse yourself in a different culture: spend time in a culture that is very different from your own. For example, if you grew up in an individualist culture (like North America), spend time in a collectivist culture (like parts of Asia). Explore how your views on a particular subject may differ from theirs (how people feel about tipping, for example).

3. Read fiction or watch movies: fiction immerses us in the perspectives of characters from other backgrounds. This helps us appreciate different points of view and the challenges people face. Stretch your perspective to include characters whom you would normally not agree with. The key is to identify the main reason why their thought patterns result in particular behaviours.

By embracing diverse perspectives, you can create smarter solutions, more adaptable teams and greater growth.