Perspective-Taking and Mentalizing:  How to Change the Ordinary into Extraordinary to Supercharge Business, Part 2

How we look at and think about things matters a lot.  Our thoughts make a HUGE difference in our attitude, energy, creativity and enthusiasm.  And, in business, one’s perspective can either overlook a problem or shed light on solving it.  It can cause someone to do the same-old same-old or spark an epiphany.  One’s perspective – the way the person looks at a task — can avoid change or it can lead to a break-through idea. 

Changing perspective is just as important.  Sometimes, a change in one’s perspective can inspire an insight that leads to an innovation.  Changing perspective can help executives step into a customer or employee’s shoes.  It can be the game-changer that pushes a business to a new level of success.  Stepping into someone else’s shoes to get their point of view is called Perspective-Taking.  It’s like wearing different “perspective glasses” to view a situation.  It also prompts one to actively seek out other viewpoints rather than presuming to know best. 

Perspective-Taking goes hand-in-hand with Mentalizing.  Mentalizing essentially means the ability to understand and interpret the mental state (thoughts, feelings, beliefs, motives) of oneself and others. It’s stepping into someone else’s shoes to see the world from their cognitive and emotional viewpoint, not just physical.  It opens the door to asking questions and really listening to diverse voices.  It’s like having a team of “cultural translators” whispering insights in one’s ear.  Combined, Mentalizing and Perspective-Taking are superpowers that can not only boost the bottom line but also empower a team.  How?

1. People who are open to Perspective-Taking and Mentalizing become better decision makers.  They can catch potential blind spots in plans early, avoid costly mistakes, and tap into innovative ideas that might have otherwise been missed.  Leaders who are good at Perspective-Taking and Mentalizing make choices that resonate with more people, from employees to customers. 
2. Mentalizing and Perspective-Taking also help build stronger teams.  These skills help build trust, foster collaboration, and reduce conflict by understanding individual needs and motivations.  Someone who is good at Perspective-Taking and Mentalizing is like a symphony conductor steering individual talents into a harmonious symphony.  Employees who work for someone who is Perspective-Taking and Mentalizing usually feel valued and understood.  This boosts morale, productivity, and loyalty. Employees then go the extra mile because they feel empowered and appreciated.
3. Perspective-Taking and Mentalizing also enhance creativity.  Diverse points of view spark innovation and help solve problems outside the box.  A team who actively seeks to see, feel and understand other perspectives typically generates better solutions.
4. Last, but not least, Perspective-Taking and Mentalizing improve customer relationships.  It helps one understand customer needs and preferences better, leading to happier customers and higher sales.  For example, by stepping into a customer’s shoes, a salesperson can tailor offerings that resonate more deeply for each customer.

What is important to remember is that Perspective-Taking and Mentalizing are skills, not magic tricks.  They can be honed through intentional active listening, asking open-ended questions, seeking diverse viewpoints and being open to new ways of thinking.  But, Perspective-Taking and Mentalizing are not necessarily about agreeing. It’s about understanding. Even if one doesn’t agree with the other point of view, respecting different perspectives fosters collaboration and learning.  It can prompt a healthy debate where everyone is heard, not judged.

Embracing Perspective-Taking and Mentalizing

Given how invaluable it is, how does a leader get the team to embrace Perspective-Taking and Mentalizing?  Neuroscience data shows that investing time and energy in social interaction changes the brain in ways that should enhance Perspective-Taking. Several studies conducted at Oxford University found that the social brain network — which includes areas of the brain involved in Perspective-Taking and Mentalizing — in monkeys grew when the animals were challenged with learning how to get along with larger numbers of social partners.

Also, people with larger and better-connected social brain networks were actually found to have more friends. A study conducted by Tania Singer’s team in Germany showed that, just like in monkeys, the social brain network grew in response to nine months of exercises that included Perspective-Taking and Mentalizing. Thus, the part of the brain that deals with Perspective-Taking and Mentalizing is like a muscle: the more you use it, the stronger it gets.

How to Exercise Perspective-Taking and Mentalizing Muscles

For leaders and managers seeking to unlock this power, here are actionable steps:

1. Encourage team members to reflect on recent, specific examples of Perspective-Taking and share it with colleagues.  Then encourage them to visualize potential situations in the future when they might benefit from Perspective-Taking and Mentalizing (e.g., a conversation at a business meeting).  Have them pay particular attention to details and write them down. These exercises should be repeated bi-weekly.  These procedures are useful because imagination and memory can activate brain regions similar to those activated during a real experience.  The brain learns to repeat thoughts and actions that lead to good outcomes, even if the experiences are imagined or remembered. In essence, the human brain is nature’s greatest statistical pattern learning device.  The more Perspective-Taking and Mentalizing skills are exercised (whether remembered, imagined, or real), the more it is reinforced. Over time, Perspective-Taking and Mentalizing are likely to become more automatic.
2. Another stimulating activity is to have them draw a problem or an opportunity in the form of a picture.
3. Ask the team to have conversations with strangers about taking someone else’s perspective or stepping into their emotional or cognitive shoes. 
4. Have team members change their perspective literally by standing on a chair or ladder.  Ask them to describe what they see and how that perspective might inspire a new way of doing a task or a solution to a problem.
5. Ask team members to read a novel that transports one into the mind of a character.  This also seems to activate the Perspective-Taking and Mentalizing networks. 
6. Ask team members to question the “way things have always been done” and encourage them to ask others – such as clients — to do the same.
7. Ask colleagues to embrace a failure.  Ask them to view setbacks as opportunities to learn and change their perspective, iterating on ideas and approaches, and share this with the group.
8. Have the team shift their perspective from a negative to a positive one on something that is controversial (intentionally), such as the rollout of a new software or move to a new office space.  Have them acknowledge the negativity and identify the negative thoughts and feelings attached to the situation.  Then have them challenge the assumptions.  Are these thoughts based on facts or interpretations? Can they see the situation from a different angle?  Ask them to then look for potential silver linings or opportunities within the situation. How could this challenge present a learning experience or growth opportunity?  Finally ask them to reframe the narrative by rewriting the story they were telling themselves about the situation vs. how they see it now.  They should focus on empowering language and potential solutions.  They should answer this question:  Based on your reframed perspective, what actions can you take to improve the situation?  Doing this exercise repeatedly over time can exercise that other-perspective mentality in the brain.

By embracing a culture of Perspective-Taking and Mentalizing, businesses can escape the clutches of routine and unlock extraordinary potential. Whether seeking solutions, nurturing innovation, or understanding customers and employees better, the key to business transformation often lies in a simple change of view. So, challenge assumptions, seek diverse perspectives, and get ready to witness the ordinary become extraordinary.

Quote of the Week

“The greatest tragedy for any human being is going through their entire lives believing the only perspective that matters is their own.”
Stephen R. Covey

© 2024, Keren Peters-Atkinson. All rights reserved.

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