Limiting thoughts nurture limiting words and actions that render little.
Should you find yourself closing down toward someone, that is an excellent time to ask yourself these questions.
- What am I not aware of in this moment? Remain patient and allow insights to occur to you in their own time.
- How can I respond to the other person by choosing to become curious? Demonstrate curiosity about what impassions this person rather than the topic alone.
- How does this person’s experience resonate with me? Rather than dismissing and limiting your thoughts or opinions, identify with whatever engages you. Ex: Golf may not resonate. Being outside may!
There are numerous benefits of openness in the workplace:
- Discover new perspectives. Those from different backgrounds from us tend to think differently or see a situation from a different angle. When you are open, you can hear ideas without prejudice and develop more than just your one point of view.
- Promotes a friendly and collaborative environment. Being open means not taking things personally. It means open communication and the capacity for trust and teamwork.
- Contributes to flexibility and teamwork. Openness encourages new perspectives and open-minded thinking. In addition to expanding your knowledge base, it will help you work well with others – a valuable soft skill in any environment.
- Willingness to take risks. When you work in an open environment, you are more likely to feel comfortable expressing your opinions, and your authentic self will shine through.
- Nurture leadership skills. Openness is a valuable leadership quality, so when you are ready to take the next step up the corporate ladder, being open is worthy of your portfolio of skills and behaviors.
- Builds trust. As we open up to others, they are more likely to open up to us. Similar to taking risks, experiencing others taking risks builds our own faith in what we are capable of as well. When we discover that our environment is open to risk, we trust more in what we may have to contribute to it.