In both our personal and
professional lives, we proceed through our days with perceptions of ourselves
within the context of the larger world, and we act accordingly.
We
have no other choice. Because we are only human, our unique point of view
necessarily limits our perceptions: i.e., what our own five senses provide us
in terms of information, input, and people’s reactions to us and what we say
and do.
On
those occasions when we can broaden our perspective by adding those of others,
our eyes are opened. And though we may not always be pleased or comfortable to
learn these kinds of truths, our ability to live in the world and work with
other people has nevertheless been significantly expanded and improved.
The
same holds true in the realm of corporate communications. At the start of a new
assignment, our client liaison provides us an overview of the company and the
challenges it faces – in particular, the challenges for which we have been
retained to help solve.
Yet,
as well informed as she/he may be, the liaison can give us but one perspective.
It’s not surprising, then, that our best work happens when we are able to
launch new assignments with the benefit of additional perspectives and
insights, which we do through a number of means, not the least of which is
talking to as many people as possible, both inside and outside the
organization.
This
is not to say that the liaison is wrong or ill-informed. In fact, our client
contacts are usually among the best informed in the companies we work with,
because they’re usually in a senior communications role, which demands that
they stay well connected and current.
Limited Perspective
Even so, the perspective of one
person who resides in one part of any organization is necessarily limited and
influenced by where that person sits and whom she/he listens to and respects.
Even
the CEO is not immune to this shortcoming. In our years of working with a range
of corporate leaders, some have been very conscious of this challenge of
perceptions and perspectives, and effective at dealing with it directly. Others
have not, carrying an arrogant attitude that says, “I know what the truth is.”
The
CEO of a former client, a global airline, made it a central part of his job to
reach out regularly to the company’s many stakeholders: employees, paying
customers, FAA regulators, stockholders, etc.
Once,
we were visiting their headquarters and, when we went to lunch in the company
cafeteria, I spotted the CEO sitting at a table with a half-dozen employees.
When I remarked on it, my host said that that was the CEO’s habit when he was
in the headquarters office. He would simply pull up a chair at a table and dine
with employees. He would talk to them, listen to them, answer their questions,
and share ideas.
We
were told that he did the same when he traveled, always building into his
schedule sufficient time at the airports around the world to talk to ground
crews, customer service reps, and aircraft crew. He flew both coach and first
class, and quizzed adjacent passengers about their experiences with the
airline.
As
it is with us when we start an assignment by immersing ourselves in multiple
perspectives, a CEO like this one is going to be smarter and better connected
to the core truths of his organization, as well as the ways that it evolves.
He
will often sense impending changes before anyone else does. He has no illusions
about the forces that impact the health of his company, and doesn’t have to
rely on a buffer zone of advisors, assistants and, dare I say, yes-men.
Consequently, he can operate more effectively, and make better-informed and
timelier decisions based on reality.
There’s
an additional advantage of his reaching out. Because he makes the ongoing
effort to extend himself and listen to his company’s key stakeholders, he
operates with their support and trust – which is perhaps his greatest asset in
doing his job.
This
holds true whenever we seek to broaden our own self-perception by folding in
additional perspectives. When we do so, we envelope greater truths beyond our
own world view and bring ourselves closer to the ultimate reality, building
greater trust among our peers along the way.
