Are You Willing To Be Influenced?

Oftentimes we come to the table ready to share our ideas and assume that others will absolutely agree with us. When they don’t, we may speak louder and defend our position stronger. By plotting our response, we don't even listen to each other's ideas. Many of us are known to emotionally turn off and at times even get aggressive so we can shut them down and “win.” Is that even right?

Why do we always have to be right? Why do we feel our ideas are so much better? And why are we so afraid to consider what they have to say?

How about going into your next meeting with the sole intention of being influenced? Bring an open mind and no preconceived notions. Create opportunities to consider ideas you otherwise would have rejected. And envision the possibilities when looking at ideas from different angles and viewpoints. Wow! Who knows what can be achieved?

Imagine… finding even greater success by letting other's ideas influence our own.

Team Exercise:

Try an "idea swap" at your next meeting by having team members defend each other's ideas.

• Will they find it difficult to be influenced by an idea they didn't generate?

• By defending a new idea, will they now see the pros as well as the cons? In turn, will they see the cons their own ideas may have?

• Is it possible to take the best features of both ideas to come up with one big, perfect and extraordinary idea? You bet!

Be Curious, not judgmental. -Walt Whitman