Lately I have often realized that there is somehow not anymore time to understand. Job candidates, colleagues, those you supervise… I believe it is due to two factors, appearing to me, at least… No time really and possibly tiredness & resignation. This happened to me in services, people ask you for something or a question while you purchase or try to purchase an item and they do not follow through for the answer. They just let go. Why is that? Why do we do that? Are we too stressed, too overloaded? Do we allow ourselves enough time to think, understand the motivations of others or we simply think that is a luxury which we cannot have? It might be very much so. I can relate to some extent. The way I know myself, I will eventually always follow through, because otherwise it would just stay with me. I like to understand the other motivations, other way of thinking if I already start a conversation, cooperation, etc. Without it I do not really move in life. Often I consider myself thinking differently than others. Sometimes I am proven wrong at this thought, as I see that we are all humans with similar culture and I find the similarities. It could also happen that we just assume. Assume that we would do something differently or we are different than others. Assumption is possibly good way to train the brain, but we shall never fully trust it. It can be very wrong. Sometimes it can be right. However, we need to always remember that it is ASSUMPTION. We could start discussing the saying “walking in somebody else´s shoes” and it is surely so. We will never fully understand the other people, because we did not walk in their shoes. What I would like to do is to keep and maybe further follow through to understand. Finding the time, even if few minutes. Recruiters? Looking at someone´s LinkedIn profile or simple CV does create some picture, but often might not be good enough to understand fully. Also, questioned people might not tell you some day what they would guide you trough another day. It might be very difficult to get to understand the candidates enough to make a right choice. Managers? If you manage people, it might mean, they tell you enough practical information, but managers are usually perceived as authority and employee might be hesitant to not say too much. Hence, might also very well not be understood by manager. Not even saying, that every of us has a personality, some experience, assumptions… Leaders? Usually, if people really follow through as leaders and are not only stating they are one, they learn continuously the techniques how to think, brainstorm, reflect and deep dive with real interest. Out of this they do lead people by example and truly do their best to encourage them and finding the way together. Let´s say the Understanding is the mission of a leader. It could be Mount Everest, too :) This is what I would apply myself:
Let´s see how it goes :)