"What's it like to be on the other side of you?"
This question stopped me in my tacks when I heard a friend ask it recently.
I don't think there was a specific agenda or situation they were asking it about, but it's a fantastic question (which I believe may have come from the insightful speaker & author Ryan Leak https://lnkd.in/gdSUseMC)
The truth is I see my day through my eyes. How I show up at meetings. With my teammates. With our organizations partners.
But what is it like to be on the other side of me? Receiving my emails? Listening to my ideas? Being a sounding board for my frustrations? On the other side of my requests?"
What does it feel like to work with me? Are people excited to work together? Do they just put up with me? Do they try to avoid me?
It's a sobering question really. And it's one worth asking myself and reflecting on the answers.
Taking it one step further, what if I asked my teammates that question? The honest ones who genuinely care for me and want the best for me. What would they say it's like being on the other side of Mike Penninga?
I want to be a lifelong learner and to grow in each season of my life. And that means being okay with the tough questions and responses that may actually sting a bit. But that's how we get better when we become aware.
So this week, as you show up in many places and spaces and situations, keep that question at the front of your mind. What is it like to be on the opposite side of you? The good and the bad. I am confident we will be better teammates and employees and managers when we care enough to reflect on how we are showing up and the impact we are having on those around us.