#growth #humility
“Knights’ guide to personal growth is open mindedness” Paul Ebeling
Practicing open mindedness is no a universal characteristic we are born with. Nonetheless, to be effective leaders and managers we have to develop the Key habits of self-reflection, observation, challenging beliefs and questioning perceptions.
For many of us, until something in life looms up to challenge us, we do not make the effort, or we do not realize we should be questioning our habitual paradigms.
The benefits: Being more open-minded means enjoying some useful and powerful benefits, it matters!
Challenging your existing beliefs and considering new ideas can give you fresh insights into the world and also teach you new things about yourself. Have new experiences. Being open to other ideas can also open you up to trying new things. Achieve personal growth.
If you are not open to other ideas and perspectives, it is difficult to see all of the factors that contribute to problems or come up with effective solutions. In an increasingly polarized world, being able to step outside your comfort zone and consider other perspectives and ideas is important.
Findings ways to overcome the confirmation bias can be a great way to cultivate an open mind. Be aware of this bias and look for ways to challenge your existing assumptions to make sure you are not simply cherry-picking information that supports what you already believe to be true.
Give yourself a brief period to consider the arguments and evaluate the evidence. After you hear something, take a few moments to consider the following points before you respond:
- Are your own arguments based upon multiple sources?
- Are you willing to revise your opinion in the face of conflicting evidence?
- Will you hold on to your opinion even if the evidence discounts it?
Open-mindedness requires more cognitive effort than dogmatism. Just being willing to consider other perspectives can be a challenge, but it can be even more difficult when you find yourself having to revise your own beliefs as a result.
Even if you are an expert on a topic, try to keep in mind that the brain is much more imperfect and imprecise than most of us want to admit. As research has shown, being knowledgeable about something can actually contribute to closed-mindedness. Practice humility!
Editor’s notes: If you want to encourage others to be open-minded, avoid arguing and be respectful. This minimizes the risk that the other person will feel attacked or become defensive. Instead, ask questions about how the other person thinks and feels, and then supply questions that might help encourage them to consider other perspectives or ideas.
Even if being open-minded does not come naturally to you, you can work to cultivate a receptive attitude that leaves you open to new perspectives, knowledge, people, and experiences.
Have a happy, prosperous weekend, Keep the Faith!
