Stepping out of the Echo chamber

"We don't get harmony when everybody sings the same note"  
                                              Steve Goodier

When it comes to finance, politics, and corporate culture conformity is rewarded. There is a homogenous way of thinking almost to the level of military precision. There is a reason for this. It serves a purpose to have everyone moving in the same direction with a swiftness and efficiency that does not leave room for questions and debate in order to take direct action. 

Charismatic leaders and people who have been cultivated in a culture of dogmatic thinking have strong monolithic thought bubbles which they thrive in. Why would they bother to hear from others who don't have what they have? There is a saying that 'if you do what they do, you will get what they have'. So be discerning about which opinions and voices that you let into your mind. Your mind is a temple treat it as such, however, it can also lead to a blind spot and that blind spot can cost you. Sometimes that blind spot can be catastrophic. There is value in asking the question "What am I not seeing?" 

It takes courage to open up and hear what may not be comfortable nor convenient. And it takes a level of bravery in order to take in information from a new point of view. However, as we learn from one another and give value to all voices and perspectives we find out how those lived experiences align with our core values. We may believe that we are living our core values until we choose to take a broadened view to understand the impact our actions have on others and whether or not they have the intended effect on the extended community and the individuals it is comprised of. Are actions actually solving problems? Or are the actions merely cumbersome and performative to feel that we have some sort of control over the inevitable chaos and risk that is inherent in living life in this modern age? 

There will always be risk in life. There will always be elements of chaos and there will always be humans trying to mitigate that risk. We all look at problem-solving in different ways given our life training and lived experiences. We have grown up with discussions of "us" and "them" in one form or fashion. We have learned to devalue certain perspectives given the group that we are a part of. Some of this has to do with survival. Some with priorities and preference. It really doesn't matter how we got there. What matters is what we do with this information. 

It is important to take a step back and look around at the people who are around you. Particularly as a leader. Is it a little too comfortable? Who is your dissenting voice in the crowd and how are they treated? Are they invited and welcomed to the conversation? Is there a sense of emotional safety in order to speak freely? If you have a monolithic and uniform perspective are you exposing yourself by not taking in the full picture? 

When we talk about investing or taking a day trade, we talk about looking at things with multiple timeframe analysis and take in the perspectives of colleagues to make a fully-informed decision. At least with all the best information that we have in the moment. For example, if you take a one-minute trade without taking in overall market sentiment or bias you can find yourself in a very bad place. That is a level of risk that can be seen as reckless or foolish. Yet, so many make decisions based off lack of diverse information. It is one thing to look around a table and see different kinds of faces and that is wonderful! It needs to be taken a step further however, if all of those faces are saying exactly the same thing in exactly the same way then something needs to be looked into further. None of us have had the same experience therefore there should be some different ideas coming to the table. It is in this rich soil of experience that the best decisions are grown.

What are you missing?

What aren't you seeing?

What is another way that we can go about this?

What impact are our actions having on others?

What is the cost of that impact?
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What is the feeling people leave with after interacting with your brand?

These are just a few of the questions that can be addressed in order to focus on co-creation of a more fulfilling, enriching brand experience. 

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