I’m not very creative, how do I see something from another perspective?
That’s a question that I get occasionally.
Before getting into how to see something from different or multiple angles, you need to know what other perspectives exist. The following is by no means a definitive list.
- Above, below, inside, out
- Historical, economic, social, cultural, military, anthropological, technological, psychological, ecological, architectural, design, educational
- Rational, irrational, authoritarian, cybernetic, democratic, transcendental, moral, developmental
- From the top down, from the bottom up, from the side
- 50,000 ft view, ground level
- Macro, micro
- External, internal
- Physical, mental, spiritual
- From the leader, from the manager, from the worker, from the customer, from the user, from the doer
You can look at a problem from an endless number of perspectives. Doing so exposes you to connections that you may not have been aware of previously and new opportunities. More often than not, a simple solution tends to emerge (that was right in front of you) that was only exposed because your problem was viewed differently.
Shifting your perspective from one factor to another during a problem solving process is not only a good way to develop a better sense of the context in which you are working, but also an effective way to generate new ideas and solutions. The key, though, is being willing to explore.
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