312 Approaching Differences With Curiosity
Differences between people are as certain as night and day, however it is entirely up to us to determine if we will embrace these differences and learn more about them or to further isolate ourselves into an echochamber of similar ideology.
In this episode Sarah Elkins reads from her upcoming book Authenticity is Overrated and ruminates on the importance of embracing differences as opposed to getting frustrated over them.
Highlights
What are some personal blinders you are wearing?
Life is boring without change and differences.
Approaching differences with curiosity.
Quotes
“We can have the most diverse workforce, a completely diverse group of professionals at the table. But if we’re only tolerating them, we are not embracing those differences.”
“What if you reframe that story of that frustration to learn the lessons from it and find somebody that’s completely different from you that works in a way that grows your business.”
Dear Listeners it is now your turn,
This excerpt from my book is a reminder of the importance of embracing our differences. What have you been tolerating that you can approach with curiosity instead of indifference, frustration, or fear? What difference might that make for you at work? Think about one person from your work that you found especially frustrating to work with. Can you reduce the darkness of those blinders for just a moment to consider what that person’s talents were that are different than yours and maybe find just a few things about that person that were good challenges for you, learning opportunities that made a difference in how you see the world and how you handled a challenging situation that you encountered later on in your career. What if you reframe that story of that frustration to learn the lessons from it and find somebody that’s completely different from you that works in a way that grows your business. That brings innovation and creativity to your days at work.
And, as always, thank you for listening.
About Sarah
"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."
In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.
My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.
The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!
Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.
Be sure to check out the Storytelling For Professionals Course as well to make sure you nail that next interview!