Perspective Brain Hack

Good thought, but not always.

Perspective Taking: A Brain Hack That Can Help You Make Better Decisions

Mar 22, 2021 Opinion North America

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In business and in life, many of our interactions benefit from perspective taking, or our ability to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. In a unique corporate partnership with SEB, a leading Swedish corporate bank, The Wharton Neuroscience Initiative, explores the neural basis of perspective taking and its effects on collaboration and business outcomes. In this piece, Wharton marketing professor and neuroscientist Michael Platt, Vera Ludwig, Elizabeth Johnson and Per Hugander shed light on the neural basis of perspective taking and why it may lead to more innovation and better business outcomes. 

According to Martin Lorentzon, co-founder of Spotify and Tradedoubler, “The value of your company is equal to the sum of the problems you are able to solve.” But how can we build this problem-solving capability into our organizations? Neuroscience suggests that one key strategy may be taking the perspective of others. Not only does this crucial skill provide us with additional information about complex situations, it also activates brain regions linked with creativity and innovation.

Indeed, many frameworks and tools for solving tough and complex problems are centered around the ability to take the perspective of others. Innovation frameworks start with taking the customer’s perspective; collaboration and negotiation frameworks are centered around understanding others’ viewpoints; and dialogue models recommend postponing judgment in order to take different perspectives for solving numerous challenges from business issues to marital problems.

When considering how often perspective taking appears in the problem-solving literature, it is surprising that so few leaders invest time and effort in developing this skill. Even though organizations frequently use the aforementioned tools and frameworks, including the well-known approach of Design Thinking, the results may be suboptimal if individuals are not skilled in perspective taking itself.... "