Perspective: Want Real Alignment? Put down the Megaphone.

Picture this: you're in a team meeting. You're presenting an idea you're passionate about. You've done the homework, the data backs you up, and it just makes sense—to you.

Then, someone disagrees.

And suddenly, it feels like your idea is under attack. Maybe even you are.

You tighten your shoulders. You prepare to defend. But here's a radical question:

What if they're not fighting you—they're just seeing differently?

Perspective Isn't Truth—It's Your Lens

Every single person in that meeting walks in carrying a unique set of filters: personal experiences, values, cultural backgrounds, emotional states, and even how much sleep they got the night before.

Those filters shape what we notice, how we interpret things, and what we assume about others.

So when two (or ten) people sit around a table and hear the exact words, they're often hearing very different things. And responding to very different realities.

Remember, this diversity of perspectives is not a sign of dysfunction but a testament to our shared humanity.

The Myth of Consensus

We often equate alignment with agreement. But here's the truth:

Alignment doesn't require everyone to think the same. It requires everyone to feel seen, heard, and respected.

And that only happens when people feel safe enough to share their lens—without being corrected, dismissed, or drawn into a debate.

You don't have to agree with someone's perspective to honor it. You must understand that their perspective is as real to them as yours is to you.

Listen to Understand, Not to Convince

Most of us are trained to listen just long enough to find our counterpoint. To defend our perspective. To be "right." Trust me, I was trained in law school and then in the courtroom to dismantle the other party point-by-point. That might be appropriate in the court room setting; it does not help in most situations.

When everyone in the room, on the team, is focused at finding what’s wrong, no one is really listening.

What if, instead, we listened with curiosity?

What if we asked, "What's behind that view?" instead of "How do I prove it wrong?" For instance, if a team member suggests a different approach, instead of immediately defending your own, ask them to elaborate on their idea. This can lead to a deeper understanding of their perspective and uncover new insights.

That's where trust builds. That's where new insights emerge. That's how innovation happens—not from sameness, but from seeing through each other's lenses.

Show Up. Don't Suit Up.

The next time you're in a meeting, and you feel the urge to "suit up" and defend your perspective like it's a battlefield—pause.

Take a breath.

Remember: your perspective is yours. It's valid. But it's not the only one in the room.

You can share it without armor.

You can stand in your truth without needing others to kneel to it.

And when you give others that same freedom, something shifts: defensiveness melts, connection sparks and alignment begins.

Want to Learn How to Actually Do This?

If this hits home, you're not alone. Most of us were never taught how to navigate the messy beauty of human perspectives. That's why we created the JASC Workshop—a deep, practical dive into:

•               How to really listen (without making it about you)

•               How to speak from your truth, your perspective without triggering others

•               How to recognize when your filters are running the show

•               And how to align a team with the understanding that it is okay and necessary to share different approaches, and from that collaboration, not competition, come co-authored results.

This isn't just communication training. It's perspective liberation. It's about freeing yourself from the constraints of your own perspective and learning to appreciate and understand the perspectives of others. It's about creating an environment where everyone's voice is heard and valued.

Because when people feel seen for who they are—not just what they say—they show up differently.

And that changes everything.

Ready to drop the armor and connect for real?

👉 Take a JASC Workshop – Productive Communication.

Let's stop fighting for the mic and start tuning into the frequency of understanding. That's where leadership lives. That's where teams thrive.

And it starts with you.