It has  been a week of ups and downs (“Yes… they still happen.”)  I guess that may not seem surprising, but what I found interesting is how my view of the same set of circumstances change completely according to my my outlook.  One day things seemed full of possibilities and one another those same doors seemed to be closed.  I suspect that the realities didn’t change at all during this period but that isn’t how it felt.  What struck me when I was reflecting on this, is that projects that I might have cheerfully embarked on one day seemed impossible a few days later.  It struck me that in a team, you have different people with differing viewpoints and they will all judge the opportunities and challenges before them from how they see them. 

It is fascinating how one’s frame-of-mind affects one’s view, but this is also true when working with different people.  The opportunities / challenges are the same but one’s willingness to grasp them, and ability to succeed, can be very strongly influenced by your viewpoint, which in turn maybe a feature of your mood or state on a given day.  We are told the value that differing views bring to the team but it is easier to understand their power when you notice how your own views can shift according to how you feel.  Perhaps paying attention to people’s states before making big decisions might pay off…

[ This picture is a famous example of how people can see the same thing differently, some see an old crone, and others a fashionable young one.]