Frustration with others' perspectives

The other day, a researcher at my work was advocating for a solution that seemed impossible to build, and I felt myself getting a bit frustrated that he didn’t share my perspective. Later I was wondering why I felt frustrated at all. The researcher is smart, has built useful things, and is advocating for something he is excited about.

Maybe instead of being frustrated that “nobody else shares my perspective”, I could acknowledge that people have their own perspectives depending on their interests, goals, backgrounds, and principles. Of course, their role probably aligns with that perspective. For example, I’ve always cared about how a product is used, so it’s not much of a surprise that I am a product engineer.

So in my research example, instead of discrediting research because they don’t fully share my perspective, I should instead think about how to tap into the perspectives of other roles. My role is ultimately to make the right call for the product, and research’s role is to push the boundaries of what is possible with the product.

I really like this insight. It’s a concrete example of how to move from frustration and judgment to understanding and collaboration. It feels so much healthier.