Recently we went to a little town to visit a beautiful Austrian Hot Spring Spa. When we were back on our way home we went to the local train station. To our surprise there was no schedule anywhere that told us, when the next train would leave.
We looked around – outside of the train station building, we went inside.
There was NO schedule, NO timetable for the trains.
We were amazed how this is possible! We wanted to go by train, everything was there, a train station, a train station building – but no information about the schedule and when the next train would leave.
Finally we asked a guy who seemed to work at this little train station. When we asked about the schedule he rolled his eyes and said: “Outside! The time table for the trains is on the other side of the train station. Walk up there and then you will see the schedule hanging there near the platform.”
This episode reminded me on how we sometimes interact with people.
We could see things from their perspective.
We could put ourselves in their shoes.
We could see things out of their eyes.
But we just don’t do it.
We stick to our perspective, even though this can seem careless to the receivers of our action.
If just some person of the train staff would put themselves in the customers’ shoes they had noticed that for the customer something is wrong here.
Some people are here for the first time. And they want to be treated well and appropriately and not feel like being unwanted and not seen, not heard in what they need and pay for.
When we are teaching music, our students are here for the first time.
They learn stuff they did not hear before and gain skills they did not have before.
What they need is to be assisted well, to be seen and heard in their needs and wants.
And they need that we put ourselves in their shoes.
How could we assist this person the best?
How could we be there and put our signs in THE RIGHT place, where they are needed?
How could we be more attentive, more caring and more supporting?
These questions help that we don’t stay in our own head, get stuck in our own little world.
Now, it’s your turn.
How can you be of service to someone who is there for the first time?
With so much love,
Anselma
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