Maintaining a ‘Reciprocity’ mindset that focuses on the other in your personal and professional relationships can be difficult both at the beginning of relationships and in situations where emotions run high.
I have found these two Reciprocity Practices very helpful in moderating our ego-insecurity driven self-focus;
1. Approaching all conversations with no result in mind, but with the sole intention of developing deeper inquiry, wherever that leads
Concentrating on asking questions and developing new insights rather then providing answers and solutions
Celebrating difference in perspectives rather than promoting ‘one best’ point of view
Suspending our certainty and listening to the views of others with an open mind and open heart, rather than getting trapped in defending our existing positions
2. Continually creating opportunities for allowing the emergence of collective insight
Seeking to create a ‘collective sensibility’ in conversations where the thoughts, ideas and resulting actions belong not to one individual but to all together
Encouraging all to see how their own unique perspective can make a valued contribution to the collective wisdom of the group