SOLUTIONS
Krishna C. Kalva
I t takes a deliberate effort to leave a blank space in the title of the column, but it’s up to each one of us to reflect upon the title and fill the space with a word that resonates personally. This column is an invitation for you to reflect on the experiences you’ve had over time and find your personal associations.
An outcome from an experience may or may not have been as anticipated. Our personal association with the outcome will set the tone for the language in our minds to convey the message of our experiences. For example, an outcome that might fit into the blank space could be something like “own your own ___” moments, baggage, successes, failures, relationships, etc.
The core idea is to reflect and mentally deconstruct the entire experience. The goal is to become comfortable with the thought of the question and the subsequent outcome. Becoming comfortable is a process and a personal journey that takes time and effort.
Imagine you are making travel plans to a holiday destination. Like any other traveler, you want to have the best experience, starting with planning, booking, flight selection, duration, meals and so forth.
Needless to mention, you would like every moment that is part of the itinerary to unfold as planned. You sense that any deviation from the original plan might have an impact on the other aspects of the holiday. For example, an expensive flight might prompt you to consider less expensive accommodations. Or a delayed flight might shorten the time you want to spend at the beach on the day of your arrival.
You understand how the entire holiday experience is interconnected. By understanding the nature of interconnected events, we can identify situations that are within and outside the scope of our influence. For example, the rush hour traffic, security checks at the airport, flight take-off and landing timings can play a role in the overall holiday experience. By being able to identify aspects that we can or cannot influence, we give ourselves permission to channel our thoughts and energy in the right direction.
The idea is to identify aspects that we can acknowledge, accept and own our own travel experience, as it is unique for everyone.
Let me take your attention back to the original idea — own your own ___. When one decides to own their experience, the focus is shifted from wanting to being. That means we start to accept given situations or things as they are without being attached to any perceived outcomes, generally driven by predetermined situations or timelines. By remaining non-attached or seeing things without any preconceived labels, we create a new profound meaning for ourselves about the situation at hand.
The outcome of owning your own experience is gaining perspective, to see things as they are through a new lens of clarity. This clarity of thought helps us develop a new and profound language for ourselves and to communicate with one another in a new language that will help us articulate our thoughts and convey our stories with a sense of purpose.
Krishna C. Kalva is program manager for sales leadership excellence in Germany for Siemens Healthineers. Email him at krishnachaitanya.kalva@siemens-healthineers.com or connect through LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/krishna-chaitanya-kalva-a2773123.
