In my mind the call was going well.

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I was determined to make a great first impression with one of my global D&I colleagues and enthusiastically shared a series of what I assumed to be good ideas.

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I paused with eager anticipation.

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My colleague sighed and spoke plainly: “Stop making assumptions and recommendations from a UK perspective.”

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OK, so that was not what I was expecting!

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Inwardly, I was mortified because I had genuinely entered into the conversation with good intent. I had a full call sheet of new colleagues with whom I needed to build long-term relationships to achieve larger scale goals. Time to get past my discomfort and refine my approach.

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“You’re right. I’m listening. May I request a do-over, please?” I said to reset the conversation.

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My colleague softened slightly in that moment and she proceeded to help me ‘walk in her shoes’ to understand cultural context, regulatory barriers, and opportunities within her local environment.

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Sometimes a single comment or action can make all the difference in shifting perspective. That is exactly what happened here because it set me on a course to practice open mindedness and active listening.