Training Industry Magazine - March/April 2021 - 23

There is a gulf widening between us.
It's happening both inside and outside
of the workplace. The remote working
situations of the last year may have
only served to increase the differences
between people's lived experiences.
We may sit in a video-conference
meeting and wonder why other people
are reacting so differently from the way
we are. We may scroll through the news
and feel mystified by the actions of
others. There is a cognitive skill that we
all need to bridge this gap, and it's the
skill of perspective-taking.
However, perspective-taking requires
skill and motivation. Luckily, virtual
reality (VR) removes motivation from the
equation and allows us to experience
immersive perspective-taking. That
experience can be all we need to
motive us to engage in this powerful
skill - with or without a headset.
Perspective-taking has been defined
as " the ability to understand how a
situation appears to another person
and how that person is reacting
cognitively and emotionally to the
situation. " In other words, it's the ability
to place ourselves in someone else's
position while recognizing their point
of view, experiences and beliefs. This
recognition fosters understanding
between people. There is no sole
approach to perspective-taking.
However, the conscious attempt to
understand another's point of view can
build new neural pathways, create real
learning and reshape interactions.
Try it right now: Think of someone you
work with who has a very different
approach or point of view. Spend one
minute considering the world from
your co-worker's perspective, literally
imagining what their life is like. Now,
believe or not, that one minute has put
you in a better frame of mind to interact
with that person. The simple prompt to
consider someone else's perspective
results in more positive outcomes. And,
the more skilled you become, the better
outcomes you can expect.
Imagine - anytime you needed to - you
were able to pause, take a deep breath
and engage in skilled perspectivetaking. Through understanding and
effort, you can have more fruitful

discussions rather than heated
arguments. You can have understanding
instead of frustration. You can find
creative solutions instead of impasses.
That is the power of perspective-taking.
Fortunately, perspective-taking can be
learned and practiced. Some of us find
it easier to master than others, but it's
a technique that anyone can access
at anytime, anywhere. However, we
all have to overcome some common
barriers, including ourselves.

Your Brain's Job Is
Self-Protection
It is important to acknowledge that our
brains are hardwired for egocentric
anchoring and adjustment. In other
words, the very organ we use to
make sense of our world places us at
the center. It makes us the hero and
ascribes others supporting roles.
This phenomenon explains why
we immediately refer to our own
experiences, opinions and perspectives
as our default. There are four common
internal cognitive biases everyone
faces when trying to take another's
perspective (see sidebar).
When we engage in perspectivetaking, we move away from an
egocentric starting point in order to
understand others. It's not easy; the
process is gradual and requires hard
work. However, with practice, our
skills improve. As we reach positive
outcomes, we become more and more
motivated to put in the effort.
Now, imagine that same co-worker,
again. This time, instead of having to
use your imagination, what if you were
able to put on a VR headset? Once
you put it on, you are immersed in a
scenario where you see yourself from
your co-worker's point of view. You
can hear your co-worker's thoughts
and experience a scenario from their
perspective. Consider what insights this
experience might give you and how it
might encourage perspective-taking
outside of the headset.
Perspective-taking creates empathy.
Companies are using VR to transform
the way their employees care for and

consider their customers and their
co-workers.

The Benefits of
Perspective-taking
* Counteracts expressions
of bias.
* Decreases implicit bias.
* Reduces the expression
and accessibility of social
stereotypes.
* Increases the positivity of
group-based judgments.
* Decreases in-group
favoritism.
* Increases team creativity.
* Improves conflict resolution.
* Creates successful leaders.

Perspective-taking
in Training

Hilton created scenarios where
team members experience the
guest's perspective during checkin, breakfast service and room
service. By experiencing the guest's
perspective, team members are able
to design processes and programs
that support a great experience.
Perspective-taking in VR can
transform not just the customer
experience but also a company's
culture by using it for equitable and
inclusive workplace training.
PwC recently released a case study on
using VR for their inclusive leadership
training. Instead of classroom training
or eLearning, managers put on
headsets to experience hiring, staffing
and performance scenarios. Their
early data compared VR learners to
classroom learners and resulted in:
* 4 times faster training times.
* 275% more confidence in applying
new skills.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - BUILDING AN EQUITABLE W ORKP L AC E I WWW. T RAININGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

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https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/11384950/Gehlbach-EPR%282004%29HGSECopy.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:11384948 http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:11384948 https://business.oculus.com/case-studies/hilton/ https://www.pwc.com/us/en/services/consulting/technology/emerging-technology/vr-study-2020.html https://www.trainingindustry.com/magazine

Training Industry Magazine - March/April 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Magazine - March/April 2021