I ran across this quote from Abraham Lincoln, and it rang very true for me as a lesson I’ve learned over the years.

“I don’t like that man.  I must get to know him better.” 

For me, this speaks to the importance of understanding people with different perceptions and views from your own.  This leads to learning and outcomes that far surpass what you may have achieved on your own.

In my own career, I have found this to be very helpful.  One of my biggest advocates, and someone I support strongly, is a colleague whom I did not particularly like immediately.  My strategy?  I asked her to have coffee with me to chat about some of the projects we were each working on.  That first coffee was a challenge, but I did get a different perspective that helped with my work.  I continued this strategy and the outcome is that now, she and I are in an informal peer mentoring relationship, and we both support and advocate for each other every chance we get.

What have you learned from people you don’t like?

Pic from Flickr user George Eastman House