What Are Perspectives?

In business, a perspective is a particular approach or way of thinking about something that is generally seen as the entire focus or opinion of one group. This figurative use of the term dates back to 1760, when the French philosopher philosophers Montaigne and Sartre created the word “opinion” in their work, The Essays. It became a more inclusive term, encompassing a variety of individualistic perspectives on life. With the evolution of Business and the ever-changing world of technology, it is not only possible but advisable for companies to take a variety of perspectives in order to better understand how the overall business environment or industry operates.

Many times corporate executives are so caught up in the day-to-day operations of running a company that they fail to give any consideration to how a product or a process affects another person’s life in the larger context of society. Businesses often fail to take into account how their actions may impact the people around them in a negative way, such as by hurting their livelihood. A major problem with this sort of perspective-taking is that it can be harmful to a company’s reputation. If the wrong steps or actions are taken, it can result in a negative public perception, which could make it difficult for that particular company to continue operating. This is why it is vital for companies to give some thought to the perspectives they take when they are engaging in business practices that could have a direct effect on another person or group of people.

The most common method of picking out different perspectives is to ask those who already work at a given organization. It is usually obvious when an employee gives a useful opinion on how the business should be run, but in some cases it can be hard to tell because the employee may hold a different perspective on how the company should do things than the one that is being asked about. When asking other employees, it is best to ask about the various perspectives they bring to a given situation. In this way, everyone involved can arrive at an informed and reasonable compromise that benefits the organization as a whole, without having to overly concern themselves with what other people think.