We live in the city, and when we take a quiet walk at night, the glimpse of flickering lights and movement in each house window profoundly reminds me of the simultaneous realities taking place only 50 feet apart from one another.

I see this as a metaphor for how simultaneous realities may also reside among the people we meet or associate with at work.

When experiencing frustrations, conflict, or a lack of clear communications, we often make assumptions and judge others based on how we see the situation within our own reality.

Reaching out to others for clarification, and probing to understand someone else’s reality, can be very powerful in breaking down barriers, building relationships, and minimizing conflict at work.

If we continue to remind ourselves that our reality or world-view may not be that of our neighbors or our co-workers, perhaps we’ll continue to see the benefit of sharing ours and learning more about theirs.