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How do you make a lasting difference? Be human! Be you!

Erikjan Lantink
5 min readApr 26, 2024

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One of my favorite exercises to do with teams is the lifeline exercise. A lifeline exercise involves a conversation among team members who share their life journey, focusing on those moments when life takes a turn for the better or worse.

Moments one will never forget when reflecting on life.

One of those moments was when I decided to take on a job opportunity in the Czech Republic in 1995. As a consequence of that momentous decision, I now have a wonderful family, enjoyed a great career in food retail, and spent more time living abroad, which has enriched my life. Living abroad has changed who I am. Working in retail has made me a better leader. Being part of a multicultural family has changed my perspective on humanity.

Gaining perspective is the key skill here and is tough to master.

It’s easy to say that we put ourselves in the mind of the customer, our people, or family members. I challenge you to try it, really try it. Try to listen to your conversation partner without any prejudice or judgment. Try to silence that voice in your head that’s telling you that what the person is saying is not valid, exaggerated, too vague, or judgmental in itself. Do not feel blamed when somebody comments about something you feel responsible for.

I recently had a conversation where my conversation partner said something factually wrong. After that statement, I tried to interrupt and correct the fact. But the fact was irrelevant to what the person was trying to say. My little voice took over, and I couldn’t hear what the person was saying anymore.

Listening, really listening to another person, is one of the hardest things to do. Once you’ve mastered that skill, the next step is to then not only hear but see the perspective of that person as well, asking yourself this powerful question:

“What if they are right? What if I am wrong?”

A lifeline exercise helps one understand the team members and see things through a different lens. Knowing someone’s background may help one understand why people do what they do and say what they say.

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Erikjan Lantink
Erikjan Lantink

Written by Erikjan Lantink

Business & Leadership coach. Interim Leader. Writer. Speaker. Former Retail Executive (general management; operations; HR)

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