The Essence of Open-mindedness
“BEING open minded helps us grow”. This statement I heard from a resource speaker in a seminar I attended made me realized that accepting changes in our lives and embracing new ideas that came from exposure and experiences will make us an open-minded individual. Being openminded also means you have a willingness to listen to other ideas and opinions and consider the possibility that you are wrong or may change your own perspective. I also learned that having an open mind will help us gain a strong sense of self. If we will allow changes in our point of views and we won’t be confined of what just we believe, we are able to gain confidence as we learn more and more about the world around us, thus making us grow.
As a teacher, recognizing your own limitations and looking forward to infinite possibilities is openmindedness. You don't know everything. Students may have keener insights into material than you expect. That is a good thing, not a threat to your authority. Learners of this generation have different behaviors and learning styles. A teacher who caters to millennial learners must apply diversity in teaching modalities like using audio and video clips, directly relate material, and open up a dialogue with students and let their inquiries and curiosity lead the way to further discussion.
Open-mindedness is generally considered an important personal attribute for effective participation in management teams and other groups. Openmindedness is usually encouraged in group settings, within different cultures and new environments. This can be an important quality in the workplace. Increased emphasis on work teams has made open-minded employees even more valuable. Without a spirit of listening and cooperation, it is hard for groups to complete projects and optimize quality. Stephen Covey discusses the importance of openmindedness in his chapter on “Synergize” in his book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective people”. He indicates that openminded team members learn things they wouldn’t on their own and participate in greater solutions than they could come up with alone. Being open-minded helps you work through interpersonal or intrateam conflicts that arise when people work in close quarters.
Open mindedness brings a lot of benefits. It may be tough to become an open-minded person especially when we are all brought up with the set of beliefs, religion, and culture but having thought of the benefits of it in our lives will make us strive to be one. Be open-minded! Wella T. Copero