Ann Van Eron’s new book Open Stance: Thriving Amid Differences and Uncertainty convincingly shows us that the simplest way we can improve our relationships and deal with life’s changes and obstacles is usually to be open-minded, or adopt an open stance.

openai opens with a robust quote by Jim Collins, which perfectly sums up why this open stance is essential: “If the first 2 decades of the twenty-first century have taught us anything, it really is that uncertainty is chronic, instability is permanent, disruption is common, and we are able to neither predict nor govern events. There will be no new normal. There is only going to be a continuous group of not normal episodes defying prediction and unforeseen by the majority of us until they happen.” The response many of us might feel to the tumultuous change all over would be to run and hide. Ann Van Eron understands that. She describes a secondary she took to Santorini, Greece, which she thinks of as her oasis because there she learned to relax, quit stressing, and become open to what was around her.

Since being on a perpetual vacation is not an option for most of us, Ann encourages us to find our own oases or pleasant memories of that time period whenever we felt open and relaxed and apply them to situations inside our lives that may be more difficult. Whenever we approach our obstacles with the same openness we approach a secondary or other positive things, we can shift to being more open-minded and finding ways to appreciate even probably the most difficult situations or come to find common ground with people we previously felt were too different for us to see eye-to-eye with.

Needless to say, being open or closed is all circumstances of mind. Ann teaches us how to be aware of when we are closed-to be familiar with our thoughts and how they might be sabotaging us or preventing us from taking an open stance that will bring us greater fulfillment or reassurance. She reminds us that people each have an internal spin doctor who tells us stories about situations, other folks, and ourselves. We have to be aware of when the spin doctor is operating, twisting perspectives to create us look good among others less so. By paying attention to our thoughts and to other people, we are able to open a door to possibilities.

As a business consultant, Ann spent some time working with numerous organizations to teach their members how to take this open stance. She has witnessed firsthand how companies faced with diversity challenges have had employees shift to being open so they could co-create solutions. Now in Open Stance, she shares the tools and processes which have worked for the numerous people she’s guided through the process. The book is divided into four sections. Part One argues the case for being open, Part Two supplies a process for shifting to being open, Part Three shares practices for embodying an open stance, and Part Four encourages us to take action from an open stance to make the world a better place, whether in simple ways or larger ones in your local or global community.

Throughout the book, Ann shares not only her own experiences helping others to become more open, but she backs up her statements with research, showing, for instance, how employees tend to be more engaged when they are open and experiencing wellbeing. The effect for companies is greater financial success and positive impact on their customers. By developing a workplace that’s more open, people feel psychology safe, and they are more willing to share ideas, tend to be more creative, and work better together.

While being open may appear easy, it requires learning to listen to other folks to understand them. Ann discusses such topics as empathy and how to be open to and curious about others. She also cautions us not to assume we can easily understand another. Can we really know very well what it’s like to be in a wheelchair or even to be unable to get a cab because of our skin color? However, we are able to listen to others and arrived at understand why they hold the beliefs and opinions they do so we are able to find common ground.

We can also expand our emotional vocabulary to better listen to ourselves. For example, rather than use basic descriptions of emotions like happy, sad, or angry, we can expand to pinpoint whether we are frustrated, irritated, afraid, or annoyed. By becoming more aware of our emotions, we are able to develop greater emotional intelligence. We will also then be better in a position to notice what emotions others are responding from so we can respond better to them.

Some of this may seem like common sense, but it is easy to forget these practices if we are closed. It is also an easy task to forget what long-lasting ripple effects we are able to create simply by having “compassionate curiosity” and connecting to one another. Open Stance’s final section is really a true tour-de-force vision of how good our world could be if we simply concentrate on being open, play the role of optimistic, and express gratitude.