When you’re facing a problem or challenge in the workplace, especially one that has some urgency or a sense of crisis attached to it, take a page from the historian’s playbook to avoid “getting played” by the rhetoric of the moment.Good historians don’t get ruffled by the news cycle. They’re not easy prey to political fearmongering. When faced with an alleged problem, they tend to do three things to maintain equilibrium and a sense of perspective.Find familiar aspectsAsk: What is familiar about this problem? Is it part of a historical pattern?Try not to view any problem as entirely new. Seeing a problem as totally new may disable you from thinking or acting on it.Be skeptical of sourcesTake note of the first-person perspective being presented to you.Then, cast your mind out and ask: What are the other relevant perspectives on this problem? Is it actually a problem? Is it desirable from certain points of view?Seek truth by comparing different perspectives.See time as a flowMode...