Not surprisingly, most of us act as if we are dealing with logical, rational thinking co-workers, be they colleagues or managers. Yet when we remember that every decision we make is taken at an emotional level first and only then rationalised and supported by logic, it stands to reason that they behave for at least some of the time in an illogical way.
Putting a visual framework on that, it's as if they are each two beings in one. Much as their 'emotionally' driven old-brains are inter-linked in many ways to the higher level cortex (which by its size alone makes us uniquely human), they often act as if they were distinct entities.
I find it helps to imagine people as double-brained beings when I interact with them; a rational thinking part which we all pretend to be and a strangely predictable instinctive part which can bring on emotions as varied as being loving and caring to being spiteful and dishonest.
Try imagining your office colleagues as horses and riders; the horse representing their instinctive older brain and their persona as a rider being the rational 'in-control' part we'd all like to think that we are. It would lead to a crowded office but it might explain some of the daily misunderstandings! More at: http://www.lazyhorses.com/the-horse-and-rider.html

In management meetings, people are often backed into a corner to talk about (or defend) their specialised area. One of the tips in this article is to talk more about business. It needs some practice, doesn't always come naturally, but here's a way to get started: Get your head of marketing and your head of IT together and insist that they only talk about the other's area of expertise for the next 10 minutes. Then gradually start mixing agendas. Have fun and profit from the results.
Full article at: http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/06/how_cios_can_change_the_game.html