A great exercise to help guide folks in the next step of their careers might be to write out what you want your tombstone to say. It was a famous exercise that Thomas Jefferson, one of our most influential Founding Fathers did, which today reads:
“Here was buried Thomas Jefferson Author of the Declaration of Independence of The Statue of Virginia for Religious Freedom And Father of the University of Virginia.”
Jared Spool writes about the current vs the target knowledge point. That is to say, how much the user knows about the design vs how much the user needs to know to accomplish their objectives, yields the “Knowledge Gap.” The Knowledge Gap is where design happens. Good design both trains the users through explanatory text while reducing complexity.
Spool’s research shows that one or both conditions must be met to be considered ‘intuitive’ by most of his test subjects:
Condition #1:
Both the current knowledge point and the target knowledge point are identical. When the user walks up to the design, they know everything they need to operate it and complete their objective.
Condition #2:
The current knowledge point and the target knowledge point are separate, but the user is completely unaware the design is helping them bridge the gap. The user is being trained in a way that seems completely natural.
What’s a good example of leveraging intuition? Dialing “9″ to call to an outside line or hitting “0″ for an operator. Alternatively, one can close the knowledge gap but simply putting a sticker on the phone receiver if this standard is deviated from.
notes, “designs are simple when they play to the user’s perception and knowledge. Designs are intuitive when they help users learn and get more knowledge.”
Sources
http://blog.vkistudios.com/index.cfm/2008/6/10/What-Makes-a-Design-Intuitive
http://ifacethoughts.net/2007/07/28/intuitive-design/
http://www.intuitive.com/articles/design-guide.html
An ancient African proverb goes like this:
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up.
It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.
Every morning a lion wakes up.
It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death.
It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle.
When the sun comes up, you better start running.
We all agree that there is no such thing as risk-free, only risk mitigation.
James Vicary pioneered the idea of subliminal advertising in 1957 where he quickly flashed messages on a movie screen to influence people to purchase more food and drinks. He projected the words “Drink Coca Cola” and “Hungry? Eat popcorn” for 1/3000 of a second at five-second intervals which resulted in increased sales of 18% and 58%.
The next year, the CIA banned subliminal cuts in the US noting, “certain individuals can at certain times and under certain circumstances be influenced to act abnormally without awareness of the influence.” The only problem is that many believe the study was “a gimmick” and James disappeared from the market business after his disclosure.
Robert McNeish wrote “Lessons from the Geese” in 1972 for a church sermon. In it, he shares 5 facts about our feathered fowls that might teach us a thing or two about our own relationships.
Lessons learned?
I think most people can relate when I talk about having to deal with irrationally angry or overly confrontational people. Sometimes, people just need to be listened to but haven’t found the right outlets to express themselves constructively. Yelling is simply the easiest (and most immature) way for some people to secure a platform to be heard. Now, there are a few golden rules to conflict resolution and they are:
The foundation of leadership is authenticity. Where is this leadership coming from? Is this an expression of ourselves deeply? Do these actions come from a place of core values or character? Or is it only from an external personality we’re created to “lead” and juggle responsibilities we’ve been asked to deal with.
Sometimes, because folks are asked to lead a group, they believe they must always have the answers. After all, it is thought that if limitations are revealed, they might be perceived as weak or incompetent. Ironically, this sets the stage for critical errors that may lead to crisis. To avoid this, it is crucial that individuals acknowledge mistakes and ask for help. Power lies not in being right, but in being authentic. As Socrates wrote in 400 BC, “Know thyself and thou shall know all the mysteries of the gods and of the universe…”
Today I celebrated Qingming, or Tomb Sweeping, day to pay homage to my Chinese ancestors. It is a day that highlights respect for elders and recognizes the duty and responsibilities of an individual.
The origin of this tradition is rooted in Chinese history and tells the story of a young prince forced to flee the palace. He wanders homelessly for 19 years and at his bleakest moment, collapsed to the floor in hunger and exhaustion. When a search for sustenance turns up empty, his loyal servant retreats into the woods and makes soup from his flesh to feed his master.
In time, the prince regains his strength and ascends to his rightful place on the thrown. In the dazzle of his new power, he neglects to reward his loyal servant until his officials remind him. By this time, his servant has retreated deep into the mountains to tend to his old mother.
Determined to thank his servant, the prince orders three sides of the mountain be set ablaze to force his servant into the open. The fires rages for 3 days and when the ashes settle, his loyal servant was found dead with his mother tied to his back.
Devastated, the prince ordered a temple be built in commemoration of his friend and promptly decreed that no fires be allowed for 3 days during a celebration, known as the Hanshi festival, when people are asked to eat their food cold.
Qingming follows the next day when Chinese people visit their ancestor’s cemeteries to sweep the tombs and offer sacrifices of food, flowers, and other favorites of the deceased. They burn incense, Joss paper, and bow before the memorial in a mark of respect and filial piety.
There is a Native American parable that goes something like this:
A child came home and told his grandfather how his classmates had ridiculed him and trashed his belongings. Hurt and angry, he told his grandfather how he hated them and wanted to hurt each with all heart.
The Grandfather held the small boy and said, “I too have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much with little or no remorse. I have struggled with these feelings and it is as if there are two wolves fighting in my heart.”
He continues, “One wolf is noble, loving, and compassionate. He lives in harmony those around him and is benevolent. The other wolf is vengeful, angry, and violent. He fights everyone because his hate consumes him. It is sometimes hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both are skilled warriors and try to dominate my spirit.”
The boy looks up with quiet tears and asks, “Which wolf wins?”
The grandfather replies, “The one I feed.”
Reference
I have come under the personal belief that everyone is a leader to someone. Whether that someone be an employee (or thousands of employees), your spouse, a child or at the simplest level, oneself – you are a leader.
As a leader you have the responsibility to develop a level of courage first within yourself, then to instill that level of courage in those that look to you for your leadership. It is key to note here that you must first achieve a level of courage within yourself before you even attempt to instill it in those around you. Why? Well the answer is simple… how on earth can you pass on that which you do not have? You will never be able to encourage others beyond the very level of courage that you carry and demonstrate on a regular basis. Your level of courage is the only limiting bar. Raise that bar and you raise your ability to encourage others.
