A group of young professionals from many walks of life and from around the world asked me recently “how do you know when it’s time to move on to something new?” The essence of this […]
Category: stories
Giants Like Geniuses Are A Myth
I’m not out to prove to anyone that I’m right and they are wrong. I want people to discuss ideas and consider possibilities. That is the new perspective I’ve adopted on being creative, today.
The Buzz of King Lear Leads to Truths About Experience
Why do live performances, like King Lear, give us a sense of wonderment in a way that technology cannot? As it turns out focusing on one task at a time, like watching a play, allows us to better understand what’s happening in the moment and minimizes fatigue in making decisions
WTF Jeff? How I Put Failure Into Context
If failing became normalized perhaps we could help future generations not be afraid to try while simultaneously creating a culture of learning and growth.
Winding Back The Clock On UX And Product Management
The Nielsen Norman Group recently published a research paper “PM and UX Have Markedly Different Views of their Job Responsibilities”. Winding back the clock, sharing a podcast I published in 2007 for Boxes and Arrows, one can easily hear how the disciplines evolved and why current research supports what I view as an opportunity for both disciplines.
Imagine A World Where Customer Troubles Align With User Issues
What if we considered disciplines like sociology to bridge the divide between customer experience and user experience? Imagine a space where the troubles of the customer are aligned with the issues facing users. Charles Wright Mills did just that … in 1959.
I Walked Into a Bar and Discovered The Meaning of Ownership
What’s the level of psychological ownership in your organization today? What if the level of psychological ownership turns out not to be high enough to move ahead? In this story I share how I applied this theory in sharing research results with senior leaders, managers, and teams.
What Seems To Be The Problem?
Questioning and clarifying with the intent to understand is critical for success. Without such effort, how can we be certain we’re even asking the right questions?
Attentional Switching Comes With a High Cost
I’ve learned over the years that holding tightly to one’s own beliefs around best practices, tools, and disciplines has been a fundamental source of failure in business. While it feels easier to simply argue against those with whom we don’t agree, it actually exhausts time limited resources required to be objective.
Between the Chalk Dust and the Hot Rods
Many experiences over the course of our lives shape who we become and what we value. This story points out my own bias based on stereotypes of titles and roles with an organization. Ken had a great impact on my life and you’ll not likely guess their title or profession. Wait for it …
That brief moment in time when design and code were aligned.
There was a point in time when individuals had to learn code, design, and understand the business in order to make things work. While this was more challenging than today, the benefits to me were immense. I learned early on that success wasn’t about how we got to the solution. It was how we always got to a better solution, together.
After the Spotlight
What if we focus on the ideas being shared instead of simply assuming the thought leader on stage has the irrefutable best answer? This was a question I posed throughout my career and one that I illustrate in this story, as an example. The patterns that emerged over time focused on the irrefutable individual; not on the critical thinking required to validate the value of the ideas themselves.
Let’s Start by Cleaning Up Your Room
As we’ve built platforms that are tightly-coupled and complex it is more important than ever to focus on solving problems, not simply fixing issues. In this story I share one of many experiences where gaining alignment helped the organization step forward.