Week 49, 2019 - Let’s take the time

This week started off with two long days of user research in the UK, which both shortened and lengthened the feeling of the week! I took it easy on Wednesday so by the time Friday rolled around, I wasn’t too sure which day of the week it was….

First hand field research experience is critical to a project member’s ability to contribute and perform. Spending time in the genba gives us the anchor to be truly useful, and not let ourselves get caught in the follies of egos and organizational matters.

I’m making my way through “Nonviolent Communication: Create Your Life, Your Relationships, and Your World in Harmony with Your Values” by Marshall B. Rosenberg and “Clean Approaches for Coaches” by Marian Way. The former was because more than a few friends around me in Paris have gotten into NVC, and the different parts of the story they told over the years culminated into a strong interest. The latter is a continuation of my exploration of Clean Language after reading about Systemic Modelling, and combining my interest in pursuing coaching skills.

So it was a bit of a coincidence to start on two books that present approaches that are complimentary to one another - as far as I can currently tell, anyway. They both have similar starting points, in separating an observation from an often-emotional reaction, in order to analyze the underlying intention or need behind the observed action. Another similarity is the focus on spoken language as the key medium or material to play with.

I think the meta-learning here is about slowing down. Take in the present for a moment (or two!) before charging ahead, which typically results in hurting others but also ourselves. And to let that more steady response increase the likelihood of circumstances moving in our favor.

The idea of clarifying intent is very interesting to me because design is all about intent. So I’m hoping that after I’ve swam in these ideas for a while more, the connections with design will emerge and I’ll be able to synthesize them more deeply.