Many an older and wiser (and occasionally younger) friend and relative has reminded me in the past, that if you point a finger at someone else's failings, you're also pointing three fingers back at yourself. It's not as twee as it sounds, and I think there's a lot of truth in this old adage.
When was the last time you scathingly decimated someone else's work and aesthetic sensibilities? Hopefully it was a long time ago, and better still, you were wise enough to not be cruel by doing this in a public domain, to add fuel to your scornful rhetoric. I'm guilty of the aforementioned, although it used to be done more in a jovial mindset. However, it's not something I'm proud of, and would never resort to that now.
Time and tide change us all, and as I moved away both physically and emotionally from a number of more negative and cynical types of friends, I realised how much we were all effectively feeding our and each others' inner critic. The knock on effects, and a sense of 'just desserts' style justice, can be far worse for the perpetrator :-
How Trashing Others Holds You Back
As already mentioned, we all do it and we've all done it. And beyond the occassional sarcasm and jocular ribbing, it's unpleasant and shameful. I believe strongly in the concept of cause & effect / karma, and what we mock others for, we tend to either dislike in ourselves or are resentful or even ashamed of having ( or lacking) in our own personalities as well. It becomes a sticky-tar cycle of inner brooding and resentment, which just gets worse. And that's what hold you back.
The article mentions the 'sleaze' factor associated with self-promotion, for example. I used to struggle with that terribly for a long time. However, the rationale associated with that type of self-defeating logic ( there is a fine line between self promotion and self-aggrandisation, but more on that at a later date), is that if you don't promote your own work and achievements to a degree, then unless you're paying someone else to tout your skillset ( i.e. an agency or manager), then who else will do this?
More importantly, in our now ultra connected world, how else are you going to get more work, the new girlfriend/boyfriend/partner/ friends...the list goes on.
In effect, all the time spent trashing others is time wasted on bettering and improving your own lot, so to speak. However, time spent doing nothing and just relaxing or chilling out, isn't time wasted :-
The Lost Art of Free Time
Up until my mid 30's, I used to have a lot of guilt regards free time. I was a workaholic and a worrier per se, and both these feed each other. Fortunately I saw sense and revamped my lifestyle to slow down a tad and recalibrate my life on a professional and personal level. As a result, I'm more calmer, less stressed and work smarter to get results. The yoga/meditation I've been doing daily for the last four years has had a lot to do with that as well. That's why I'd wholeheartedly second a lot of the points made in the article.
In essence, you have to make an effort for yourself, too. If you fit any of the usual 'creative overworker' paradigm tick-boxes (e.g. imbibing too much caffeine as 'fuel', always switched on, fidgety, always needing something to do both at and away from work, always thinking about work, very restless but starting to feel tired more often, etc) , then you owe it to yourself to step back, take stock and have a rethink.
Many years ago, I turned down a lucrative job with a large retailer as their ethos was spelt out in the last hour of the interview day, which in itself was eight hours of roleplaying and tests. One of the interviewers said 'we live to work, around here' and then quickly tried to correct himself, blinking wildly as he did so. That said it all to me, and I knew the hours would be collosal ( they always are in the retail sector), and I declined the offer.
Since then, I have nothing but the utmost respect for those who work in retail, as it is a slog that's harder than a U.K. locum G.P. doing his/her rounds ( that's a medical doctor who also works in hospitals during their working week, for those of you not familiar with the aforementioned description).
All work involves a level of research. Wether you're analysing statistics, or going through a load of user feedback forms ( both analog and digital), there is a need for analysing and assimilating data, to reach a level of conclusive decision making in order to move forward. In effect, research can affirm or even throw up new and surprising data, based on the answers to the question set therein. That's assuming the reserach methods and the data, are relatively free from cognitive biases and skew in the first place :-
The 7 Deadly Sins of User Research
I wrote an article called 'Washing machine' Syndrome , and it now makes absolute sense as to why so many washing machines are still festooned with more combinations of rinse and spin cycles than the average joe or jenny bloggs will ever use.The above article highlights more biases than I was aware of, and the safest conclusion I can come to, is that the best way to obtain accurate results in the field, is by evaluating the variables during field useage or testing. In other words, set the conditions up, and leave them to it. This can be intiated automatically via computer based monitoring, both with and without the consumers' knowledge, but always with their consent.
I say this as when a person is notified of being monitored, it can create a skew due to their behavioural changes as a result. For example, some people become more agitated under those condtions, and this affects the results. The natural solution to this, would be to extend the testing period, as to give this 'en garde' like state a chance to smooth out or dissipate. For instance, if someone was given a car with a new braking system and told they were being recorded by the onboard computer, they may intially be overly conscious of this for the first day. So to extend the testing period to five days or even a week in order to give the user a chance to ease in to the conditions, would help with the accuracy of the test.
Another thing to note, is that it can also be helpful in the case of interviewing users and consumers, to have a team to evaluate the whole experience of testing, as well. For instance, if the interviewer has any biases or subliminal cognitive scenarios that may affect the end user responses ( e.g. keeps on mentioning without realising after a response, that this is also my favourite colour, thereby disarming the person interviewed from potentially changing their mind) .
In the end, the whole research experience can be a lengthy one and care has to be taken to not fall into various traps and pitfalls, which can lead to wholly inaccurate results. This then reflects onto final stage evaluation and marketing departments, which if significantly out of kilter, can break a new version of a product or service at an early stage.
I always think of how and why great products such as Sony's SACD players and BETAMAX video recorders were market failiures. The short answer is inaccurate research into consumer behaviour was part of the blame; what makes one person tick, may turn another completely off into a spell of boredom and disinterest. There are other strands such as price and market conditions to take account of as well, but these fall into the deeper ethos of user research.
Taking an idea from initial thought or vibe, to it's final tangible state with all the changes along the way, is not for cissies.The level of involvement on a personal level in terms of time, energy and money can be substantial and occasionally takes you far beyond your original construct and plan. Assuming of course, that you had a clear end point envisaged in the first place.
And it's bearing that in mind, that we should regularly reasses and re-evaluate the 'what, where and why' paradigm, during the process. This gives you a chance to make easier decisions, rather than salvaging haphazard 'last-minute' changes, along the way. This in turn saves you time, money, energy, which can be used elsewhere, as and when required.
In general, being more judicious with our systems and processes, allows us to learn to allow other factors to come into flow and play. That may sound paradoxical, but consider how many times you may have had things work out brilliantly, when you've had the keys to the toystore,when it comes to making business and/or personal decisions.
A framework within which things can be executed, helps keep you and others on track. And ultimately, this enhances the ability to live a happier , more fruitful and constructive life, for you and others around you.
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