| Hint: It's about people, NOT computers. | | | | and feel -- or the work doesn't get done. |
| Several years ago, I had a problem with some | | | | Politicians must understand how the voters think and |
| Microsoft software. I traded along series of emails | | | | feel -- or they lose the election. |
| with a Microsoft customer "service representative" | | | | Husbands and wives must understand how their |
| that was a nightmare. | | | | spouses think and feel -- or they get divorced. |
| No matter what I wrote, he refused to read it in | | | | Techies are NOTORIOUS for their inability to |
| sentence by sentence format. He scanned it for | | | | understand non-techies. |
| keywords, then sent off some canned message that | | | | Remember, we don't know what you take for |
| had nothing to do with my particular problem. His | | | | granted. Don't be arrogant just because of your |
| non-responsive responses quite obviously showed | | | | technical knowledge. If you needed heart surgery |
| that he had not read or understood my emails. | | | | would you want to go to a doctor who looked down |
| Finally, my extreme anger and frustration got across | | | | at you because of your lack of knowledge of Latin |
| to him, and he referred me to a supervisor who was | | | | and the intimate details of your body's structure and |
| willing to actually read, understand and then solve my | | | | chemistry? |
| problem. | | | | Take a minute right now and think about someone |
| What is this most important business skill the MS | | | | who's close to you but not really like you. Your wife |
| techie failed to practice? | | | | or husband, your roommate, whoever. |
| It's learning how to put yourself in another person's | | | | If they came to you for help with a virus on their |
| frame of reference. That is, to understand what | | | | hard drive, could you help them without feeling smug |
| they're feeling, what they're thinking and what | | | | about your superior knowledge of PCs? Could you |
| they're understanding. | | | | adapt your level of understanding to theirs? |
| It's easy to write. It's easy to think you already do it | | | | Next time you have an argument with a significant |
| even though you don't. | | | | other or friend, take a deep breath instead of getting |
| Businesses must understand how their customers | | | | angry. Take a mental step away and look at both of |
| think and feel -- or they are put out of business by | | | | you as though you were a Martian anthropologist |
| competitors who do. | | | | observing the behavior of Earthlings. |
| Workers must understand how their co-workers | | | | Just practice seeing the situation from their point of |
| think and feel -- or they make enemies. | | | | view -- even if it is "wrong." :) |
| Employees must understand how their bosses think | | | | Keep on practicing with friends, co-workers and |
| and feel -- or they get fired or passed over for | | | | everybody else. |
| promotions. | | | | And yes, this is a skill everybody needs. |
| Bosses must understand how their employees think | | | | |